Betse Ellis
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Betse Ellis Renowned fiddler, Betse Ellis, founding member of “hillbilly riot” band, The Wilders, strikes out on her own. Adept at the difficult technique of singing while playing the fiddle, her on-stage sparkle and enthusiasm rouses the crowd. She gathers diverse music and presents it with humor, intensity, and love. Betse connects with her audience performing “old time/new time” material, drawn from traditional American (especially Ozark) fiddle tunes, old songs and spirituals, original tunes and songs, and a dose of her “personal old-time music”, influenced by avant-garde artists like Talking Heads, punk pioneers The Clash, and 19th century art music composer Gabriel-Marie. Two fiddles – one in standard-, one in cross-tuning – and her voice is all Betse needs to entertain, but she also treats with a tenor guitar or with solo singing. Betse embraces the sounds of previous fiddlers, singers, and composers with her unique, engaging style.