Lissa Schneckenburger

Schneckenburger is a fiddler originally from Maine and now based in
Vermont. She's been playing and singing folk music since she was a girl,
and this CD is the first of a pair that she's releasing to introduce
people to the songs of New England. The music of the Northeast, Maine in
particular, combines elements of drawn Celtic traditions of Maine and
Quebec, British step dances and various American forms. She researched
the music of the American Downeast (the coast of Maine from Penobscot
bay to the Canadian border) while she was in college, and this set is
the result, 10 folk songs both familiar and obscure. "Jam on Gerry's
Rock/Willie's" opens things up with a tune some may know from the
singing of The Limelighters and other folk revival bands. It tells of a
logger who dies while breaking up a logjam. (Lumber companies used to
float fallen trees down a river to save on transportation costs. They
often jammed up and made rivers impassable.) Schneckenburger's playing
on "Willie's", the reel that follows the vocal, is quietly virtuosic,
with restrained support from Irish folk star Sharon Shannon's button
accordion. "Lumberman in Town/Go Ken Go" is a sprightly step dance, the
tale of a man looking for romance after a hard week's work and being
brushed off by the local women, He consoles himself by dancing a turn to
"Go Ken Go". Schneckenburger's fiddle soars here and Dave Cory's banjo
adds syncopated counter melody. The stately martial beat of "Harmony"
introduces a spiritual song and while the expected harmonies are serene
the song remains a bit unsettling. It sounds like the kind of song
that's sung at graveside, full of images of heaven leavened by the grief
of separation.

"Little Musgrove and Lady Barnswell" is one of the oldest ballads known,
a wrenching tale of infidelity, revenge and murder. The cello dominated
arrangement is suitably dark and Schneckenburger sings with an
understated drama. "The Drowsy Sleeper" is a variant of the suicide
ballad "Silver Dagger" and closes the album on a dreamy, if fatalistic,
note. The cellos supply a dark, woeful coda to this tale of hopeless
love. This mostly down tempo collection is full of songs detailing the
hard life of Downeast folks, but their quiet beauty is undeniable.
Schneckenburger's voice is pure and clear, full of simple emotion,
perfect for folk music. The playing of the backing musicians remains low
key and doleful throughout. Song is a perfect companion for late night
ruminations or heartbroken lovers. - All Music Guide Review

Published: Monday, March 3, 2008

There's just something incredibly joyous about a good fiddle tune. It can shake off the doldrums of winter like almost no other type of music can.
And perhaps few other fiddlers have harnessed that shake-off-the-cobwebs nature of the fiddle the way New England folk singer Lissa Schneckenburger has.
The Mainer grew up within the folk music and dance communities of New England. She graduated from Boston's New England Conservatory of Music in 2001 and maintains close ties to her New England roots.
You can hear a bit of influences Greg Boardman and Alasdair Fraser in her music, as well as the more obvious comparisons to Natalie MacMaster and Alison Krauss. But Schneckenburger's sweet voice is all her own, and whether she's drawing the bow across her fiddle or plucking at the uke, her music is rich and warm and full.
Schneckenburger plays a gig at Norris Theater at Proctor Academy in Andover at 7:30 p.m. April 11.
(Or you can drive over the border to Club Passim in Cambridge, Mass., to catch her at 11 p.m. March 15.)
If the journey to Andover seems a bit far, check out Schneckenburger's "Lumberman in Town/Go Ken Go" off her recent album, "Song." She is supported here by Keith Murphy on guitar and harmony vocals; Matt Heaton on guitar; Corey DiMario on double bass; Stefan Amidon on percussion; Sharon Shannon on accordion; and Eric Merrill on banjo and harmony vocals. - Encore Granite Sounds

Fiddle virtuoso Lissa Schneckenburger's latest album Song is, in a word,
unexpected.
The album is clearly a labor of love, featuring modern arrangements of
old Maine tunes that were nearly lost to history. Resurrected from the
transcripts of early 20th century ethnomusicologists who toured the
region's lumber camps, these songs are as much a work of historic
preservation as an indie folk album.
While the record's back story amused the historian in me, what truly
surprised me about Song was that I enjoyed it. I truly, legitimately
enjoyed it. My taste in folk usually tends towards the modern hyphenated
varieties: folk-rock, folk-pop, folk-jazz, etc. Sure, my Irish blood
stirs every time I hear a fiddle's whining lament, but my appreciation
of European roots music has always been passive at best -- something I
enjoy when I stumble upon it, but nothing I seek out. Yet, if my iTunes
counter is correct, I've already listened to Lissa's new album a dozen
times in the month I've owned it.
It's easy to understand why Song was able to appeal to at least this
younger listener. For a traditional folk album, there is surprisingly
little old-fashioned about it. The recording is crisp and clear, the
instrumentation lively, and Lissa's soulful voice is something I'd
expect more out of American Idol than the Newton Town Hall. Even the
album's cover is geared to contemporary tastes, imbued with bright
colors and prominently featuring Lissa in all her playful, nose-pierced
youthfulness.
While some folk purists may fear the album is pandering, I hope this
reaction is limited. Lissa Schneckenburger's credentials as a folk
artist have never been in question before and there is nothing on this
record that strikes me as gimmicky. Rather, I look at this album as the
highly unlikely fulfillment of a prophecy. Who hasn't heard the common
wisdom that "we have to get the kids interested" or America's folk
traditions will die out in a matter of years. It's a doomsday scenario
repeated so often that I've begun to wonder if the country has just
resigned itself to that fate. That's why I've hit the replay button so
often on this album. I never expected fresh-blood to sound so surprising
or so sweet.
http://www.yankeemagazine.com/blogs/nemusic/song - Yankee Magazine

BY ROBERT HICKS
SPECIAL TO THE DAILY RECORD

Lissa Schneckenburger gravitated to fiddle at an early age, inspired by the folk music that her parents listened to in the 1970s.

"Right away I was hearing fiddle tunes and dance music," she said. "My parents had a record collection. Stuff like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, James Taylor and Cat Stevens. And my mother listened to classical music, too."

She has studied fiddle with Carol Thomas Downing, Greg Boardman, Alasdair Fraser, David Kaynor and Hankus Netsky over the years, taking a degree in contemporary improvisational music at the New England Conservatory of Music in 2001 before embarking on her band and solo music career.

"They've all really influenced me in different ways," she said. "They're all individual musicians, different types of musicians, and I've had different types of musical relationships with me."

Schneckenburger will perform in duo with guitarist Paddy League at the Minstrel Coffeehouse July 21.

Lissa Schneckenburger gravitated to fiddle at an early age, inspired by the folk music that her parents listened to in the 1970s.
"Right away I was hearing fiddle tunes and dance music," she said. "My parents had a record collection. Stuff like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, James Taylor and Cat Stevens. And my mother listened to classical music, too."

She has studied fiddle with Carol Thomas Downing, Greg Boardman, Alasdair Fraser, David Kaynor and Hankus Netsky over the years, taking a degree in contemporary improvisational music at the New England Conservatory of Music in 2001 before embarking on her band and solo music career.

"They've all really influenced me in different ways," she said. "They're all individual musicians, different types of musicians, and I've had different types of musical relationships with me."

Schneckenburger will perform in duo with guitarist Paddy League at the Minstrel Coffeehouse July 21. - The Daily Record

Fiddle virtuoso Lissa Schneckenburger's latest album Song is, in a word,
unexpected.
The album is clearly a labor of love, featuring modern arrangements of
old Maine tunes that were nearly lost to history. Resurrected from the
transcripts of early 20th century ethnomusicologists who toured the
region's lumber camps, these songs are as much a work of historic
preservation as an indie folk album.
While the record's back story amused the historian in me, what truly
surprised me about Song was that I enjoyed it. I truly, legitimately
enjoyed it. My taste in folk usually tends towards the modern hyphenated
varieties: folk-rock, folk-pop, folk-jazz, etc. Sure, my Irish blood
stirs every time I hear a fiddle's whining lament, but my appreciation
of European roots music has always been passive at best -- something I
enjoy when I stumble upon it, but nothing I seek out. Yet, if my iTunes
counter is correct, I've already listened to Lissa's new album a dozen
times in the month I've owned it.
It's easy to understand why Song was able to appeal to at least this
younger listener. For a traditional folk album, there is surprisingly
little old-fashioned about it. The recording is crisp and clear, the
instrumentation lively, and Lissa's soulful voice is something I'd
expect more out of American Idol than the Newton Town Hall. Even the
album's cover is geared to contemporary tastes, imbued with bright
colors and prominently featuring Lissa in all her playful, nose-pierced
youthfulness.
While some folk purists may fear the album is pandering, I hope this
reaction is limited. Lissa Schneckenburger's credentials as a folk
artist have never been in question before and there is nothing on this
record that strikes me as gimmicky. Rather, I look at this album as the
highly unlikely fulfillment of a prophecy. Who hasn't heard the common
wisdom that "we have to get the kids interested" or America's folk
traditions will die out in a matter of years. It's a doomsday scenario
repeated so often that I've begun to wonder if the country has just
resigned itself to that fate. That's why I've hit the replay button so
often on this album. I never expected fresh-blood to sound so surprising
or so sweet.
http://www.yankeemagazine.com/blogs/nemusic/song - Yankee Magazine

Lissa Schneckenburger
(Footprint Records, 2005)
by Jason Holloway
Boston, MA
Let's get this out of the way first: my only qualm with this CD is the overbearing rosy pink packaging, which, although beautiful and ornately designed, made me slightly uncomfortable in public— similar to when I buy Special K at the grocery store. The box is a soft pink, sporting women on elliptical machines and advice on performing self breast exams. It makes me feel a bit like I'm buying tampons or something.

But that doesn't stop me from buying Special K of course, and it certainly doesn't overshadow the wonder of Lissa Schneckenburger's self-titled release. A perfect accompaniment to your Saturday morning coffee and crossword, it's a beautiful blend of violin and voice, backed by a diverse and quite talented group of musicians.

The recording is impeccably mixed, clean and spread out, allowing the melodies some room to seduce you. The instrumental first track is a perfect example: a distinguished bass line lends the song a buoyantly uptempo beat underneath Lissa's (Schneckenburger is a mouthful) expert fiddling and rich string harmonies. "The Irish Girl" introduces us to Lissa's lovely, gentle voice and proves to be the song stuck in your head hours after listening. After a deceivingly deliberate intro, "The Lover's Tasks/Riddle" perks up; the masterfully understated drumming keeps a great rhythm to this frisky song but never steps on the main parts.

As the album progresses, "Dear Companion" is a slower, more solemn attempt to intensify things, but not as successful as the stirringly beautiful "Before They Close the Minstrel Show" (nicely accented by fuzzy, dangling electric guitar notes). "The River" is pure joy. An original composition, its quirky rhythm and transition from moody minor verses to a spirited major chorus really pays off; I push the repeat button each time it begins to fade away.

Following a pair of jigs and reels, "Coleman's March Reprise" is a very haunting and melancholy way to exit an otherwise delightful album. Lissa's voice and songwriting are very good, but the mix of instrumentals and traditional songs help keep the album from falling into any ruts, and makes this a great listen for fans of celtic music and the singer/songwriter genre alike. - The Dissolver

BY SAM PFEIFLE

The fiddle is and isn’t an instrument that makes rock stars. The fiddle is definitely a lead instrument, don’t get me wrong, always supplying melody, and capable of pyrotechnic outbursts. A great player can often take over a whole band. Just look at what Timmy Farrell does when he sits in with Jerks of Grass — the rest of the guys can barely get a note in edgewise. But it’s just such a teeny, screechy wooden box, that fiddle, and there’s something about fiddle players that makes them think it’s really quite fascinating when they show you how they can make barnyard noises come straight from their strings.

So, in large part, the fiddle players you’ve heard of are cute gals like Alison Krauss and Nickel Creek’s Sarah Watkins, who one gets a feeling would be famous no matter what instrument they chose to play. If you’re looking for the next famous fiddler to come out of that mold, look no farther than Maine native Lissa Schneckenburger.

Her debut self-titled album (the spine of that disc’s sure full of letters) on Footprint Records is a fairly thrilling introduction to a player who gets everything interesting out of her instrument and who has a voice with beauty to match. While the song selections and writing won’t have you grabbing for the liner notes, being fairly standard Celtic/Cape Breton-influenced fare, they do show good taste and exude a warmth that’s comforting, even on a humid summer night.

Schneckenburger certainly has a feel for arrangement. One of the nicest things about her disc is the way she blends songs together within tracks. On track three, she takes a reserved approach to Aoife O’Donovan’s "Aoife’s," riding the Celtic backstep and some cool guitar work that supplies a percussive element, before dipping into the traditional "Coleman’s March" and pulling back out into "Aoife’s." Elsewhere, she blends expertly the traditionals "The Bottle of Brandy" and "The Banks of Lough" before finishing with Jennifer Wrigley’s "Miss Sarah MacFadyen" on track 8.

And you won’t forget her voice. When she asks you to "let the wind blow high and low" in "The Irish Girl," her ultra-pure and high resonance will give you chills. She’s not someone who really belts notes out, but she’s also not holding anything back with her delivery straight from the diaphragm.

Sam Pfeifle can be reached at sam@phx.com - Portland Phoenix

Lissa Schneckenburger
(Footprint, 2005)

One comes to expect excellent fiddlers to sprout like wildflowers in Ireland, Scotland and Cape Breton. Sometimes it's much more exciting, as a reviewer, to discover talent coming from someplace less thoroughly identified with brilliance in the field.

Right now, my attention is focused on New England, where Maine native Lissa Schneckenburger is causing a storm.

Lissa's online resume includes performing with the bands Phantom Power, Spin and Halali (all currently, apparently) and formerly with Mad Pudding, Muse and Wake the Neighbors. But this self-titled CD (her third, but the first to come to my attention) is far from a solo effort, although Lissa leads the way on both fiddle and vocals. Joining her are a wide array of musicians who add strong layers of support to Lissa's arrangements.

They are Corey DiMario on double bass, Eric Merrill on viola and harmony vocals, Keith Murphy on guitar and mandolin, Matt Heaton on electric guitar, Natalie Haas on cello, Shannon Heaton on flute, Stefan Amidon on percussion and Ted Davis on guitar.

But let's talk about Lissa, who sparkles in the forefront of the music with a fresh, appealing sound. Although largely traditional in approach, the CD is dotted with original songs and compositions, proving Lissa to be a force worth remembering when looking for new material in the Celtic canon. She starts fresh right from the opening track, "Melissa without the 'Me'/Eric's Birthday," and charges on from there. "The River," also original, flows just like its name. "Halafl/Mona's" are free and lilting, with a relaxed motion I associate with New England.

She's also got the background, with a musical resume that many musicians would envy. Active on the Maine folk scene from a young age, she graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston in 2001. She runs her own label, Footprint Records, and her tours have taken her far beyond the boundaries of North America to include Scotland, Russia, Holland, Denmark and Belgium. (I am kicking myself to learn that she played at the Celtic Classic festival in Bethlehem, Pa. -- just a stone's throw from my own stomping grounds -- and I missed seeing her live.)

The disc itself is pure listening pleasure, like a cool and refreshing breeze on a sultry afternoon. The first time I listened, I had to restrain myself from hitting the repeat button on some tracks because I was equally eager to hear what was coming.

Lissa's fiddling is sweet and precise, engaging but never too flashy. She works well with her band, leading them in tightly arranged sets that are solid without being overproduced -- and it's always clear just who is the star of this show.

Vocals are the bane of many fiddlers who are not content to be solely instrumentalists, but that's never a problem here. Lissa's voice is gentle but strong, and she wields it on five of the CD's 10 tracks. The first is "The Irish Girl," a sailor's lament for a girl he met ashore. Lissa's adaptation of "Dear Companion" is deliciously dark and mysterious. Bob Coltman's "Before They Close the Minstrel Show" is slow, melancholy and absolutely beautiful.

Next time you're in the market for a good Celtic fiddler/singer to experience, look to Maine. Lissa Schneckenburger has what you're looking for.

by Tom Knapp - Rambles

Lissa Schneckenburger
(Footprint Records, 2005)
by Jason Holloway
Boston, MA
Let's get this out of the way first: my only qualm with this CD is the overbearing rosy pink packaging, which, although beautiful and ornately designed, made me slightly uncomfortable in public— similar to when I buy Special K at the grocery store. The box is a soft pink, sporting women on elliptical machines and advice on performing self breast exams. It makes me feel a bit like I'm buying tampons or something.

But that doesn't stop me from buying Special K of course, and it certainly doesn't overshadow the wonder of Lissa Schneckenburger's self-titled release. A perfect accompaniment to your Saturday morning coffee and crossword, it's a beautiful blend of violin and voice, backed by a diverse and quite talented group of musicians.

The recording is impeccably mixed, clean and spread out, allowing the melodies some room to seduce you. The instrumental first track is a perfect example: a distinguished bass line lends the song a buoyantly uptempo beat underneath Lissa's (Schneckenburger is a mouthful) expert fiddling and rich string harmonies. "The Irish Girl" introduces us to Lissa's lovely, gentle voice and proves to be the song stuck in your head hours after listening. After a deceivingly deliberate intro, "The Lover's Tasks/Riddle" perks up; the masterfully understated drumming keeps a great rhythm to this frisky song but never steps on the main parts.

As the album progresses, "Dear Companion" is a slower, more solemn attempt to intensify things, but not as successful as the stirringly beautiful "Before They Close the Minstrel Show" (nicely accented by fuzzy, dangling electric guitar notes). "The River" is pure joy. An original composition, its quirky rhythm and transition from moody minor verses to a spirited major chorus really pays off; I push the repeat button each time it begins to fade away.

Following a pair of jigs and reels, "Coleman's March Reprise" is a very haunting and melancholy way to exit an otherwise delightful album. Lissa's voice and songwriting are very good, but the mix of instrumentals and traditional songs help keep the album from falling into any ruts, and makes this a great listen for fans of celtic music and the singer/songwriter genre alike. - The Dissolver

Lissa Schneckenburger
FolkWax Rating: 9 out of 10

It's both energetic and lyrical, the set of tunes with which Lissa Schneckenburger opens this collection; a pair of originals called "Melissa Without The Me" and "Eric's Birthday." They serve notice that Schneckenburger has a distinctive voice as a composer and as a fiddler, one which draws on the mixture of Cape Breton, Irish, Scottish, and American Folk music she first knew growing up and becoming immersed in the contra dance scene in Maine. She's got command of a sweet, storyteller's singing voice and style, as well, which is in evidence on the lighthearted traditional song "The Irish Girl," the American Folk lament "Dear Companion," and another sort of lament, "Before They Close the Minstrel Show."

Back on the instrumental side, two lively tunes by Aoife O'Donovan (known to FolkWax readers from her work with Crooked Still) bookend the traditional "Coleman's March." "The River" is another fine original instrumental piece and Schneckenburger brings these threads together in the closer, a song which sets her original Folk style lyrics to a reprise of the "Coleman's March" tune. Corey DiMario, Matt and Shannon Heaton, Natalie Haas, and Eric Merrill are among the players.

Kerry Dexter is a senior contributing editor at FolkWax
- Folk Wax

By Alan Lewis

The Champlain Valley fest is billed as a “family-focused weekend [that] features two and a half days of concerts, dances, workshops, children’s events, craft and food booths, swimming opportunities, relaxation and fun in a lovely rural Vermont setting.” The festival presents about 40 diverse solo artists and bands involving more than 100 musicians.

Utah Phillips, who was based in Vermont for a time in the 1970s, has been one of the most fascinating and colorful characters on the scene for decades. Speaking from experience with Champlain Valley, he recently told Scott Alarik of The Boston Globe, “It’s right on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain. You’re by the water when you sing, with children swimming and playing all around you, looking across the lake at the high peaks of the Adirondacks.”

Toward the other end, age wise, is fiddler Lissa Schneckenburger, who has been critically acclaimed in the Globe and was profiled recently in Maine’s Portland Phoenix. She said, “I haven’t [played Champlain Valley] but I am really looking forward to it. So many people have said so many great things about the festival, I can’t wait to see it (and hear it) for myself.”

Lissa Schneckenburger, she’ll be playing with her standard trio — “myself on fiddle and vocals, Corey DiMario on double bass, and Michael Ayles on guitar” — for her Champlain Valley debut. “We’ll be playing a lot of new material (well, traditional material that’s new to me) from my new CD that came out this year. It’s music that I took a lot of care in finding and arranging, so it’s always really fun to play it for a new audience.”

Schneckenburger’s eponymous 2005 CD is getting airplay throughout eastern New England and down into the mid-Atlantic states. “This album is a celebration of traditional New England folk music in a modern setting,” she explained. “Most of the songs are old songs that come from Maine or the Northeast, but with arrangements that bring them up to date in a modern acoustic setting. Of course, don’t let the word ‘modern’ scare you too much, it’s still folk music. The instrumentals are either traditional or tunes that I wrote myself. So a little old, a little new, mixed cohesively together.”

Schneckenburger returns to Vermont on Oct. 1 at Brattleboro’s Hooker-Dunham Theater.

The schedule of acts for this year’s Champlain Valley Folk Festival may be found at www.cvfest.org/cvfest2005/artist.html. - Vermont Guardian

Selected Quotes:

“….sweet, storyteller's singing voice and style…”
Folkwax

“…lovely, gentle voice…”
Dissolver

“World class fiddler …. far from just offering one dance tune after another, simple settings allow the true beauty of the music to shine through.”
Sing Out

“Young rising star”
Sun Journal, Lewiston Maine

“Hugely endearing and toe-tappingly enjoyable.”
Folk Roots

“…lovely singer and literate, catchy songwriter..”
Scott Alarik, Boston Globe


“Tasty and feisty fiddle”
Folk Roots


“Many promising years ahead of this young talent”
Fiddler Magazine


“[Lissa] has a hot hand with the reels and jigs, mixing deftly ornamented traditional tunes …with clever perky originals”
Dirty Linen


“Lissa blows out the cobwebs in no uncertain fashion . . . Lissa Schneckenburger’s name is one we ought to be hearing more of.”
Folk Roots


“Her talent lies in crafting pendulating melodies . . . innovative freewheeling arrangements...”
Dirty Linen

“…exhilarating young traditional performer!…”
Dirty Linen

“… a slick and versatile fiddler… makes for great dance music..”
Dirty Linen

PRAISE FOR LISSA SCHNECKENBURGER’S SELF TITLED RELEASE

“A perfect accompaniment to your Saturday morning coffee and crossword, it's a beautiful blend of violin and voice, backed by a diverse and quite talented group of musicians”
Dissolver

“Lissa… sparkles in the forefront of the music with a fresh, appealing sound”
Rambles

“…the mix of instrumentals and traditional songs help keep the album from falling into any ruts, and makes this a great listen for fans of celtic music and the singer/songwriter genre alike”
Dissolver

“The disc is pure listening pleasure, like a cool and refreshing breeze on a sultry afternoon. The first time I listened, I had to restrain myself from hitting the repeat button on some tracks because I was equally eager to hear what was coming.”
Rambles
- Various

Lissa Schneckenburger
FolkWax Rating: 9 out of 10

It's both energetic and lyrical, the set of tunes with which Lissa Schneckenburger opens this collection; a pair of originals called "Melissa Without The Me" and "Eric's Birthday." They serve notice that Schneckenburger has a distinctive voice as a composer and as a fiddler, one which draws on the mixture of Cape Breton, Irish, Scottish, and American Folk music she first knew growing up and becoming immersed in the contra dance scene in Maine. She's got command of a sweet, storyteller's singing voice and style, as well, which is in evidence on the lighthearted traditional song "The Irish Girl," the American Folk lament "Dear Companion," and another sort of lament, "Before They Close the Minstrel Show."

Back on the instrumental side, two lively tunes by Aoife O'Donovan (known to FolkWax readers from her work with Crooked Still) bookend the traditional "Coleman's March." "The River" is another fine original instrumental piece and Schneckenburger brings these threads together in the closer, a song which sets her original Folk style lyrics to a reprise of the "Coleman's March" tune. Corey DiMario, Matt and Shannon Heaton, Natalie Haas, and Eric Merrill are among the players.

Kerry Dexter is a senior contributing editor at FolkWax
- Folk Wax