The Birds Flight - Pete Sutherland, Tim Cummings and Brad Kolodner

In loving memory of Pete Sutherland (1951-2022)
The Birds' Flight is the title track to an album devoted to the exploration of musical migration: the idea that tunes can travel to different parts of the world, mingle with other traditions, and adopt new flavors-all while retaining a link to their origins. In this specific instance, Brad Kolodner (gourd banjo), Pete Sutherland (fiddle), and Tim Cummings (Scottish smallpipes) invite a traditional Scottish pibroch across the Atlantic to explore life as an Appalachian-style waltz. Both the tune and album as a whole harken to the origins of the Old-Time canon, formed by the convergence of traditions of the Scots-Irish and enslaved Africans (among other populations).
Of added interest, perhaps, is that this album project involved three generations of traditional musicians, each of whom have been nurturing these living traditions through their performing, composing, and teaching. It's a project that, in some ways, has been in the works for hundreds of years, and one we hope will continue to migrate and evolve for many years to come.
Myles David Jewell's captivatingly beautiful and highly symbolic video pays homage to all of those aspects, and much more. We invite you to listen and watch closely, to enjoy Myles' artistry and exquisite attention to detail, both of which will reward viewers with subsequent replays. We think you'll also be charmed by his deep reverence for tradition and the bearers of, as well as for the evolution and power of audio recording (to say nothing about the quiet potency of visual art, animation, and video production).
Friends and fans of Pete Sutherland will note that this video has taken much greater poignancy following his passing-his final migration, perhaps-on Nov. 30, 2022. We invite any viewers so moved to make a donation to the Vermont Folklife's "For the Love of Pete" fund, which honors Pete and the inspiring mission of Young Tradition Vermont, a cause to which he lovingly and passionately devoted much of his later years: www.vtfolklife...
- Credits -
Stop motion animation & video: Myles David Jewell ( www.MylesDavidJewell.com • www.PenningtonProductions.com )
Tune arrangement: Tim Cummings, Pete Sutherland, Brad Kolodner
Musical performance by:
Gourd banjo: Brad Kolodner ( www.BradKolodner.com )
Fiddle: Pete Sutherland ( www.PetesPosse.com )
Scottish smallpipes: Tim Cummings ( www.TimothyCummings.com )
Recorded and mixed by Jeremy Mendicino at Lane Gibson Studios ( www.LaneGibson.com )
Mastered by Grey Larsen at Grey Larsen Mastering ( GreyLarsen.com )
Find out more about The Birds' Flight project at www.TheBirdsFlight.com
To order copies of the track and/or album, please visit www.BirchenMusic.com The Birds' Flight is also available for streaming on Bandcamp and Spotify.

[@sandyburkes-campbell5751]

This is absolutely wonderful

[@benjaminwetherbee]

Awwww this is so beautiful. I knew Pete and this is really touching

[@comb5685]

Well done to the author of the video notes as well. Top to bottom, lovely work by all involved.

[@danielfitzgerald2052]

Those small pipes sound great with the clawhammer banjo.

[@michaelharris9615]

I'll probably like every song on this album, but this one is grabbing me.

[@harvdog5669]

What's small about them ?,,
Ya can't see,em..