Product Description Darol Anger's unique vision of venacular, internationall stringband music is fully realized on REPUBLIC OF STRINGS, the debut of the American Fiddle Ensemble. This album seemlessly blends bluegrass, jazz, classical and folk traditions to create a beautifully rich and unique album. Amazon.com Darol Anger isn't the sort of musician who stretches musical boundaries; he's the sort of musician who refuses to concede that such boundaries even exist. On Republic of Strings he and his American Fiddle Ensemble use relatively simple tunes such as Irish fiddler Liz Carroll's "Lost in the Loop" or Bill Monroe's "Old Dangerfield" as a starting point to create harmonically complex, rhythmically rich arrangements. The band consists of guitarist Scott Nygaard, the brilliant young fiddler Brittany Haas, cellist Rashad Eggleston, and Natalie Haas, who takes Eggleston's place on three tracks. Guest artists include Nickel Creek's Sara Watkins, who lends vocals to a slightly spooky version of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground," and Laurie Lewis, who delivers a bluegrass-tinged take on Joni Mitchell's "Help Me." You might call this improvised Afro-Scandinavian Irish old-time string band music, but it would be equally true, and much simpler, to just say they play great music. --Michael John Simmons