Jonas Friddle Band

Description

Jonas Friddle is a singer, songwriter and Old-Time banjo player whose songs have received The John Lennon Songwriting Award, First Place in the Great American Song Contest and a nomination for Album of the Year in the Independent Music Awards. His tunes bear the marks of a musician who has done his time in pub sessions and square dance halls, and his writing is full of imagery, honesty and humor.

Friddle was raised in the mountains of North Carolina and currently resides in Chicago where he teaches at the Old Town School of Folk Music. His shows feature a blend of award winning songwriting and deft arrangements of traditional American music. With over a decade of performance experience Jonas Friddle brings a great show to intimate spaces and larger venues alike.

Work Sample

This is a video of my trio at the Old Town School of Folk Music in April of 2022. We are performing the Mississippi John Hurt song, "Let the Mermaids Flirt With Me." I've adapted the blues number for fretless banjo, fiddle and bass.

In the Summer of 2022 we played at the White Oak Folk Festival in Dodgeville Wisconsin. During a break we played the Charlie McCoy song "That Lonesome Train" out in the field. I think the video captures our lighter side.

This is a performance of my song "Belle De Louisville" at the Old Town School of Folk Music. This song won the John Lennon Songwriting Award and has been popular with our audience over the last ten years. The video features a larger group than I currently play with, but we still play the song often.

The first two samples I submitted are arrangements of early blues tunes arranged for my trio. Let the Mermaids Flirt with me showcases fretless banjo and the use of an unusual time signature. I really enjoy trying to find interesting timing choices that still connect with the audience. That Lonesome Train is a Charlie McCoy song and demonstrates our love of the jug band blues. It's a chance for us to demonstrate Anna's versatility between the fiddle and the trumpet, as well as toss in some kazoos! The last sample is "Belle de Louisville" to demonstrate an original work.

History

I started playing traditional music as a college student in Berea, KY. Post college I travelled as a Watson Fellow, studying community building through traditional music. When I returned to the States I landed at the Old Town School of Folk Music where I teach a variety of early folk and blues as well as songwriting. I met a wonderful community of performers and have been playing in the Chicago area for over a decade. In that time we've played notable venues and festivals including Lincoln Hall, SPACE, Taste of Chicago, and the Reopening of the Arts ceremony at Navy Pier. We've been honored to receive the John Lennon Songwriting Award, 1st Place in the Great American Song contest and a nomination for Album of the Year in the Independent Music Awards.

Artistic Vision

With my music, I strive to combine my love for traditional songs and old time banjo playing with my own songwriting. I want to dig deep into the sounds of early American music and interesting ways to present them to new audiences. In recent year, my focus on the fretless banjo has led me to write and arrange specifically for this unique and wonderful instrument.

Programs for Specific Audience(s) Expertise

I have worked with all age groups on introductions to early blues and traditional banjo, including specific programs for elementary schools.

Traditional Folk/Ethnic Artform Statement

We perform two forms of traditional music. The fiddle tunes we play come from my Appalachian heritage and are the cornerstone of the traditional dance community in which I was raised and still participate. The early blues are not part of my heritage, but a genre that I fell in love with here in Chicago.