High resolution photo for publicity

Ken and Harry have been partners in music since 1987 and were the founding members of "Tunesmith". The band came from the recording project of original fiddle tunes by Harry and others, which Ken produced. Ken has been a major part of all of Harry's recording projects since then. Harry helped produce and has played on Ken's solo bowed dulcimer recordings, Bloom's General Store (2006, New Timey Recordings) and The Bowed? Dulcimer (2001, New Timey Recordings).

That Banjo from Hell is their duo project.

Their string band Tunesmith was a featured band for the initlal "Appalachian String Band Music Festival" (aka Cllifftop) in West Virginia.

Ken Bloom now resides in Pilot Mountain, NC, but we have been able to bring him to the NYC area for special events, such as the Westchester Arts Council concert in White Plains, 2007 (see the Wahoo page for video)

MP3 Downloads (these tunes are not on any cd):

Polska John Andersson started out it's life with us as a Swedish Polska from Varmland

Off She Went is our take on the classic Irish jig

Harry Bolick on fiddle, banjo-fiddle and vocals.

Biography and Discography

Ken Bloom on bowed dulcimer, minstrel banjo, guitar, clarinet, and vocals.

Ken has given solo concerts all over North America since 1974. These have included appearances at many major folk festivals and clubs in the U.S. and Canada. In the past he has been a regular performer at the Vancouver, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Owen Sound, Philadelphia, and Mariposa Festivals. He has appeared in major venues across the country and performed on A Prairie Home Companion. More recently, his appearances have been closer to home. His North Carolina presentations include The Stokes Stomp, Hiddenite Center, Turkey Festival (Raeford), Red Springs Highland Games, and the Mt. Airy Storytelling Festival, among many others. These programs include the traditional music of this country as well as Celtic and Eastern European selections. He usually uses concert zither, Northumbrian-smallpipes, guitar, clarinet, and minstrel banjo, but he will often include other instruments and traditions as well. He tries to introduce audiences to unfamiliar sounds in an entertaining way and expand their musical view of our ever-shrinking world.

LIVING HISTORY: Ken also participates in 18th century Living History events, providing period music on period instruments, as well as acting as Sergeant for the Royal Highland Emigrants, 84th Foote. He has presented these programs at national battlefields, Living History sites, Highland Games, and schools all over North and South Carolina, Virginia,Tennessee, and Kentucky. Many of these presentations focus on the role of Scottish Highlanders in the 18th century. This interest in history has led Ken to go back and reconstruct many of the instruments of the time and research the music that would have been played on them, including the gourd banjo and a detailed study of early antecedents of the mountain dulcimer. Ken's bowed dulcimer is the result of some of these studies.

For more info on Ken's instrument building and his other band Mappamundi

His current recordings are:

The Bowed? Dulcimer

Bloom's General Store