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Mighty Squirrel plays everything from Appalachian old time and classic country to Yiddish swing, Celtic, and French Canadian--it's essentially old time music from around the world, a genre we like to call "World Time" music.
The band is Caridwen Irvine Spatz (vocals, fiddle), Greg Spatz (octave mandolin, fiddle, mandolin), David Keenan (National Reso-Phonic guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, vocals), and Ivan Rosenberg (dobro, clawhammer banjo, vocals).Caridwen Irvine Spatz has played fiddle since the age of 13 when her mother told her not to. The reverse psychology worked like a charm and she's been fiddling and singing ever since. Currently based in Spokane WA, Caridwen is the only Canadian in the band (born in a farmhouse just outside Winnipeg, Manitoba) and has lived and played music in almost every province and territory of Canada. She studied violin and opera at the Freiburg Hochschule fur Musikk, and she's fluent in many fiddle styles, especially Celtic and Klezmer. Singing in French, English, German, Italian, Russian, and Yiddish, Caridwen is often the only one in the band with any idea what the lyrical content is, though she insists most songs are about small mammals or birds. A mother of two boys, she makes the best squirrel ginger snaps and bread of anyone in Mighty Squirrel—though so far she hasn't reminded anybody in the band to brush their teeth or get in their pj's.
When not playing music, Caridwen repairs violins and bows at Violinworks in Spokane, coaches a community orchestra, keeps the kids fed and turning in their homework on time, and dabbles in experimental architecture projects to keep Greg flummoxed.Greg Spatz is a popular west coast fiddle player, currently based in Spokane WA (though he was once, years ago, almost the Maine State fiddle champion). He's best known for his work with the Juno nominated bluegrass band John Reischman and the Jaybirds (www.jaybirds.com), and has performed and/or recorded with Rob Ickes, High Country, The Good Old Persons, Frank Wakefield, Tony Furtado, Kathy Kallick, and many others. You can hear him on all of the Jaybird's rcordings: The Road West, Field Guide, and The Jaybirds.
A closet mandolin player for as long as anyone can remember, Greg recently discovered the joys of playing in the lower frequencies, and has consquently become a devoted octave mandolin convert. Not only does Mighty Squirrel indulge him in this budding obsession, he's thrilled for the opportunity it gives him to stretch his musical horizons waa-a-ay beyond bluegrass.Greg's literary doppelganger "Gregory Spatz" is a well published author with two novels, a book of short stories, and numerous individual fiction and nonfiction pieces to his credit. His latest novel is Fiddler's Dream, which you learn about by visiting www.gregoryspatz.com or listening to a recent review from NPR's All Things Considered .David Keenan is no stranger to music. Performing since the age of 12 and teaching since he was 17, David has turned a love of music into a full-time career that has seen him share the stage with the likes of Bill Monroe, Bela Fleck, and even Garrison Keilor. David’s proficiency on several instruments landed him a job with Sugar Hill recording artists Ranch Romance, with which he recorded 3 albums and toured for 5 years, playing over 100 shows a year throughout the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.
David is currently a member of several bands in his native city of Seattle. He's a fine composer, having licensed many songs to background music giant Muzak. David is also a record producer and session player, and has taught at the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, the British Columbia Bluegrass Workshop, the California Coast Music Camp, and The American Banjo Camp.In Mighty Squirrel, David mostly flatpicks (and occasionally plays percussion on) his National Reso-Phonic guitar. He also sings and plays mandolin, fiddle, and three-finger banjo, and is Mighty Squirrel's fashion coordinator, keeping the band well-stocked in vintage plaid...Ivan Rosenberg is widely considered to be one of the most creative performers of original Dobro and clawhammer banjo music, with 4 solo CDs to his credit, as well as collaborative recordings with the likes of Billy Cardine, Chris Stuart, and The Breakmen. Combining elements of bluegrass, old time, and Americana music, Ivan's original songs have appeared in over 100 film and television scores including HBO's Making Deadwood, Comedy Central's The Daily Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Warner Brothers' smash hit Kangaroo Jack.
In addition to his regular bands, The Breakmen and Mighty Squirrel, Ivan has recently performed with IBMA winner Chris Jones as well as slide masters Steve Dawson and Doug Cox. A duet project with clawhammer banjo whiz Chris Coole is also in the works.Ivan writes the monthly resonator guitar column for Mel Bay's Guitar Sessions, and he has led workshops at the California Bluegrass Association Music Camp, the British Columbia Bluegrass Workshop, the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, and the Sore Fingers Bluegrass Workshop among others.
