Mike Klein - Over the Waves (2019)

Over the Waves is the debut album of old time and bluegrass mandolin player Mike Klein. Produced and mixed by 5x JUNO nominee/7x Canadian Folk Award winner Andrew Collins, the album is a collection of old time tunes played in a mandolin-led stringband format. Mike’s mandolin playing is backed by top Canadian musicians Paul Gitlitz (fiddle), Jille Shotton (banjo), Ryan Shotton (guitar) and Nicola Tabb (bass). Inspired by music like John Hartford or Foghorn Stringband, the body of work features haunting fiddle, plunky beautiful clawhammer banjo, grooving bass and driving guitar - all rounded out by Mike’s aggressive mandolin-style.

Running at just under forty minutes, Over the Waves consists of eleven tracks and features up-beat, traditional toe-tappers like Georgia Row/Rockingham Cindy; contemporary compositions like Paul Gitlitz’s Flying Home to Shelley, Joe K Walsh’s Pogo Big and Jim Childress’s The Road to Malvern; and some aggressive assaults on the fretboard like Sandy Boys/Tater Patch and Mississippi Sawyer. Tunes like Mike’s original John’s Waltz and the Bill Monroe classic Lonesome Moonlight Waltz slow things down providing some vulnerable and intimate moments. Sobre Las Olas by Juventino Rosas is played as a stripped down duet between Mike and Andrew Collins.

Simple music played with intense emotion. This is Over the Waves.

"Over The Waves contains a wonderful selection of tunes, excellent musicianship across the board, and is beautifully produced to boot. A pure joy to listen to!" - Baron Collins-Hill, MandoLessons.com