NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The world of bluegrass music is abuzz as two of the genre’s most acclaimed fiddlers, Jason Carter and Michael Cleveland, announce the release of their long-awaited collaborative album, Carter & Cleveland, available now on Fiddle Man Records. Fans can now listen to the album and enjoy the new focus track, a bluesy groove of “In The Middle of Middle Tennessee,” written by Darrell Scott, and featuring Charlie Worsham.
Carter & Cleveland builds on the duo’s more than 30 years of friendship, a natural culmination of their frequent musical cross pollinations and collaborations across that time. They first met as teenagers, Cleveland was 13 and Carter was 19, and they were already mutual admirers of the skill, musicality, reverence for tradition, and the unique fiddle fire they each heard in the other’s playing.
“When I first heard Michael, I was blown away,” Carter recalls. “He sounded as good as anyone out there, even back then.”
As they each grew and developed as pickers and musicians, they continued to cross paths at so many junctures – festivals, co-bills, conferences, in Indiana, Nashville, Kentucky, and beyond. They’d perform together as a special feature with Del McCoury or Carter would jump on stage with Cleveland’s band, Flamekeeper, too. Though they would rarely have the time to rehearse material or build repertoire, the two always had an ease and comfortability making music together, even off the cuff, pulling their bows in perfect synchronicity. They speak about their remarkably complementary styles like family bands talk about singing harmony – there’s something magical and telepathic about their connection.
“Twin fiddle is like really good vocal harmony when it’s right,” Cleveland explains. “When it’s super tight and together, there’s nothing else like it. It’s like our own brother duet.”
Carter & Cleveland is chocked full of this particular brand of brotherly fiddle synergy, built around their one-of-a-kind, effortless blend. Across its 11 tracks there’s bluegrass, fiddle tune standards, rip roarin’ alt-country, and endlessly rich and lush double- and triple-stop harmonies.
Carter’s delicious and honeyed baritone vocals anchor quite a few numbers, including the albums first single, “Give It Away,” written by Tim O’Brien and Matt Combs, which climbed to the #1 spot on Bluegrass Today’s Top 30 Songs chart, propelled by a show-stopping debut at the Grand Ole Opry that earned two standing ovations and inspired an exclusive mini-documentary produced by the Opry.
Watch The “Give It Away” Mini-Documentary
Equally impressive is “Outrun the Rain” penned by Terry Herd and Jimmy Yeary,another #1 for the fiddle duo, and a slow burner dripping with loneliness, featuring guest vocals by Vince Gill and Jaelee Roberts.
Watch “Outrun The Rain” Live from the Grand Ole Opry
There are classic instrumentals, of course, with Carter and Cleveland sawing on mouthwatering twin on tracks like “Kern County Breakdown,” a reimagined staple of guitar-pickin’ country, and “Bluegrass in the Backwoods” and “Stoney Lonesome,” pulled directly from the great bluegrass fiddle songbook. String band music is just the beginning, though, as there are plenty of Americana, country, and “grassicana” moments, as well. “In the Middle of Middle Tennessee,” the new single written by Darrell Scott, is an alt-country banger with tinges of Southern rock and is propelled, like all great country tunes, by driving, superlative bluegrass fiddling.
Beyond the duo’s masterful fiddling, the album features an all-star lineup of collaborators including Gill, Roberts, Scott, Worsham, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, The Del McCoury Band, Sierra Hull, Jeff White, and more, backed by session greats such as Cody Kilby, Bryan Sutton, Alan Bartram, Harry Clark, Casey Campbell, Cory Walker, Dominick Leslie, David Grier, Justin Moses, and Jordan Perlson.
Cleveland describes the project as a personal milestone: “I’ve always admired Jason’s playing, and creating this album together is a dream come true.” Carter echoes the sentiment: “Michael’s been an inspiration since I first met him. Fans will definitely feel the magic we’ve poured into this album.” Carter & Cleveland is certainly poised to land right next to the indispensable records in bluegrass history books and in the hearts of its listeners.
Carter & Cleveland is out today via Fiddle Man Records. Fans can listen to the albumnow and enjoy the latest single, “Middle of Middle Tennessee.” For more information, visit JasonCarterFiddle.com and MichaelClevelandFiddle.com.
Carter & Cleveland Track List
Produced by Michael Cleveland and Jason Carter
- Give It Away featuring Sam Bush
- Kern County Breakdown
- With A Vamp In The Middle featuring Darrell Scott
- Runnin’ Late featuring Jerry Douglas
- Dreams featuring The Del McCoury Band
- Outrun The Rain featuring Vince Gill and Jaelee Roberts
- Stoney Lonesome featuring The Del McCoury Band
- Middle of Middle Tennessee featuring Charlie Worsham
- Arapahoe
- Fiddler Jones featuring Jeff White
- Bluegrass In The Backwoods