The bluegrass and traditional worlds are about to be gifted a devastatingly beautiful album. Out June 29th, Kittel & Co. will release their heavily anticipated Whorls, a stunning melting pot of classical and folk music, featuring some of the greatest musicians in the genre. Today, EARMILK premieres one of the tracks, titled "Waltz."
"Waltz" is filled with unpredictable and deliciously subtle melody and chord changes, and complex harmonies provided by the inimitable Sarah Jarosz and Jeremy Kittel himself. Kittel, a fiddler and composer, is known for his work with My Morning Jacket, and reigning cello king Yo-Yo Ma. If you are any fan of bluegrass Sarah Jarosz should be on your radar. She has lent her incredible vocal talent to the likes of Aoife O'Donovan and has an extremely successful career under her own belt. "Waltz" is folk tinged with jazz and imbued with traditional celtic. It is a gentle, genre-bending masterpiece, rife with breathtaking tension, and marks the first time Kittel will sing on his own track.
For Kittel, the long process of creating this album was one of the most challenging and beautiful experiences of his career: “It’s been so moving to be part of a whole, when the music starts taking off and everyone is supporting, balancing, breathing together. In those rare moments, it’s as holy a thing as I’ve ever experienced.” Whorls, meaning a pattern of spirals, is an apt album title for a collection of songs that have an effortless ebb and flow.
