Wolf Creek Session

From the mountains of northern West Virginia, Wolf Creek Session is a four-person group that offers up an exciting and unique blend of traditional Appalachian tunes with traditional and contemporary Celtic roots music sprinkled with original songs and stories. Bridging the common roots and branches of Appalachian and Celtic music, their choice of songs and tunes demonstrates the heavy influences of Celtic roots music on the rich Appalachian heritage. In a magical style that brings together these two worlds their songs tell stories; they speak of love and longing, mountains and rivers, and a love for the natural world.
The synergy of the foursome shines beautifully through slow airs and lively reels as well as the occasional contemporary folk gem. Wolf Creek¹s unique melodic sound features rich male and female vocals over intricate instrumental arrangements, supported by a solid rhythmic bass. Instrumentation includes fiddle, Irish flutes and whistles, guitar, harmonica, mandolin and bass.

Since the 2004 release of their debut recording, Between Two Shores, Wolf Creek has been gaining recognition that¹s landing them on such prestigious American stages like the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., a 2004 international tour of southern France, and a 2005 scheduled appearance at the Charleston Cultural Center. From the mountains of West Virginia to the rest of the world, Wolf Creek Session highlights the lineage.

Bridging the common roots and branches of Appalachian and Celtic, Wolf Creek Session is a four-person group that takes traditional Celtic musical styles, blends it with traditional Appalachian sounds then sprinkles it all with an occasional contemporary folk gem as well as their own original songs, From the northern mountains of West Virginia, they explore the heavy influences of Celtic roots music on their area's rich Appalachian heritage. Wolf Creek Session creates a wonderful infusion of instruments and vocals with Mike Broderick on fiddle, Alice Fleischman on a variety of Irish flutes, and whistles, Keith Pitzer on guitar, harmonica, mandolin and vocals and Joan Pitzer on fretless bass, vocals and an occasional whistle. Their unique melodic sound features rich male and female vocals over intricate instrumental arrangements supported by a solid rhythmic bass. Their tunes range anywhere from driving jigs and reels to dance tunes. Their lineup includes: Irish flutes and whistles, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, harmonica and electric bass.

Wolf Creek Session's repertoire includes both original and traditional songs ranging in feel from driving danceable jigs and reels to beautifully haunting ballads and airs. In a magical style that brings together the Celtic and Appalachian worlds, their lyrics tell stories. They speak of love and longing, mountains and rivers and a love for the natural world

Their debut recording, Between Two Shores (FM-1041, 2004), released on the Falling Mountain Music label, delivers a refreshing blend of traditional Appalachian songs and music deeply rooted in Celtic influences. Cuts like "Shady Grove","Julia Delaney" and "Bonny Ship the Diamond","Fermoy Lasses" are fine examples of their crafty arrangements, rich vocal harmonies and the melding together of the music from these cultures. The synergy of the group shines through beautifully as they take you through slow airs and lively reels as well as the occasional contemporary folk gem. From high-energy jigs and reels to their more modern musical descendants, they skillfully and tastefully honor the cultures and heritage that lie Between Two Shores.

Wolf Creek Session has played on WV Public Radio's "Music From the Mountains," at First Night Annapolis, the Little Yough Summer Series in Oakland MD; the McHenry Highland Festival, McHenry, MD; the Cheat River Festival in Albright, WV, for FOOTMAD Troubadour Series and the Charleston Cultural Center in Charleston WV; at the Cultural Center of Fine Arts in Parkersburg WV, the Oglebay Park Summer Concerts in Wheeling, WV, as well as at the Purple Fiddle Cafe in Thomas, WV.

Mike Broderick (fiddle) has a Master's Degree in Piano Performance and several classes in Ethnomusicology with a special interest in World Music. In discovering the many musical links between cultures he became a frequent student of the Celtic fiddle. Taking classes at Augusta Celtic week in Elkins, WV and at the Swannanoa Gathering in Asheville, NC. he discovered the fiddle to be the most challenging and most rewarding of instruments with Celtic fiddle having just the right amount of 'grit and grace.'

Alice Fleischman (flutes and whistles) spent years mastering the symphonic C flute before switching to the traditional wooden, keyless Irish flute. She became entranced with the possibilities of the Irish flute and pennywhistle during her many summers spent at Irish week at Augusta and Swannanoa and has been heavily influenced by such notables as Laurence Nugent, Joannie Madden, John Skelton and Mike Rafferty.

Keith & Joan Pitzer (Keith -guitar, mandolin, harmonica, vocals; Joan- bass, whistle, vocals) have shared a long-time relationship in both music and marriage performing together since 1975 in a variety of group formations but most predominantly as a singer/songwriter duo in the folk style. Their influences range from such 60s folk notables as Dylan and Ian & Sylvia Tyson to the late Stan Rogers and Kate Wolf of the 80s to the traditional Appalachian tunes of Tim O'Brien. They have recorded two CDs of Keith's original songs and some traditional Appalachian and Celtic tunes on the Falling Mountain label. Performances have included The John F. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage.

"tasteful, eclectic...well-loved tunes and well thought-out arrangements and combinations" - Folkwax

"...think Irish-American jam band...the arrangements sparkle ...sure to please fans of both Appalachian and Celtic music" - Sing Out