Cahalen Morrison - Old-Timey & New-Fangled (2009)

The roots of Cahalen Morrison & Eli West are strong, their branches are shady, and the guitars, banjos, mandolins, and harmonies will carry you far off the beaten path to a place under open Western skies.

In 2 short years of knowing each other, Cahalen and Eli have bred a new brother duo sound, employing old-time and bluegrass to deliver original songwriting. Well received, their debut record The Holy Coming of the Storm hit #34 on the Roots Music Report’s top folk albums of 2011. The record features Cahalen and Eli both on guitars, banjos, mandolins, and bouzoukis, and the production of legendary mandolin player Matt Flinner.

Playing live on Bob Harris BBC Radio 2 in London, he responded “This is quite extraordinary.” The road has become familiar for the two, with multiple tours to the UK (including the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow), and appearances in Germany, the Netherlands and Czech Republic… all between domestic touring throughout the US. Signing with Mongrel Music in 2012, they are excited for a great year of festivals and shows, as well as another record.

Cahalen Morrison is a genuine, old-time musician, who blends his love of American roots music with the dusty land of his childhood in rural New Mexico. Building on influences like Norman Blake, Greg Brown, and Tim O’Brien, his music twists and turns in familiar, yet unexpected ways.

Eli West, a distinctive multi-instrumentalist with bluegrass roots, has found common ground withCahalen from which many beautiful ideas have grown. Based in Seattle, Eli enjoys arranging and writing with an addiction to syncopation and crooked harmonies.