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In this exiting new duo, coming together through their shared passion for American Old-time Stringband and traditional ‘Southern’ dance and social music veteran Australian Bluegrass, Western Swing and Old-time guitarist, banjo player and fiddler extraordinaire Donal Baylor (Dance Hall Racketeers, Baylor Bros, Slim Dusty Band, Rhiz and the Sugarplums) is joined by Melbourne based multi instrumentalist and traditional ‘Roots’ music specialist Craig Woodward (Headbelly Buzzard, Flying Engine Stringband, The ‘Johnny Can’t Dance’ Cajun Band, Woodward & Rough) to perform a dynamic mix of hard driving clawhammer banjo and fiddle duets, Breakdowns, Rags & Reels, hypnotic twin fiddling, Mountain Blues & Ballads, Cajun & Creole 2-steps, waltzes and Stomps from the Swamps!

For the past 35 years Craig Woodward has worked as a performing musician in both the live music industry and as a recording artist. Starting his career as a performer at 18 when he was able to drive himself to gigs and was legally allowed to perform in licensed venues his first musical outings were as a solo performer, performing America pre-war style ‘country blues’ music. Through the influence of western pop, rock and country music that he grew up listening to on the radio he had started digging back to find the roots of these contemporary styles and found himself developing a strong passion for the early blues music which opened up new windows and lead him to the discovery of other American ‘Southern’ traditional music styles, in particular Appalachian ‘Old-time’ and ‘Stringband’ music and the French ‘Cajun’ and Creole music of Southwest Louisiana and East Texas. His shift in focus from the African American country blues to the music of the Southern Appalachians and the prairie and bayou of the deep South lead him to transition from playing guitar exclusively to the study of 5-string banjo, fiddle, mandolin and the single row diatonic button accordion.

Craig Woodward &  Donal Baylor