The Crooked Jades

BRAND NEW RELEASE END OF JULY 2008 SHINING DARKNESS

Illuminating the shadows and exploring the alchemy of art and darkness, this new release by The Crooked Jades actualizes founder Jeff Kazor's dream of the first all-original Crooked Jades album. Recorded in Fantasy's famous Studio A by Bruce Kaphan and co-produced by Jeff and Bruce, Shining Darkness features the current lineup playing 19 original compositions from driving fiddle and banjo tunes to beautiful and haunting ballads, all with the usual inspired arrangements and eclectic instrumentation, including harmonium, bao (Vietnamese one-string box zither) and mbira in symphony with string-band standards fiddle, banjo, guitar, ukulele and arco bass.

Writes fRoots: "Grounded in tradition, old-time string band music and mountain blues but with open horizons that take them, subtly, to other parts of the planet, they have a haunting spookiness, an organic pulse, and most importantly a clear vision - (This is) a consistently startling and addictive album."

The Four Finger String Band

New to the California Bluegrass scene, The Four Finger String Band is a young, energetic, and expressive band playing traditional style Bluegrass and Old Time music using exceptional, intricate two- and three-part vocal harmonies… an authentic, deep-rooted sound reminiscent of the Stanley Brothers, Vern Williams, Doc Boggs, and others.