Duckpond
House Concert No. 21
Little Rabbit Trio
13
September 2014
Pete Fidler brought his fine dobro playing to the Duckpond last year, when
he accompanied
Cyndi Boste at her house concert. We subsequently saw Pete at Newstead Music
Festival
as part of the four piece band Little Rabbit, with whom we were much taken.
So, when we ran into
Pete we enquired as to whether they'd like to play at the Duckpond, he said
that they would love to,
but that one of their members wasn't able to make it at the time we suggested.
So, we were still happy to welcome the Little Rabbit Trio to the Duckpond.
Pete is joined in Little Rabbit Trio by Kim Wheeler (vocals, double bass &
guitar) and
Kat Mear (vocals, fiddle, banjo & guitar). It's evident when a group enjoys
playing together,
and Kim, Kat and Pete fitted together as if they were a well honed stage act,
although,
from their conversations, we knew that improvisation played a big part.
Little Rabbit have recorded a CD, but alas it wasn't available for our house
concert.
It looks like we'll have to venture up to Maldon Folk Festival, where they
will be officially launching it.
Kat is a stunning fiddle player and the amazing voice which comes out of that
little body seems just too mature and far ranging for one so young.
Kim's double bass playing provided the backbone for the tunes, and her
mellow voice fitted so well, both as lead vocal and
providing harmonies.
Although Pete is best known for his dobro playing, his mandolin is a beautiful
instrument and
he plays it so well. He also came equipped with his banjo, and, for this number,
Kim abandonned
her double bass to arm herself with a guitar. Versatility is in no short supply
with this trio!
Pete remembered how good the acoustics were when he played here last year,
so he took the opportunity to set up a microphone and record the concert.
We look forward to listening to it sometime soon.
The old-timey/bluegrass mix of old favourites and new original tunes were
much appreciated
by the audience, and once again we were pleased to have a full house of friends,
family and
newcomers for an evening of the music which continues to enhance our lives
at The Duckpond.
I'm sure Little Rabbit is another group who we will see here again before
too long.
Here's a video of
highlights from this terrific concert.