A happy collaboration brought together The Fretless and Oliver Swain’s Big Machine.
A trip to Memphis, Tenn. and the International Folk Alliance Conference saw the two join when Fretless member Ivonne Hernandez agreed to play fiddle with Big Machine during the conference.
Soon the two groups found themselves around the same table sawing fiddles and singing along into the wee hours of the morning.
The jam was so inspiring that the musicians made a pact to play a show together at the next opportunity, which will materialize in Victoria tonight (June 15) as Big Machine joins The Fretless on stage for the album release party for their new CD, Waterbound, at Fairfield United Church.
The Fretless is an innovative young string quartet that performs original and traditional fiddle music in a setting that’s one part chamber, one part kitchen jam.
Hailing from across North America, the members of The Fretless include Victoria’s Ivonne Hernandez, Vancouver’s Trent Freeman, Saskatoon’s Karrnnel Sawitsky, and Eric Wright, from Los Angeles. The foursome originally met as competitors at fiddle contests across North America, each winning titles such as B.C. Provincial Fiddle Champion, Canadian National Fiddle Championship finalists, Grand North American Fiddle Champion and European Fiddle Champion.
Catch Big Machine and The Fretless June 15 at 7 p.m. at Fairfield United Church, 1303 Moss St.
Tickets at Lyle’s, Ditch, and Larsen Music, $14 in advance, $16 at the door.