The Stoop Singers, sans stoop – Shane Leonard (banjo) and Jessi Lee McIntosh (fiddle) jamming with a local guitarist (left) at Turk’s Head Coffee House.

My first connection with old-time music was in 1977 at a little spot called the Red Rooster Inn in Leesburg, VA. It was just a solo act during an open mic night – a willowy blonde, her beat-up fiddle, and the mountain standard Same Old Man, but here was the heart and soul of “roots” music decades before anyone used the term. 

As the crow flies, the Chippewa Valley is a long haul from the southern Appalachia Mountains, but the music of the Stoop Singers brings the region right to our backyard. Eau Claire’s latest offering on the roots music frontier, this duet features the talents of Jessi Lee McIntosh (fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and vocals) and Shane Leonard (banjo, guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and vocals).

There is no doubt the Stoop Singers have found “IT” – the new recording showcases some of the finest fiddling and clawhammer banjo this side of Clinch Mountain.

It has been a busy year for Jessi and Shane since they decided to form the Stoop Singers. They have filled a void for old-time jam sessions by hosting Wednesday nights at Turk’s Head, they have played some gigs and festivals, and in the fall of 2010 they released their self-titled CD. A lot to accomplish for two friends who met in Eau Claire, went their separate ways only to link up musically when they discovered each other’s interest in old-time. T

here is an old joke that goes something like, “Bluegrass musicians are constantly searching for IT; the old-timers have found IT.” There is no doubt the Stoop Singers have found IT – the new recording showcases some of the finest fiddling and clawhammer banjo this side of Clinch Mountain.

 

The disc.

Highlights of the disc include a hearty serving of fiddle standards with the opening track, Lost Indian, featuring Jessi’s expert bowing and timing. The next track, Goin’ Across The Mountain, gets traditionally respectful treatment from Shane’s clawhammer banjo work and Jessi’s haunting, tastefully sparse fiddling. This Civil War classic is a good test of a player’s authenticity and the Stoop Singers treat the listener to the real thing; you can imagine these very voices and instruments unwinding around a campfire after the Battle of Bull Run.

Amongst the various traditional numbers is the old-time gospel approach taken by the Stoop Singer’s arrangement of Oh Child, Are We Goin’ Down? written by Andy Zipf. Jessi and Shane confirm their commitment to the traditional sounds by taking this tune to a new level outside its original format and adopting it under the old-time banner.

The fine points of old-time music are superbly presented throughout the recording. The duet singing is traditional and satisfying, the interplay of fiddle and banjo is expertly handled, and the tune selections display the Stoop Singers knowledge and respect for the music. Shane attributes much of the success behind the sound to his good luck in pairing Jessi’s talent with his. “I hit a gold mine when I fell into playing music with Jess,” he said. “It is such a rare find to have her classical background in addition to her 10 years of immersion in old-time fiddling.”

It would seem that the old adage about the old-time musicians “finding IT” rings true for Jessi and Shane. They have a fine CD, buckets of talent, and the spirit and drive to barnstorm gigs and festivals while hoping for another recording later in the year.

The Stoop Singers will be appearing at UW-Eau Claire on March 3 in the Council Fire Room of Davies Center. Otherwise catch them hosting the old-time jam at Turk’s Head, 307 S Barstow St., every first and third Wednesday from 4 to 6pm. CDs are available at their shows, and The Local Store.