Blues on the Fiddle

Is the fiddle a better instrument for blues than even guitar? Darol Anger thinks so, and walks his talk in this unique instructional video. Anger, of the Turtle Island String Quartet (if you doubt that "classical" instruments can do a convincing blues, one listen to their Robert Johnson-via-Cream version of "Crossroads" should make a believer of you) provides a good close look at what makes some notes slide into indigo by demonstrating how to infuse a blues feel through the pentatonic scale, rhythmic accents, double-stops, walking bass lines, vibrato and other essential blues techniques. Anger also shows viewers how to bridge a more common fiddle genre, bluegrass, into blues stylings. When comparing the singing guitar leads of the clean B. B. King variety to the heavily overdriven Stevie Ray Vaughn tones (and, of course, slide guitar) you can hear a striking similarity to the basic timbres and fluidness demonstrated here on fiddle. Not only a showcase for the versatility of the violin as an instrument, Blues on the Fiddle also serves up a fresh voice in an age-old genre, and should spark some creativity in violin players looking to dip their bows in the muddy waters of the Mississippi. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: H, C, P. (C. Block)