Named after a short poem by John Hartford that puns The Lord's Prayer ("Give us today hors d'oeuvres in bed"), The Lowest Pair are a male-female duo of banjo-picking Bluegrass loving artists who first met on the banks of the Mississippi.
These two records, each containing 11 tracks, were recorded in Minnesota and released on the same date, begging the question why they didn't opt for a double album.
Uncertain As It Is Uneven is mostly played by the duo while Fern Girl & Ice Man is performed with the help of three backing musicians, the most significant of whom is Barbara Jean Meyers on fiddle. Whatever the line up, the arrangements are never complex so the two records can be regarded as companion pieces.
The notion of dueling banjos suggests some element of competition but Kendl Winter and Palmer T. Lee are all about harmony; voices and instruments that just sound so right together and songs with an old timey feel but with an unforced modern sensibility.
|
Dreaming Of Babylon from Uncertain As It Is Uneven epitomizes their style with smart lyrics and virtuoso musicianship. It begins by wittily spoofing the classic Blues 'woke up this morning' line by beginning "Woke up in the afternoon, I've been sleeping in" and features an inspired instrumental passage mid-way through.
Other songs similarly offer fresh perspectives on familiar themes whilst always allowing the traditional elements of their music shines through.
There's no shortage of releases that boast of being timeless and haunting but few artists that live up to the billing like this pair.
The Lowest Pair's website
|
