Michigan fiddler, banjoist, and singer/songwriter Laurel Premo received an email out of the blue, a little over two years ago, which took her in a surprising direction. A Swedish music student named Anna Gustavsson had discovered Premo's banjo playing on YouTube, and acted upon an instinct telling her that together, their instrument combination had great potential.
Gustavsson plays the nyckelharpa, a traditional bowed string instrument with melody keys and sympathetic strings, on which she plays Swedish folk tunes such as 3/4 time polskas. Laurel Premo's dance tunes on banjo are most often played in 2/4 or 4/4.
During their musical correspondence, both musicians played around with their styles to adapt to each others' music. Premo went to Sweden, and Gustavsson visited Michigan as well.
The result is the duo album I Walked Abroad, which will be available locally on October 24 at a CD release concert at the First Congregational Church of Kalamazoo. Details on the concert and tour are at the Premo & Gustavsson website.
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