Muddy York

Brief Biography

Anne Lederman and Ian Bell formed Muddy York in 1978 to resurrect the traditional songs and dance music of Ontario. They later formed Scatter the Ashes, which performed at Expo 86 in Vancouver, joined by the legendary Wade Hemsworth. After the band dissolved, Anne and Ian have continued to work with each other, playing in several other bands from the Dawnbreakers to the Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band and Njacko Backo’s Kalimba Kalimba. Now, they have reformed Muddy York to perform old music for a new age, with mash-ups with world musicians. Call it Old Ontario meeting middle-eastern percussion, Carnatic violin, steel drum, and kalimba, if you like - but call it fantastic!

ARTIST WEBSITE: www.muddyyorkcd.ca/Muddy_York/Welcome_1.html

Anne Lederman and Ian Bell have been playing great old-time Canadian music for longer than they care to admit. In the late 70s they formed the group Muddy York, in order to bring the traditional songs and dance music of Canada to audiences that often didn’t even know they existed. For eight years the duo performed at folk festivals, museums, historic site and did a two week stint at Expo ’86 in Vancouver.

Since then they have performed both together and solo, and made many recordings including one devoted to Ontario music: Scatter The Ashes - Music of Old Ontario. This recording drew largely on the music found in manuscript tune books from the early 1800s and breathed new life into the old song, jigs, and reels with imaginative, energetic arrangements.

Since then Anne and Ian have performed across Canada, in the United States, the British Isles and even Estonia. They have played on radio, movie soundtracks and television programs including Road To Avonlea. They have also appeared numerous times on Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Cafe on CBC Radio. Both continue to make recordings of both traditional and original music. Anne sings and plays fiddle, piano, mandolin, bones, jawharp and feet. Ian sings and plays guitar, button accordion, smallpipes, and harmonica.