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Butch Ross
 When
Butch Ross was given a
Mountain Dulcimer for his
birthday a few years ago, he
had no idea that it would
alter the course of his
career. Ross, already an
accomplished guitarist and
singer/songwriter, fell in
love with the primitive
sound of the instrument and
the creative possibilities
that abound in its
limitations.
In July of 2002 Butch was a
featured performer at the
Cork Dulcimer Festival, in
Cork Ireland. There he met
mountain dulcimer legend
Robert Force. Force (who
toured for years as a duo
with the late Albert
d'Ossche and with him
co-wrote the book "in search
of the wild dulcimer"), was
impressed with Ross' playing
and his approach to the
instrument and offered to
produce his next CD and
release it on his label,
Blaine Street Records.
The result of that
collaboration, The
Moonshiner's Atlas showcases
Butch's command of the
traditional (lap) style of
playing, as well as his
iconoclastic method of
holding it upside down, and
re-strung like a guitar.
Musically, The Moonshiner's
Atlas has experimented with
blending and blurring the
line between old-time and
contemporary songs. The man
onetime called "Bela Fleck
of the mountain dulcimer"
makes, "the old songs sound
new, and the new songs sound
old".
Recordings
Moonshiners
Atlas
Recordings with Christie Burns
Here To Play Mountain
& Hammered dulcimer cd
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