Diary Of A Fiddler #2 is a monumental recording by Darol Anger which features fiddle duets with Darol and many of his former students, most of who have embarked on successful careers in music. This, the sequel to 1999’s Diary #1, is an aural document of sharing the utter joy of making music together with beloved former students playing Darol’s original compositions. Darol says: “[this recording] …feels like a culminating moment and a sufficient justification for my incredibly fortunate life on this planet”. It took a few different kicks to set this rather sizable document in motion. The first was probably my ten-year tenure as a professor in the String Department at the Berklee College of Music. The second was the long hiatus from everything during the pandemic, when I started the massive overdub project involving 25 fiddlers whom I’d mentored in some way. Third was my move to Nashville, where so many of these young players are now working and tearing up the world’s fiddle landscape. I could just get people in my living room with a couple of mics and play for 3 hours. But if we really think back, the original inspiration for Diary #2 was the recording of Diary #1, which was released in 1999, took 2 years to make, and celebrated the “Big Bang” moment of a momentous coalescence of the world fiddling community, instigated by Fiddle Camp directors Mark O’Connor, Alasdair Fraser, and Jay Ungar.

Greetings from your Freestyle Fiddler, Darol. Hope everyone is coping well with all the big changes in the world. I’ve been busy this last year putting together a pretty monumental recording: Diary Of A Fiddler #2 is a recording by the me, that curiously persistent violinist . It features fiddle duets with myself and many former students, most of who have embarked on successful careers in music. This, the sequel to 1999’s Diary #1, is an aural document of sharing the utter joy of making music together with beloved fiddling friends playing my original compositions as mostly duets, using many of the techniques of improvisation and rhythmic accompaniment developed by myself and colleagues of the last 50 years. It feels like a culminating moment and a sufficient justification for my incredibly fortunate life on this planet. I’m so stoked to be sharing these amazing sessions with you all. DIARY #2 DUET PERSONNEL: Brittany Haas (Punch Bros, Hawktail, Crooked Still) Avery Merritt (Sierra Hull) Alex Hargreaves (Billy Strings) Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (Molly Tuttle Band) Kathleen Parks (Twisted Pine) Casey Driessen (Bela Fleck, Sparrow Quartet, Himself) John Mailander & Ella Jordan (Bruce Hornsby, Mile 12) Tristan Clarridge (Crooked Still) Enion Pelta (Taarka, Elephant Revival) Mike Barnett (Ricky Skaggs, Himself) Trent Freeman (The Fretless, John Reichsman) Jenna Moynihan (The Dance Cars, Herself) Patrick M’Gonigle (Lonely Heartstring Band) Nathaniel Smith (Watchouse, Mumford&Sons)

Diary Of A Fiddler #2 is a recording by the me, that curiously persistent violinist . It features fiddle duets with myself and many former students, most of who have embarked on successful careers in music. This, the sequel to 1999’s Diary #1, is an aural document of sharing the utter joy of making music together with beloved fiddling friends playing my original compositions as mostly duets, using many of the techniques of improvisation and rhythmic accompaniment developed by myself and colleagues of the last 50 years. It feels like a culminating moment and a sufficient justification for my incredibly fortunate life on this planet. I’m so stoked to be sharing these amazing sessions with you all.

Darol & Emy re-imagine great hits of the 6os with Acoustic String Stars. Out of stock. Digital tracks available here and on Darol's Bandcamp page.

Mr Sun's first release on Compass Records.

Darol has produced professional lead sheet PDFs of most of his original compositions, with melody and chords, with additional lines if played in the recording. Usually $5 per composition. Contact Darol through dexterfiddle (at) gmail.com for availability: we have just about everything, some with improvised recorded solo transcriptions as well. A Partial list: Breaker’s Bakedown: a fiddle one written for 5-string fiddle, appearing on the Mr Sun recording EXTROVERT.

The Crooked Road To Buffalo: a new fiddle tune, from Emy Phelps' cover of Darrell Scott's Crooked Road.

Key Signator-  from FIDDLISTICS and MrSun: THE PEOPLE NEED LIGHT.

Ride The Wild Turkey;  the Jerry Douglas/Alison Krauss Bluegrass standard; from FIDDLISTICS.

The Dysentery Stomp:   from FIDDLISTICS.

The Fiddler's Boot:  from Mr Sun: The People Need Light.

The Jeremy Reel:  from Psychograss: Like Minds.

The Coal Burnin' Grease Fire:  from Anger&Marshall's JAM and Mr Sun Live at the Freight.

Piacenza:  from Anger&Marshall's Chiaroscuro and 40 Year Anniversary Recording.

ReplaceItAll: solo fiddle or duet, from Anger&Marshall's Woodshop & 40-Year Anniversary Recording.

Who Had Whom:  from Anger&Marshall's Woodshop.

Big Gravel: from Psychograss: Like Minds.

High Ham:  from E-AND'A, bluegrass with Courtney Hartman, Joe Walsh, Sharon Gilchrist.

The New Evening Prayer Blues: from Republic Of Strings.

The Gravel Shore:  from E-and'a, bluegrass with Courtney Hartman, Joe Walsh, Sharon Gilchrist.

Scarborough: from E-and'a, bluegrass with Courtney Hartman, Joe Walsh, Sharon Gilchrist.

The Unbearable Gift:  from Anger&Marshall's Woodshop .

A Real Dragon:   from MrSun: EXTROVERT and Anger/Marshall:Psychograss.

Love On 3 Levels   from Anger/Marshall:Psychograss..

Crawl We Must:   from Michael Kang's Comotion.

La Ville Des Manteaux:  from E-and'a, bluegrass with Courtney Hartman, Joe Walsh, Sharon Gilchrist & Heritage.

Upstate: a fiddle tune from The Duo's 40-Year Anniversary Recording.

The Lights In The Sky Are Stars:  from The Montreux Band, Live at Montreux).

$25 for each arrangement. Please specify which one(s) by email (see below) Darol's original String Quartet arrangements are professionally formatted for easy reading and playing. They reflect his long experience and command of the many different world string styles. They include a score and individual parts. High-quality PDFs will be sent to your email address. Please email me at dexterfiddle (at) gmail (dot) com. Available:

NEW: a revised and improved, more playable version of Darol's tribute to James Brown: DEXTERIORS (TISQ, Skylife) with all written-out solos and trades between the violins.

NEW: A newly revised [2019] String Quartet arrangement of Darol's classic Windham Hill thrill ride, Near Northern. All solos written! Challenging tempo. But you could play it at any speed you like.

NEW: The Amen Corner: A new (2018) R&B/Gospel-style string quartet composition. Arrangement adapted from the new Mr Sun release "Extrovert"

Grant Wood Americana- based string music, recently revised and lengthened, from the Turtle Island String Quartet's Skylife includes violin and cello suggested SOLOS)

ReplaceitAll from Anger&Marshall's Woodshop (for 3 violins or String QT; please specify--includes violin SOLO)

Blue Book: a Bebop Blues for String Quartet; with written-out solos and backgrounds for each instrument.

African Solstice: as played on Darol's CD Fiddlers Four, with Doucet, Molsky, and Rushad. A 6/8 African-feeling string quartet with alternate Violin 3 or Viola parts.

Street Stuff: a rocking and rolling string quartet, as played by the Turtle island String Quartet.