#5012, From Soundcheck: Sam Amidon, W4RP Trio

New Sounds | Jul 28

From the Soundcheck Podcast series, hear the cross-genre chamber music of W4RP Trio and the recast folk songs from fiddler, singer, and arranger Sam Amidon.

There’s new music from Sam Amidon, who is a folk fiddler, multi-instrumentalist, and singer from New England who now lives in Old England. He's become known for his inventive and often surprising arrangements of folk songs from both sides of the Atlantic. His new album, Salt River is a collection of folk songs - if your definition of folk song is broad enough. Sam Amidon and multi-instrumentalist Chris Vatalaro expand folk tunes – shape note anthems, murder ballads, traditional songs - and play in-studio.

Then, listen as Stravinsky-esque theatricality, fire and brimstone of gospel music, and grandiose hip-hop production come together in the hybrid chamber music of W4RP Trio. Their new record, featuring the spoken word artist DJ LiKWUiD, is called Sermon of the MatriarK and it is a celebration of powerful female characters in the African diaspora. But it’s also a celebration of the ways in which artists can move freely across genre lines – and possibly, upending even basic assumptions about what a band is. The W4RP Trio actually has four members, who play their new songs, along with the rapper and award-winning artivist LiKWUiD, in-studio.

Program #5012, From Soundcheck: Sam Amidon, W4RP Trio (First aired 5/28/2025)

ARTIST: W4RP TRIO
WORK: Up [1:02]
RECORDING: Live for the Soundcheck Podcast, Jan. 2025
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available
INFO: https://www.w4rpmusic.com/artists

ARTIST: Sam Amidon
WORK: Maggie [:45]
RECORDING: Sam Amidon
SOURCE: Nonesuch
INFO: https://samamidon.lnk.to/SamAmidon

ARTIST: Sam Amidon, Chris Vatalaro
WORK: Three Five [4:30]
RECORDING: Live for the Soundcheck Podcast, Feb. 2025 
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available
INFO: The song appears on Salt River

ARTIST: Sam Amidon
WORK: Big Sky [3:59]
RECORDING: Sam Amidon
SOURCE: River Lea Recordings
INFO: https://samamidon.bandcamp.com/album/salt-river

ARTIST: Sam Amidon, Chris Vatalaro
WORK: Golden Willow Tree [7:36]
RECORDING: Live for the Soundcheck Podcast, Feb. 2025 
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available
INFO: The song appears on Salt River

ARTIST: Sam Amidon, Chris Vatalaro
WORK: I'm On My Journey Home [3:08]
RECORDING: Live for the Soundcheck Podcast, Feb. 2025 
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available
INFO: The song appears on Salt River

ARTIST: W4RP TRIO
WORK: To My Momma [:45]
RECORDING: Sermon Of The MatriarK
SOURCE: Phenotypic Recordings
INFO: https://www.phenotypicrecordings.com/w4rp-likwuid-sermon-of-the-matriark?ref=theneedledrop.com

ARTIST: W4RP TRIO
WORK: Up [6:27]
RECORDING: Live for the Soundcheck Podcast, Jan. 2025
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available
INFO: https://www.w4rpmusic.com/artists

ARTIST: W4RP TRIO, LiKWUiD 
WORK: Up [2:14]
RECORDING: Live for the Soundcheck Podcast, Jan. 2025
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available
INFO: https://www.w4rpmusic.com/artists

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