NATALIE & BRITTANY HAAS
Sisters Natalie (cello) and Brittany (fiddle) Haas began their musical lives together, filling their childhood home with Bach suites and old-time tunes alike. It was on their own, however-following divergent paths through disparate musical traditions, countries, and cultures-that they both arrived as virtuosi and composers at the highest levels of contemporary string music. Fans of acoustic music can hardly mention one without referencing the other's work. With HAAS, these singular musicians finally record together - in duo form - for the first time. It is a collaboration a lifetime in the making, and a music encompassing travels through time and through the world From Nashville to Norway, the Celtic Isles to California, Natalie and Brittany have absorbed, adapted, and made their own world of music. The result? HAAS.
NIC GAREISS
Named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch,” Nic Gareiss (he/they) has been hailed by the New York Times for his “dexterous melding of Irish and Appalachian dance” and called “the most inventive and expressive step dancer on the scene” by the Boston Herald. A Lansing resident, Gareiss grew up learning percussive dance from Ireland, Canada, and Appalachia surrounded by fiddlers, banjo-players, and balladeers at folk festivals in the Midwest. This mix of instrumental music, song, and movement from rural places has become the heart of Nic's creative work as a performer. Nic has earned numerous accolades including a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination for traditional singer of the year and the Michigan Heritage Award, the state's highest distinction bestowed on traditional artists. He has performed in seventeen countries with many of the luminaries of traditional music and dance at London's Barbican Centre, the Irish National Concert Hall, the Munich Philharmonic, and the Kennedy Center. Always jubilant, often puckishly queer, Nic Gareiss has emerged as one of the most beloved and singular performers of contemporary traditional dance and music.
“I think I've listened to and loved every recording Natalie and Brittany Haas have made down through the years, but I have been waiting for this recording of just the two of them. Chops, verve, taste and musicality... phew. I love every note. I continue to be in awe of Natalie and Brittany–stars of their or any generation. "Haas" is a stunningly gorgeous album from two of my absolute favorite musicians.” - Liz Carroll
“Anyone who has experienced Brittany or Nataile Haas' music knows that they are each among the most exciting, moving musicians in the Acoustic String Music Universe. Thus, the prospect of both of them together brings an almost unbearably joyful fulfillment of just about every musical desire: a Major Event in our Musical History. And those who don't know – I'm giving you my absolute best advice here – Buy this recording now! Get it! Don't even wait three minutes. Make sure your floor is clean because you'll be feeling around down there for your jaw while your feet and legs are off dancing around the room on their own.” - Darol Anger