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Moor Music Trio
Left to right : Mark Bazeley, Jason Rice & Rob Murch Mark (Melodeon and Concertina) and Jason (Accordion) have been playing their instruments since childhood absorbing the unique Dartmoor style from their respective grandfathers Bob Cann and Jack Rice. Rob (5-String Banjo) also learnt to play finger-style banjo from a young age and has since become one of the finest exponents of this once popular but now rarely heard style. Playing in a way that comes naturally to them they have since become one of the best truly traditional acts, doing what they do, simply because they enjoy it. The trio have appeared at Festivals including Dartmoor, Wadebridge, Towersey, Sidmouth & Pinewoods USA and Folk Clubs across the country.
The Sqeezeboxes Jason plays a Beltuna Piano Accordion. Mark plays a Hohner Ouverture V melodeon in D&G, a C.Jefferies Anglo Concertina also in D&G and a Hohner one-row four-stop in C. They play traditional English dance music in their native Dartmoor style, with a youthful zeal and a spring in their step which is the essence of English country dance music today.
The Banjo Rob plays a Paramount Style F and Clifford Essex Paragon 5-string banjos, and is one of the finest classic fingerstyle banjoists in the country. He's also adapted this style to suit the box playing of Mark and Jason to achieve his own unique sound. As one reviewer commented, 'a banjo is a happy instrument in Rob's hands!'
The Stepdance The Dartmoor Stepdance is performed on a 15" square board, ideally placed on a farm wagon although usually on a floor, stage or sometimes a table. Traditionally the dance would have been performed on a farm wagon at village fayres or 'sports' as they were known during the early 1900's in the villages around the northern edge of the moor. A wagon is still used for the Dartmoor Stepdance competition every year at the Dartmoor Folk Festival in South Zeal, Devon. Jason is a former stepdance champion and demonstrates the dance as part of their concert act.
Moor Music Ceilidh Band In this line-up Mark, Jason and Rob are joined by Gareth Kiddier on Piano who drives the already lively music along with a throbbing, pulsating rhythm. Gareth has been playing piano since he was four, migrating from classical music to rock, through world music and back to traditional English music having played for several years in the well loved and now much missed band The Bismarcks. The Moor Music Ceilidh Band have performed for Ceilidhs at Sidmouth, Towersey and Cheltenham folk festivals.
Moor Music Ceilidh Band at Towersey Folk Festival 2004
With Sarah Bazeley calling.
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