EL REY DE FRANCIA (trad): A Ladino-Sephardic, 13th century song in which a young woman recounts to her mother a dream involving small birds, pillars, and the moon and stars—which mom translates as meaning her daughter will soon marry the king of France. A favorite song of Ivan’s dad.
Caridwen: vocal, fiddle; David: mandolin; Greg: octave-mandolin; Ivan: resonator guitar.

MARY ANN (trad): Old English love song, popular on both sides of the Atlantic and collected by Marius Barbeau in the Tadoussac fishing region of Quebec. Our version comes from Greg’s mom, but sped up and squirreled into 6/8 time, with extra critter lyrics from Caridwen.
Caridwen: vocal; David: mandolin; Greg: octave-mandolin, fiddle; Ivan: resonator guitar.

BIG TIMBER (Keenan): David’s apocalyptic vision of a woodland logging massacre/disaster.
Caridwen: fiddle; David: vocal, guitar; Greg: harmony fiddle and solo; Ivan: resonator guitar.

BEATRICE’S WALTZ (G Spatz): Written by Greg to cheer up Caridwen one dark winter night.
Caridwen: fiddle; David: mandolin; Greg: octave-mandolin, fiddle harmony; Ivan: resonator guitar.

VOICI LA SAINT JEAN (trad): Ancient French or Swiss song, also popular in Quebec. Relates a conversation between two young girls about why their boyfriends will be unable to join them at the Saint Jean Baptiste Day bonfire—one’s been captured by fairies, the other’s in Paris, shopping for a wedding ring.
Caridwen: vocal, fiddle; David: mandolin; Greg: octave mandolin; Ivan: resonator guitar.

MILES AND MILES (C Spatz): Caridwen wrote this after binging on Hank Williams while Greg was gone on the road.
Caridwen: vocal; David: guitar; Greg: octave-mandolin, fiddle; Ivan: resonator guitar.

TANGO TENEBRE (Keenan): Written by David in the twilight of the last day of the year, 2008.
Caridwen: lead fiddle; David: guitar; Greg: high and low fiddle; Ivan: resonator guitar, clawhammer banjo.

JOSHKE, JOSHKE (trad): Traditional Klezmer song, popular in the mid-19th century, in which the rabbi exhorts us all to drink and be merry…and Joshke gets a stern talking-to about feeding his horse. 
Caridwen: vocal, fiddle; David: mandolin; Greg: octave-mandolin; Ivan: clawhammer banjo.

GARTAN MOTHER’S LULLABY (trad): 19th century lullaby from Donegal, complete with puzzling Gaelic phrases that confound us as well. A favorite of Caridwen’s first voice teacher.
Caridwen: vocal; David: mandolin; Greg: octave mandolin; Ivan: resonator guitar.

SQUIRREL ON A FENCEPOST (C Spatz): A Caridwen original, never to be played in a medley with “Squirrel Hunters.” Guest appearance from our go-to substitute squirrel, Mason Tuttle.
Caridwen: fiddle; David: guitar; Greg: octave mandolin, harmony fiddle; Ivan: resonator guitar; Mason: mandolin.

IN THE BAND ARE
David Keenan (guitar, mandolin, vocals); Greg Spatz (bouzouki, fiddle); Ivan Rosenberg (resonator guitar, clawhammer banjo); Caridwen Irvine-Spatz (fiddle, vocals).

CREDITS
Recorded and mixed by Ivan Rosenberg at The Schtood in Portland, OR.
Mastered by Eric Uglum at New Wine Sound Studio in Apple Valley, CA.
Artwork by Parker Moosman – Creature Design.
Band Photo: Hermon Joyner.

Thanks to: the Rosenberg family, Alice and Larry Spatz, The Keenan Family, Paul Elliott, Morgan Andersen, Fred Forssell, Judith LeBane, Jay Buckwold and the British Columbia Bluegrass Workshop, Jason Romero, Todd Clinesmith, Jonathan Cooper, and Pirastro Strings.

The Songs

listen to tracks or get a CD CD Babyhttp://www.cdbaby.com/cd/MightySquirrelhttp://www.cdbaby.com/cd/MightySquirrelshapeimage_3_link_0shapeimage_3_link_1
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/MightySquirrel
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/MightySquirrel
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/MightySquirrel

updated Mar. 28 2011

“SQWORLD  RECORD”

"Music that’s sometimes earthy, sometimes mysterious, sometimes funky, sometimes ethereal—and sometimes all of those and more at once. I’m digging the way that Sqworld Record’s sonic map is drawn just a little bit bigger than last time, enlarged in all the right places but still centered right where it needs to be. That’s Mighty Squirrel, and to my ear, it’s mighty fine." -- Jon Weisbergerhttp://www.myspace.com/jonweisbergershapeimage_10_link_0
“The album opens with a beautiful ballad about a fate told in the stars. The Ladino-Sephardic song carries old-country flavor with well-balanced, edgy stringed instrumentation. The first song portends the fantastic quality of the rest of this world-music album, on which tango and klezmer sit comfortably side by side. Reaching from Yiddish to Celtic to French-Canadian to Swiss roots, Spokane, Washington, based Mighty Squirrel unites folk traditions with flair.” “Pick up this still-underground treasure as soon as you can. Connoisseurs of old-time music, world music, female vocals, and string instruments must get this album. But all of you non-connoisseur, everyday music people should get it too: it's an all around feel-good record.” John Shelton Ivany Top 21.com http://www.jsitop21.com/current.html#2shapeimage_13_link_0