Folkfinds: Richie Rosencrans’ “The Longford Weaver > Carrousel Prime (Dreamer’s Circus)”

Portland Oregon’s Richie Rosencrans gigs around town on bouzouki with his mostly-Celtic bands The Stomptowners, Na Rosai and Outbound Traveler. He uses his personal Soundcloud page to post what he calls rough demos and ideas; many tunes feature his deft clawhammer banjo or other instruments, and we’re the luckier for it. While he draws on sources from both sides of the Atlantic, and includes some great originals, Richie’s personal style and aesthetic shines through no matter what instrument or song he’s featuring. Nowhere is this more evident than in his perfect marriage of bouzouki and the banjo for a pairing of the Irish classic The Longford Weaver with a tune from Danish folk’s young guns Dreamers’ Circus.

Q & A

What is your goal in recording and sharing music?

When I started learning guitar my original goal was to play a couple of songs around the campfire. Along the way and mostly through the internet, I accidentally stumbled into new music that fascinated me – Irish, Scandinavian, Breton, Asturian, American Old Time. Now as a member of the local and world music scene I feel like link in a musical chain. I love to collect and interpret the music of the past and share it with other musicians.

Come up with a descriptive, original genre name for your music.

Campfire Music

Who do you view as a likely audience for your music?

I love sharing obscure tunes and songs with my musical friends local and far.

If trapped on a desert island with only three songs, which would they be?

Bruce Springsteen – Thunder Road. My mom sang this song to me a lullaby when I was a baby growing up in New Jersey.

Tenpenny Bit – Dervish. This jolly set of jigs features my favorite instrument the Irish bouzouki.

Long Way – Antje Duvekot. This is beautiful adventure song about road tripping across the US but also speaks of the loneliness one can feel without a home in remote places where the landscape no longer feels comforting.

Is there an instrument you do not currently play that you’d like to learn?

Fiddle has got to be one of the most versatile instruments out there!

Who is your musical hero(es), if any?

I’m a huge fan of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Bruce Springsteen. Andy Irvine and Paul Brady got me excited about the possibilities of Irish songs.
You can hear more from Richie Rosencrans on his Soundcloud page: Click Here

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