Tim Eriksen -An Evening of Northern Roots Music Thursday May 7th at the Iron Horse

"Northern roots is New England songs about life and death, not bed and breakfast." -Tim Eriksen

The former front-man of the prophetic folk-noise band Cordelia’s Dad, Tim Eriksen has one of the most hair-raising voices in American music. Accompanying himself on fiddle, banjo, guitar and bajo sexto, Tim redefines American tradition with a "northern roots" sound that encompasses old Massachusetts murder ballads, chilling shape-note harmonies and haunted originals alongside southern Appalachian and Irish tunes.

Tim Eriksen's singing is solidly rooted in traditional American folksong, and nobody does it better, but to call him a "folksinger" would miss the incredible range of his experience: 25 years playing South Indian veena, screaming hardcore punk in the old days at CBGB, studio work with producers like Joe Boyd, T-Bone Burnett and Steve Albini, appearing as a soloist with a symphony orchestra at Carnegie Hall, decades of avant-garde sonic experimentation… that’s for starters. Known to many for his extensive contributions to the Oscar-winning film "Cold Mountain," he is also the only musician to have shared the stage with both Kurt Cobain and Doc Watson, and recently collaborated with world-jazz innovator Omar Sosa ("Across the Divide" out March 24 on Half Note Records) followed by six nights at New York’s Blue Note Jazz Club, April 7-12.

The evening’s program is a hypnotic combination of ancient New England ballads, old-time Appalachian favorites and originals, including selections from an upcoming CD of solo unaccompanied songs and Tim’s unique, virtuosic arrangements for bajo sexto (twelve string acoustic bass).