Current Recordings

New Release!

Highwoods Stringband
Live!

Vintage recordings from various indoor and outdoor venues both large and small. You can hear folks dancing in the aisles! The group consists of Mac Benford, Jennifer Cleland, Doug Dorschug, Bob Potts and Walt Koken. Often credited by present day players as being their inspiration, this band of two fiddles, 5-string banjo, guitar, and string bass set the standard. The CD comes with a nice booklet with bios and an album of photographs. Long overdue, this may be the first in a series of vintage recordings on Mudthumper. Be the first in your neighborhood.... Order here!

Orpheus Supertones Bound to Have a Little Fun MM-0020-CD

    Released April 23rd, 2004, this whole CD is nothin' but fun! Twenty one cuts, with an excellent variety of old time sounds. Better roll up that carpet, or put on the headphones so's not to disturb the neighbors! Clare and Walt have teamed up with Kellie Allen and Pete Peterson on this. Kellie and Pete have been playing and performing together for several years, have an excellent repertoire of old songs, and provide depth and clarity to the music. Kellie gives bottom-end support with her lively improvisational guitar playing, as well as vocalizing with Pete and solo-ing on a couple cuts, including an unaccompanied Lullaby from Texas Gladden. Pete plays sparkling finger-style banjo on many cuts, a method not commonly employed these days. He also adds some wonderful Carter Family-style guitar, which gives the band a rich sound. Clare, of course, shines on fiddle throughout, and Walt brings a second fiddle into the sound, weaving duets with Clare which are reminiscent of his last recordings on fiddle, nearly thirty years ago with the Highwoods Stringband. He also performs his inimitable frailing style on several tracks. These are all "live" recordings, and well worth a listen. Click here for ordering info.
    Orpheus Supertones Schedule:
Aug 26-28, 2005   Philadelphia Folk Festival
Sept 2-4, 2005   Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival
England Tour 2005:
Sept 15   The Merlin Theatre Frome, Somerset
Sept 16-18   The Cornish Bluegrass Festival   Newquay, Cornwall
Sept. 23   The Bodmin Folk Club, The Garland Ox, Bodmin, Cornwall
Sept. 24   Bridgwater Arts Centre Bridgwater, Somerset

    Here;s some samples from the CD. They are mp3 files of about 500 Kb each. You will need a player.
Sarah Armstrong's Tune
I Wish I'd Stayed in the Wagon Yard
Elswick's Farewell
Home By the Sea

Clare Milliner - Walt Koken

Just Tunes

MM-0030-CD

One of Mudthumper's finest, containing 17 cuts of beautiful fiddle-banjo duets, including one solo fiddle piece by Clare, and one solo banjo original by Walt. It's sure to set your toe a-knockin' and your heel a-rockin'! This was recorded between the fall of 2001 and the summer of 2003, and includes favorites from Luther Strong, William Stepp, Melvin Wine, Estil Bingham, John Salyer, Edden Hammonds, Narmour & Smith, and others. In the old days, a fiddle and a banjo were all that were necessary for a band, and this recording demonstrates why. Some folks will be wondering who the other "phantom" musicians are on certain cuts. Faithful to the old timers in spirit and note, we're pretty proud of this one! Click here for ordering info.

Here's some samples from the CD. They are mp3 files of about 500 Kb each. You may need a player.

Dandy Lusk
Old True Lovers Well Met
Little Boy Working on the Road (Clare solo Fiddle)
Sycamores Along the Brandywine (Walt solo Banjo)

MM-0050-CD

The Original Fat City String Band Photo 1971

Recorded in February, '99 and April of '97, this is the first recording the trio has done in nearly thirty years! This is a live digital recording with Bob Potts on the fiddle, Mac Benford on the guitar, and Walt Koken on the banjo. Plenty of good vocals with that old "Highwoods" feeling. Old time fans won't want to miss this one. Order from Mudthumper by check, or from Gemm.com by credit card.

MM-0070-CD

The first release on the Mudthumper label, this CD was produced, recorded, mastered and designed by Walt Koken. It includes 19 cuts, all recorded before January 1997. Originals, Carter Family, Jelly Roll, what have you. Check out the ordering info page. To hear free samples: These are low-resolution tidbits, having little of the high quality characteristics of the original digital recordings. Unfortunately, they are old and in the Real player fromat. Finger Lakes Ramble (49 Kb) Grey Eagle (74 Kb)