The dynamic father-son team Ken & Brad Kolodner weave together a captivating soundscape on hammered dulcimer and clawhammer banjo blurring the lines of Old-Time, Bluegrass and American Roots music. Regarded as one of the most influential hammered dulcimer players in North America, Baltimore’s Ken Kolodner joined forces in 2009 with his son Brad Kolodner, a renowned clawhammer banjo player. They've sculpted their own brand of driving, innovative, tasteful acoustic roots music with a “creative curiosity that lets all listeners know that a passion for traditional music yet thrives in every generation.” The hypnotizing groove of the percussive hammered dulcimer and rhythmic clawhammer banjo is the core of their sound. They are joined by bassist Alex Lacquement who locks everything together with his commanding presence and the dynamic multi-instrumentalist Rachel Eddy on fiddle and guitar. The quartet won 1st place in the Neo-Traditional Band Contest at the Appalachian Stringband Festival in the summer of 2019. They released their fourth studio album Stony Run in March 2020.
“Ken and Brad transport the listener to a distant, dusty crossroads across the sea making ancient music that touches a place inside of us that some of us didn’t even know was there.”
“…oozing with variety. From trad standards to new classic folk songs to lush originals, the repertory found here is both dependable and enjoyable. The arrangements include barn-burning twin-fiddle ragers, mellow meditations on hammered dulcimer, and bluegrass settings with solos on the breaks and three-part harmony vocals.”
Ken’s musical journey began in the 1980’s when he taught himself to play the fiddle. The hammered dulcimer followed shortly thereafter. He is a founding member of the world folk music trio Helicon with Chris Norman and Robin Bullock. Born in 1990, Brad grew up around his father’s music. It was only a matter of time before he picked up an instrument. In the summer of 2007, Brad took an introductory banjo class at a music camp in Maine. He was instantly hooked. Ken & Brad initially expected they would focus primarily on the fiddle and banjo combination, the classic pairing in Old-Time music. They experimented with the hammered dulcimer and banjo pairing and recognized they were on the edge of a musical breakthrough. Ken & Brad are locked in from the second the mallet hits and the nail strikes the strings. They have a creative bond and danceable groove that is unmistakable.
The duo started performing regularly in 2009. Two years later, they released their first recording, Otter Creek, which became the most played instrumental recording on the international Folk-DJ Radio charts. Brad’s original composition “Otter Creek” was the most played instrumental on the charts. Through performance and on the strength of Ken & Brad’s recording and through his work with Charm City Junction, Brad has rapidly gained national recognition for his delicate touch and writing. Ken & Brad released Skipping Rocks, their second album, in September 2013. "Skipping Rocks is both technically impressive and musically tasteful, a lovely exploration of both tradition and creativity (and of a warm musical relationship)." - Rick Anderson, CD Hotlist. Skipping Rocks debuted at #4 on the Folk-DJ Charts and in the top 20 on the Roots Music Charts. In 2017, Rachel Eddy and Alex Lacquement joined Ken & Brad to record The Swift House. Brad was named Strathmore Hall Artist In Resident in 2017.
"This is old time music played in the purest way: at home, with family, with heart, and with a creative curiosity that lets all listeners know that a passion for traditional music yet thrives in every generation." -- Dulcimer Player News April 2011
Wisconsin DJ Mark Pedersen writes: “Ken is regarded as one of the most accomplished hammered dulcimer players performing today. While not easy to describe, Otter Creek is all instrumental of traditional Appalachian music with hammered dulcimer, fiddle and banjo. What makes this recording special is that Ken collaborates with his son Brad who plays the banjo and banjola. It is what folk music is all about in my opinion.” Dulcimer Player News writes “this is old time music played in the purest way: at home, with family, with heart, and with a creative curiosity that lets all listeners know that a passion for traditional music yet thrives in every generation.” A recent review by Sing Out! writes "Ken Kolodner is a world class multi-instrumentalist...Otter Creek is a joyous recording featuring two fine musicians who playing excellently. There must be something special to that father-son thing." The Old Time Herald writes: “father and son have reached that musical telepathy that family members can sometimes achieve.”
Among Ken Kolodner’s many credits are a featured solo in an Emmy-nominated CBS-TV Christmas special, over a dozen recordings with sales well over 150,000, an “Indie” winner for Best Seasonal Recording in 1999, a #1 World Music title (Walking Stones) and bestseller for BMG (with over 60,000 copies sold), and numerous books and instructional recordings (including a book/CD on old-time fiddling for Mel Bay and two recent books on arranging for the hammered dulcimer, also for Mel Bay). Ken toured with the world music trio Helicon for over a decade and continued to tour as a soloist. He was the first and remains the only U.S. player to be invited to play at the International Hackbrett Festival in Germany along with the world’s best players. His extensive repertoire of thousands of pieces includes the traditional music from over 30 countries on all continents. Ken has performed in every state in the U.S., teaches fiddle and HD locally in Baltimore, but focuses largely on his six weeks of The Sandbridge Hammered Dulcimer Retreats which are attended by up to 180 players from all over the U.S. and beyond. Music was not always in Ken’s vision. Kolodner graduated from Lawrence University in 1976 and a few years later pursued a career in public health, working on a PhD in epidemiology at The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. While in grad school, he taught himself first to play the fiddle by listening to recordings. A few years later, he discovered the hammered dulcimer and quickly became recognized among a handful of the best in the U.S. Since completing his PhD at Hopkins, he has worked primarily as a musician (touring as many as 140 dates a year) but has continued to consult in public health, and has published widely with over 100 articles in medical journals.
Brad didn’t start playing banjo until age 17 when he attended a music camp where his father was teaching. After just two years, Brad won the 2010 Takoma Park Old-Time Banjo festival winning a Kevin Enoch banjo and a performance spot at The Birchmere, sharing the stage with banjo legend Tony Trischka, Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer, Adam Hurt and other notable banjo players. In 2012, Brad won first place in Old-Time Banjo at the prestigious Lowell Fiddle and Banjo Contest. In the summer of 2013, Brad won the inaugural Banjo Hangout National Clawhammer Banjo contest. His version of “Boatman” was the highest rated submission out of all 69 entrants. Most recently, Brad was a finalist at the prestigious Appalachian String Band Festival (Clifftop) for Old-Time Banjo. Brad guest-recorded on Out of the Wood, a 2011 release by Elke Baker (a Scottish National Fiddle Champion) and his father. Brad graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Television/Radio in 2012. In the summer of 2013, Brad signed on as the host of “The Brad Kolodner Show” a weekly bluegrass show on WAMU’s Bluegrass Country, a 24/7 bluegrass radio station in Washington D.C. Brad is a DJ with Folk Alley and on the board of IBMA. Brad has recently launched a True Five channel for banjo. He has added fiddle, guitar and vocals to his repertoire.
In addition to performing and teaching, Ken and Brad are avid supporters and developers of the Old-Time community in Baltimore and beyond. In the spring of 2013, Ken and Brad founded the wildly popular Baltimore Old Time Jam, a bi-weekly gathering of dozens of musicians and Old-Time music fans at Liam Flynn’s Ale House (now at The Five and Dime) in the heart of Baltimore City. In November 2013, Brad spearheaded the launch of the bi-monthly Baltimore Square Dance at Mobtown Ballroom. The first two dances were packed with over 200 people at each dance. Brad & Ken run The Baltimore Old-Time Festival and various concerts & dances in the region.
For Ken's Solo Webpage: www.kenkolodner.com
For Brad's Solo Webpage: www.bradkolodner.com
Reviews of Stony Run (Released March 2020)
"It seems fair to say that there’s no strong bond than that which exists between parent and child, or, more specifically, as in the case of Ken and Brad Kolodner, the ties that bind father and son. With Stony Run, the duo’s fourth album, that precept proves true courtesy of their musical synergy, and their ability to draw on a traditional tapestry while still maintaining a contemporary credence. The two complement one another with an adroit sense of novelty and nuance, Ken’s masterful hammered dulcimer finding a perfect complement through Brad’s tasteful banjo. Stony Run offers an adroit example of instrumental artistry and integrity, stirred with equal measure."
Lee Zimmerman - Bluegrass Today
"On their fourth studio album, Ken and Brad Kolodner make it clear: The family that plays together stays together. The canon of Americana music has long been passed down the generations, but these 12 tracks showcase not only the father-son duo’s familial bond but also their unique musical chemistry and mutual inspiration. It’s their most creative recording yet, charting new territory on robust original tunes, like the effusive title track, inspired by the waterway that ripples between their Baltimore homes, as well as through evolving techniques, such as unlikely instrument combinations and added emphasis on Brad’s warm vocals."
Lydia Woolover – Baltimore Magazine – April 2020
"Never underestimate an instrument’s, vocalist’s, or composer’s potential and ability to grow and perform new styles and music genres. Beginning with their first Otter Creek recording and through this fourth musical journey, both musicians have revealed an amazing ability to spread their music wings to new levels. On Stony Run the two are joined by Rachel Eddy and Alex Lacquement, outstanding musicians and vocalists themselves, and the results of this teamwork are audibly and uniquely exceptional."
Dan Hayes - Dulcimer Player News
"Credit the Kolodner’s with one of the best examples of innovative traditional string music heard yet this year. The centerpiece of the Ken & Brad Kolodner sound is fiddle tunes and old time songs on banjo and hammered dulcimer. But don’t stop there. Brad’s ten-plus years of focus on clawhammer banjo has paid off in clean technique, excellent tone and his own musical innovations. He plays with drive, precision and when appropriate, quieter and more evocative tones. He’s become a worthy tunesmith and a fine musician on fretless and fretted banjos and fiddle. Ken has established himself as a world-class fiddler and hammered dulcimer player. On dulcimer he goes beyond hammering out fiddle tunes showcasing the wonderful percussive and muted sounds the instrument offers. Enter the hammered mbira, a hybrid musical creation by Don MacClane that uses hammered dulcimer technique and set-up with African mbira (thumb piano) metal keys instead of strings. Ken takes his hammered dulcimer technique to a new format and sound and brings it into the old-time atmosphere beautifully. If there were stars in this review, Stony Run gets 5 out of 5!"
Cathy Fink - Banjo Newsletter
Reviews of Skipping Rocks (Released September 2013)
“Ken and Brad are both exceptionally talented musicians and they have created a tight, top-notch sound.”
– Bluegrass Today, January 2014
"This father-son duo project is both technically impressive and musically tasteful, a lovely exploration of both tradition and creativity (and of a warm musical relationship)."
- CD Hotlist, October 2013
“The musicianship on this album is absolutely incredible. Ken Kolodner is, in my estimation, the finest, most able, and diverse hammered dulcimer player anywhere...Brad Kolodner is simply one of the best of the new generation of Old Time melodic Clawhammer banjo players...it still touches me that a father and son not only can make music that sounds so good, but that they so obviously enjoy making such great music with each other and their music friends.”
- Dan Hayes, Banjo Hangout, September 2013
“On Ken & Brad Kolodner’s new album, Skipping Rocks, the dynamic pulse of their neo-traditional sound is ringed with masterful guest artists, sewing together new takes on old tunes, and new tunes with old slants. Listening to Brad & Ken Kolodner’s Skipping Rocks not only highlights the magic that seems to spark in musical families, but also transports its listeners to the soft shores of a summer lake, where each skip of the rock is a moment that ripples out; from father to son, from a duo to a musical community, from old tunes to new ones. It’s a moment in life and time that will have you pushing play again and again.”
- Hearth Music, September 2013
"Give me a band that has mastered their music, their instruments, and their vocal approach, and who play with feeling and intensity along with an apparent appreciation for the roots of music from an earlier time, and I’m happy. The groupdemonstrates that old-time music doesn’t need to be a stale, modern reproduction of a relic from a bygone era- a pale reflection of nostalgia for a time few of us can imagine. This music can be and- in the right hands- is a modern sound enjoyed by contemporary individuals played with all the passion that music should include. On their album Skipping Rocks they not only treat the music as a living entity deserving of respect and nurturing hands, they bring freshness within their interpretation of old time music. This is a wonderful album, a complete set of music that runs nearly an hour. It is bright, lively, and thought provoking. "
- Fervor Coulee, January 2014
“An album based around clawhammer banjo and hammered dulcimer might not seem like it should work, but this does. There’s truly not a bad song on the album, though the Kolodners pull from various influences and some songs will definitely appeal to certain listeners more than others. Ken and Brad are both exceptionally talented musicians and they have created a tight, top-notch sound.”
- Bluegrass Today, January 2014.
Skipping Rocks debuted at #4 on the Folk DJ-L in October, 2013; 20th on The Roots Music Charts; Best of 2013 lists include The Baltimore City Paper, Folk Alley XM Radio, The Sing Out Radio Magazine on XM Radio, Detours on WTMD.
Reviews of Otter Creek (Released December 2010)
“Father and son have reached that musical telepathy that family members can sometimes achieve. The blend of the hammered dulcimer and banjo is exceptional.”
-- The Old Time Herald January, 2012
"This is old time music played in the purest way: at home, with family, with heart, and with a creative curiosity that lets all listeners know that a passion for traditional music yet thrives in every generation."
-- Dulcimer Player News April 2011
"Ken Kolodner is a world class multi-instrumentalist...Otter Creek is a joyous recording featuring two fine musicians who playing excellently. There must be something special to that father-son thing."
-- Sing Out! April, 2011
Otter Creek was #1 on the Folk DJ-L (the Folk Charts) for instrumental recordings and top 50 overall for all releases in 2011. Brad’s composition “Otter Creek” was the most played instrumental on reporting folk radio stations across the U.S. in 2011.
Notable performances
The Kennedy Center, Washington, DC
Strathmore Hall, Rockville, MD
Old Songs, Altamont, NY
The Walnut Valley Folk Festival, Winfield, KS
The Peachem Festival, Peachem, VT
The Harrisburg Folk Music Society, Harrisburg, PA
Music Gettysburg, Gettysburg, PA
The Hadley Fund, Kennett Square, PA
Green Valley Performing Arts, Tucson, AZ
The Cattle Tracks, Scottsdale, AZ
The Avalon Theater, Easton, MD
The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA (with Brad as the winner of Old Time Banjo Festival)
“World Music Series” Residency, Lawrence University, Appleton, WI
The Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD
The Champlain Valley Folk Festival, Burlington, VT
The Charm City Bluegrass Festival, Baltimore, MD
The Tiffany Concert Series, Baltimore, MD
Monadnock Center, Peterborough, NH
The Tillotson Theater, Colebrook, NH
Mary Keane Chapel, Enfield, NH
The Old Firehouse, Tinmouth, VT
Hampshire County Arts Council, Romney, WV
First Night Alexandria, Alexandria, VA
The Institute of Musical Traditions, Takoma Park, MD
Uptown Concerts, Baltimore, MD
The Common Ground Festival, Westminster, MD
The Mountain Arts Gathering, Paul Smiths, NY
“World Music Series” at Hamilton College, Clinton, NY
Cornell Folk Song Society, Ithaca, NY
“The Baltimore Banjo Showcase” with IBMA banjo player of the year, Mike Munford and Peter Fitzgerald, The Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD
Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration, Bowie, MD
The Maiden Creek Old-Time Music Festival, Kutztown, PA
The Stone Soup Concert Series, Wilmington, NC
Ashe County Arts Center, West Jefferson, NC
Wake Robin Concert Series, Shelburne, VT
Helicon’s Winter Solstice Concerts (Chris Norman, Robin Bullock, Elke Baker), Towson, MD
The Golden Link Concert Series, Rochester, NY
Valley Folk, Corning, NY “Masters of the Hammered Dulcimer” with Maggie Sansone and Walt Michael, Baltimore, MD The Friends School Meeting House with The Honey Dewdrops, Baltimore, MD (2012)
Double Bills with Genticorum; Ritchie Stearns & Rosie Newton; Carl Jones & Erynn Marshall; Matching Orange; Becky Tracy, Keith Murphy, Baltimore, MD
Folk Society of Greater Washington, Washington, DC
Pig and Weasel, Evanston, IL
St. James Church, Watkins Glen, NY
Slydog Concert Series, Madison, WI
Baldwin's Station, Sykesville, MD
Contra dances in Glen Echo, Ithaca, Lancaster, Annapolis, Silver Spring & Baltimore
Radio/TV appearances
Bound for Glory (WVBR) The longest running live radio concert show in the US, Ithaca, NY
Nonesuch (WVBR) Ithaca, NY
Detours (WTMD) Towson, MD
Bluegrass Country (WAMU) Washington, DC
Music in Maryland with Tom Hall (WYPR) Baltimore, MD
The Signal (WYPR) Baltimore, MD
The Marc Steiner Show (WETA) Baltimore, MD
The Hobo’s Lullaby (WICB) Ithaca, NY
Kennedy Center Millenium Stage Washington, DC (TV)
“Ken and Brad transport the listener to a distant, dusty crossroads across the sea making ancient music that touches a place inside of us that some of us didn’t even know was there.”
“…oozing with variety. From trad standards to new classic folk songs to lush originals, the repertory found here is both dependable and enjoyable. The arrangements include barn-burning twin-fiddle ragers, mellow meditations on hammered dulcimer, and bluegrass settings with solos on the breaks and three-part harmony vocals.”
Ken’s musical journey began in the 1980’s when he taught himself to play the fiddle. The hammered dulcimer followed shortly thereafter. He is a founding member of the world folk music trio Helicon with Chris Norman and Robin Bullock. Born in 1990, Brad grew up around his father’s music. It was only a matter of time before he picked up an instrument. In the summer of 2007, Brad took an introductory banjo class at a music camp in Maine. He was instantly hooked. Ken & Brad initially expected they would focus primarily on the fiddle and banjo combination, the classic pairing in Old-Time music. They experimented with the hammered dulcimer and banjo pairing and recognized they were on the edge of a musical breakthrough. Ken & Brad are locked in from the second the mallet hits and the nail strikes the strings. They have a creative bond and danceable groove that is unmistakable.
The duo started performing regularly in 2009. Two years later, they released their first recording, Otter Creek, which became the most played instrumental recording on the international Folk-DJ Radio charts. Brad’s original composition “Otter Creek” was the most played instrumental on the charts. Through performance and on the strength of Ken & Brad’s recording and through his work with Charm City Junction, Brad has rapidly gained national recognition for his delicate touch and writing. Ken & Brad released Skipping Rocks, their second album, in September 2013. "Skipping Rocks is both technically impressive and musically tasteful, a lovely exploration of both tradition and creativity (and of a warm musical relationship)." - Rick Anderson, CD Hotlist. Skipping Rocks debuted at #4 on the Folk-DJ Charts and in the top 20 on the Roots Music Charts. In 2017, Rachel Eddy and Alex Lacquement joined Ken & Brad to record The Swift House. Brad was named Strathmore Hall Artist In Resident in 2017.
"This is old time music played in the purest way: at home, with family, with heart, and with a creative curiosity that lets all listeners know that a passion for traditional music yet thrives in every generation." -- Dulcimer Player News April 2011
Wisconsin DJ Mark Pedersen writes: “Ken is regarded as one of the most accomplished hammered dulcimer players performing today. While not easy to describe, Otter Creek is all instrumental of traditional Appalachian music with hammered dulcimer, fiddle and banjo. What makes this recording special is that Ken collaborates with his son Brad who plays the banjo and banjola. It is what folk music is all about in my opinion.” Dulcimer Player News writes “this is old time music played in the purest way: at home, with family, with heart, and with a creative curiosity that lets all listeners know that a passion for traditional music yet thrives in every generation.” A recent review by Sing Out! writes "Ken Kolodner is a world class multi-instrumentalist...Otter Creek is a joyous recording featuring two fine musicians who playing excellently. There must be something special to that father-son thing." The Old Time Herald writes: “father and son have reached that musical telepathy that family members can sometimes achieve.”
Among Ken Kolodner’s many credits are a featured solo in an Emmy-nominated CBS-TV Christmas special, over a dozen recordings with sales well over 150,000, an “Indie” winner for Best Seasonal Recording in 1999, a #1 World Music title (Walking Stones) and bestseller for BMG (with over 60,000 copies sold), and numerous books and instructional recordings (including a book/CD on old-time fiddling for Mel Bay and two recent books on arranging for the hammered dulcimer, also for Mel Bay). Ken toured with the world music trio Helicon for over a decade and continued to tour as a soloist. He was the first and remains the only U.S. player to be invited to play at the International Hackbrett Festival in Germany along with the world’s best players. His extensive repertoire of thousands of pieces includes the traditional music from over 30 countries on all continents. Ken has performed in every state in the U.S., teaches fiddle and HD locally in Baltimore, but focuses largely on his six weeks of The Sandbridge Hammered Dulcimer Retreats which are attended by up to 180 players from all over the U.S. and beyond. Music was not always in Ken’s vision. Kolodner graduated from Lawrence University in 1976 and a few years later pursued a career in public health, working on a PhD in epidemiology at The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. While in grad school, he taught himself first to play the fiddle by listening to recordings. A few years later, he discovered the hammered dulcimer and quickly became recognized among a handful of the best in the U.S. Since completing his PhD at Hopkins, he has worked primarily as a musician (touring as many as 140 dates a year) but has continued to consult in public health, and has published widely with over 100 articles in medical journals.
Brad didn’t start playing banjo until age 17 when he attended a music camp where his father was teaching. After just two years, Brad won the 2010 Takoma Park Old-Time Banjo festival winning a Kevin Enoch banjo and a performance spot at The Birchmere, sharing the stage with banjo legend Tony Trischka, Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer, Adam Hurt and other notable banjo players. In 2012, Brad won first place in Old-Time Banjo at the prestigious Lowell Fiddle and Banjo Contest. In the summer of 2013, Brad won the inaugural Banjo Hangout National Clawhammer Banjo contest. His version of “Boatman” was the highest rated submission out of all 69 entrants. Most recently, Brad was a finalist at the prestigious Appalachian String Band Festival (Clifftop) for Old-Time Banjo. Brad guest-recorded on Out of the Wood, a 2011 release by Elke Baker (a Scottish National Fiddle Champion) and his father. Brad graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Television/Radio in 2012. In the summer of 2013, Brad signed on as the host of “The Brad Kolodner Show” a weekly bluegrass show on WAMU’s Bluegrass Country, a 24/7 bluegrass radio station in Washington D.C. Brad is a DJ with Folk Alley and on the board of IBMA. Brad has recently launched a True Five channel for banjo. He has added fiddle, guitar and vocals to his repertoire.
In addition to performing and teaching, Ken and Brad are avid supporters and developers of the Old-Time community in Baltimore and beyond. In the spring of 2013, Ken and Brad founded the wildly popular Baltimore Old Time Jam, a bi-weekly gathering of dozens of musicians and Old-Time music fans at Liam Flynn’s Ale House (now at The Five and Dime) in the heart of Baltimore City. In November 2013, Brad spearheaded the launch of the bi-monthly Baltimore Square Dance at Mobtown Ballroom. The first two dances were packed with over 200 people at each dance. Brad & Ken run The Baltimore Old-Time Festival and various concerts & dances in the region.
For Ken's Solo Webpage: www.kenkolodner.com
For Brad's Solo Webpage: www.bradkolodner.com
Reviews of Stony Run (Released March 2020)
"It seems fair to say that there’s no strong bond than that which exists between parent and child, or, more specifically, as in the case of Ken and Brad Kolodner, the ties that bind father and son. With Stony Run, the duo’s fourth album, that precept proves true courtesy of their musical synergy, and their ability to draw on a traditional tapestry while still maintaining a contemporary credence. The two complement one another with an adroit sense of novelty and nuance, Ken’s masterful hammered dulcimer finding a perfect complement through Brad’s tasteful banjo. Stony Run offers an adroit example of instrumental artistry and integrity, stirred with equal measure."
Lee Zimmerman - Bluegrass Today
"On their fourth studio album, Ken and Brad Kolodner make it clear: The family that plays together stays together. The canon of Americana music has long been passed down the generations, but these 12 tracks showcase not only the father-son duo’s familial bond but also their unique musical chemistry and mutual inspiration. It’s their most creative recording yet, charting new territory on robust original tunes, like the effusive title track, inspired by the waterway that ripples between their Baltimore homes, as well as through evolving techniques, such as unlikely instrument combinations and added emphasis on Brad’s warm vocals."
Lydia Woolover – Baltimore Magazine – April 2020
"Never underestimate an instrument’s, vocalist’s, or composer’s potential and ability to grow and perform new styles and music genres. Beginning with their first Otter Creek recording and through this fourth musical journey, both musicians have revealed an amazing ability to spread their music wings to new levels. On Stony Run the two are joined by Rachel Eddy and Alex Lacquement, outstanding musicians and vocalists themselves, and the results of this teamwork are audibly and uniquely exceptional."
Dan Hayes - Dulcimer Player News
"Credit the Kolodner’s with one of the best examples of innovative traditional string music heard yet this year. The centerpiece of the Ken & Brad Kolodner sound is fiddle tunes and old time songs on banjo and hammered dulcimer. But don’t stop there. Brad’s ten-plus years of focus on clawhammer banjo has paid off in clean technique, excellent tone and his own musical innovations. He plays with drive, precision and when appropriate, quieter and more evocative tones. He’s become a worthy tunesmith and a fine musician on fretless and fretted banjos and fiddle. Ken has established himself as a world-class fiddler and hammered dulcimer player. On dulcimer he goes beyond hammering out fiddle tunes showcasing the wonderful percussive and muted sounds the instrument offers. Enter the hammered mbira, a hybrid musical creation by Don MacClane that uses hammered dulcimer technique and set-up with African mbira (thumb piano) metal keys instead of strings. Ken takes his hammered dulcimer technique to a new format and sound and brings it into the old-time atmosphere beautifully. If there were stars in this review, Stony Run gets 5 out of 5!"
Cathy Fink - Banjo Newsletter
Reviews of Skipping Rocks (Released September 2013)
“Ken and Brad are both exceptionally talented musicians and they have created a tight, top-notch sound.”
– Bluegrass Today, January 2014
"This father-son duo project is both technically impressive and musically tasteful, a lovely exploration of both tradition and creativity (and of a warm musical relationship)."
- CD Hotlist, October 2013
“The musicianship on this album is absolutely incredible. Ken Kolodner is, in my estimation, the finest, most able, and diverse hammered dulcimer player anywhere...Brad Kolodner is simply one of the best of the new generation of Old Time melodic Clawhammer banjo players...it still touches me that a father and son not only can make music that sounds so good, but that they so obviously enjoy making such great music with each other and their music friends.”
- Dan Hayes, Banjo Hangout, September 2013
“On Ken & Brad Kolodner’s new album, Skipping Rocks, the dynamic pulse of their neo-traditional sound is ringed with masterful guest artists, sewing together new takes on old tunes, and new tunes with old slants. Listening to Brad & Ken Kolodner’s Skipping Rocks not only highlights the magic that seems to spark in musical families, but also transports its listeners to the soft shores of a summer lake, where each skip of the rock is a moment that ripples out; from father to son, from a duo to a musical community, from old tunes to new ones. It’s a moment in life and time that will have you pushing play again and again.”
- Hearth Music, September 2013
"Give me a band that has mastered their music, their instruments, and their vocal approach, and who play with feeling and intensity along with an apparent appreciation for the roots of music from an earlier time, and I’m happy. The groupdemonstrates that old-time music doesn’t need to be a stale, modern reproduction of a relic from a bygone era- a pale reflection of nostalgia for a time few of us can imagine. This music can be and- in the right hands- is a modern sound enjoyed by contemporary individuals played with all the passion that music should include. On their album Skipping Rocks they not only treat the music as a living entity deserving of respect and nurturing hands, they bring freshness within their interpretation of old time music. This is a wonderful album, a complete set of music that runs nearly an hour. It is bright, lively, and thought provoking. "
- Fervor Coulee, January 2014
“An album based around clawhammer banjo and hammered dulcimer might not seem like it should work, but this does. There’s truly not a bad song on the album, though the Kolodners pull from various influences and some songs will definitely appeal to certain listeners more than others. Ken and Brad are both exceptionally talented musicians and they have created a tight, top-notch sound.”
- Bluegrass Today, January 2014.
Skipping Rocks debuted at #4 on the Folk DJ-L in October, 2013; 20th on The Roots Music Charts; Best of 2013 lists include The Baltimore City Paper, Folk Alley XM Radio, The Sing Out Radio Magazine on XM Radio, Detours on WTMD.
Reviews of Otter Creek (Released December 2010)
“Father and son have reached that musical telepathy that family members can sometimes achieve. The blend of the hammered dulcimer and banjo is exceptional.”
-- The Old Time Herald January, 2012
"This is old time music played in the purest way: at home, with family, with heart, and with a creative curiosity that lets all listeners know that a passion for traditional music yet thrives in every generation."
-- Dulcimer Player News April 2011
"Ken Kolodner is a world class multi-instrumentalist...Otter Creek is a joyous recording featuring two fine musicians who playing excellently. There must be something special to that father-son thing."
-- Sing Out! April, 2011
Otter Creek was #1 on the Folk DJ-L (the Folk Charts) for instrumental recordings and top 50 overall for all releases in 2011. Brad’s composition “Otter Creek” was the most played instrumental on reporting folk radio stations across the U.S. in 2011.
Notable performances
The Kennedy Center, Washington, DC
Strathmore Hall, Rockville, MD
Old Songs, Altamont, NY
The Walnut Valley Folk Festival, Winfield, KS
The Peachem Festival, Peachem, VT
The Harrisburg Folk Music Society, Harrisburg, PA
Music Gettysburg, Gettysburg, PA
The Hadley Fund, Kennett Square, PA
Green Valley Performing Arts, Tucson, AZ
The Cattle Tracks, Scottsdale, AZ
The Avalon Theater, Easton, MD
The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA (with Brad as the winner of Old Time Banjo Festival)
“World Music Series” Residency, Lawrence University, Appleton, WI
The Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD
The Champlain Valley Folk Festival, Burlington, VT
The Charm City Bluegrass Festival, Baltimore, MD
The Tiffany Concert Series, Baltimore, MD
Monadnock Center, Peterborough, NH
The Tillotson Theater, Colebrook, NH
Mary Keane Chapel, Enfield, NH
The Old Firehouse, Tinmouth, VT
Hampshire County Arts Council, Romney, WV
First Night Alexandria, Alexandria, VA
The Institute of Musical Traditions, Takoma Park, MD
Uptown Concerts, Baltimore, MD
The Common Ground Festival, Westminster, MD
The Mountain Arts Gathering, Paul Smiths, NY
“World Music Series” at Hamilton College, Clinton, NY
Cornell Folk Song Society, Ithaca, NY
“The Baltimore Banjo Showcase” with IBMA banjo player of the year, Mike Munford and Peter Fitzgerald, The Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD
Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration, Bowie, MD
The Maiden Creek Old-Time Music Festival, Kutztown, PA
The Stone Soup Concert Series, Wilmington, NC
Ashe County Arts Center, West Jefferson, NC
Wake Robin Concert Series, Shelburne, VT
Helicon’s Winter Solstice Concerts (Chris Norman, Robin Bullock, Elke Baker), Towson, MD
The Golden Link Concert Series, Rochester, NY
Valley Folk, Corning, NY “Masters of the Hammered Dulcimer” with Maggie Sansone and Walt Michael, Baltimore, MD The Friends School Meeting House with The Honey Dewdrops, Baltimore, MD (2012)
Double Bills with Genticorum; Ritchie Stearns & Rosie Newton; Carl Jones & Erynn Marshall; Matching Orange; Becky Tracy, Keith Murphy, Baltimore, MD
Folk Society of Greater Washington, Washington, DC
Pig and Weasel, Evanston, IL
St. James Church, Watkins Glen, NY
Slydog Concert Series, Madison, WI
Baldwin's Station, Sykesville, MD
Contra dances in Glen Echo, Ithaca, Lancaster, Annapolis, Silver Spring & Baltimore
Radio/TV appearances
Bound for Glory (WVBR) The longest running live radio concert show in the US, Ithaca, NY
Nonesuch (WVBR) Ithaca, NY
Detours (WTMD) Towson, MD
Bluegrass Country (WAMU) Washington, DC
Music in Maryland with Tom Hall (WYPR) Baltimore, MD
The Signal (WYPR) Baltimore, MD
The Marc Steiner Show (WETA) Baltimore, MD
The Hobo’s Lullaby (WICB) Ithaca, NY
Kennedy Center Millenium Stage Washington, DC (TV)
For Ken's Solo Webpage: www.kenkolodner.com -- For Brad's Solo Webpage: www.bradkolodner.com