Is:

Brandy Forsman, Tom Maloney and friends

 

Does:

Dances. We've been playing dances for the Tamarack Dance Association and Terrance Smith for 4 years. As dancers ourselves, we know how important it is to keep up a solid beat and inspiring melody.

One of our favorite activities is playing music for shoppers at the Duluth Farmers' Market. For the past 4 or so years, we've kept shoppers tapping and sellers happy.

We also love singing. We've played a number of performance gigs at local bars, restaurants, churches, festivals, and weddings. The music we perform is also inspired by Appalacian dance tunes, but we also love gospel bluegrass harmonies.

 

link to Four Mile Portage on myspace

Inspired by :

Dancers.

We recently celebrated our 10 year anniversay.  Our second date was a Tamarack Dance. 

I still remember not understanding what to do during my first dance.  It was a contra and I kept going the wrong way at some point and would repeatedly get "clothes-lined" by a line coming at me holding hands.  By the thrird or fouth time I resigned myself to falling to the floor in laughter.  I've been hooked ever since.

There's just nothing better than playing for dancers.  I've played in rock, bluegrass and folk bands and no matter the size of a crowd - I never find the energy I do from playing for dancers.  I enjoy the role of musical servant rather than performer.

 

Jim Larson, Courtney Buck, Brandy and Tom

Taught by:

The many teachers who have patiently taken jam time with us at Tamarack Dance, Sir Ben's, MBOTMA, Clifftop, Homestead Pickin' Parlor and Moosejaw.

I'll try to name some:

Terrance Smith, Roger Cuthbertson & Jo Schubert , Pam and John Longtine, Eric and Theresa, Bob and Louissa Fabbro, Mark Boggie, Sue Hagge Larson, Jim Larson, Sean and Alexis MacManus.

Listen to:

If you want to grow your CD collection, I'd recommend these:

* The Wilders

* Uncle Earl

* Reeltime Travelers

* Foghorn Stringband

* Dry Branch Fire Squad

* Old Crow Medicine Show

 

 

Got our name from:

Four Mile Portage connects Fall Lake and Basswood Lake of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area wilderness near Ely, MN.

It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to carry a canoe over this ridiculous length.  It's still marked on maps, but has little use since the forest service stopped allowing portage trucks about a decade ago.

Today, the over-grown portage lies fallow and reminds us of a time when things seemed to make more sense.

 

Here's a nice summary of the complexity of the issue from an outsider who was willing to listen.