Fire in the Dumpster

The debut effort from this Alabama string band unfolds like a long, pleasantly exhausting evening at a contradance: The tunes are presented mostly in medleys (so as to avoid boredom on both the dancers' and the band's part) and are generally upbeat without being frenetic. The group's instrumentation is a little unusual: Strict traditionalists may not approve of the harmonica or, heaven knows, the banjo ukulele in place of the traditional open-back five-string banjo played clawhammer style. But the twin fiddles of Ed Baggott and Jim Cauthen (mainly playing in unison but occasionally separating into lovely harmony lines) carry the tunes with a sound that is as deeply traditional as any in American music, and if you can listen to these performances without dancing around the room you may need your pulse checked. Highlights include the incongruously beautiful "Muddy Creek/Dead Slave" medley and a very nice rendition of the classic "Rose of Alabama," sung and played on the autoharp by Bill Martin. A must for old-timey music fans.