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Ethan Hazzard-Watkins fiddler

Fiddler Ethan Hazzard-Watkins performs traditional and original music with infectious energy, passion, and grace.

Ethan's fiddling combines expressive subtlety, playfulness, and compelling rhythmic power born out of more than two decades of experience as a dance musician. A versatile and inspiring performer, Ethan is equally at home digging into an Irish, Quebecois, or New England fiddle tune, improvising on a classic blues, swing, or honky-tonk song, or interpreting a lyrical waltz or English Country Dance melody.

Based in Brattleboro, Vermont, Ethan tours extensively throughout the U.S. and abroad, playing for dances, festivals, camps, concerts, weddings, and other events with his bands Elixir and The Figments. He performs closer to home with honky-tonk band The Rear Defrosters. Ethan is also an avid composer of tunes in traditional styles, and his compositions and arrangements have been played and recorded widely.

gig calendar

Nov 13, 2009to Nov 15, 2009Atlanta Dance Weekend
Dec 3, 2009at 7:30 pmConference callAgenda:

x- NM concert before Folk MADness
x- DC tour possibilities
x- lights for Feb
x- trademark
x- next december weekend
x- concert repertoire
x- album
x- LEAF
x- Colorado
x- Ashokan
Jan 14, 2010at 7:30 pmMountain View Dance
Jan 15, 2010to Jan 17, 2010Contra Carnivale
Jan 22, 2010to Jan 24, 2010Florida Snow Ball
Feb 12, 2010to Feb 14, 2010The Dance Flurry
Feb 15, 2010to Feb 18, 2010Elixir Rehearsals
Feb 18, 2010at 7:30 pmConcord Contra Dance
Feb 19, 2010at 8:00 pmBrown Contra Dance
Feb 20, 2010at 8:00 pmGreenfield Contra Dance
Feb 21, 2010at 7:30 pmBrattleboro Contra Dance
Feb 23, 2010at 9:00 pmconference call
Mar 10, 2010at 1:00 pmConference CallAgenda:
-album prep
-gigs to solicit
-photo shoot
Mar 17, 2010arranging deadline
Mar 26, 2010to Mar 27, 2010rehearse
Mar 27, 2010at 8:00 pmconcert at the ChurchThe Church
$150 rent
Mar 28, 2010to Apr 2, 2010elixir recording11-5 6:30-10:30 Sun
noon-6 8-midnight Mon
11-5 6:30-10:30 Tue
noon-6 8-midnight Wed
11-5 6:30-10:30 Thur
10-3 Fri
Apr 9, 2010to Apr 11, 2010Chicago Dance Weekend
Apr 15, 2010at 10:00 ambass tracking
Apr 19, 2010at 1:00 pmediting
Apr 26, 2010to Apr 29, 2010Elixir recording
May 11, 2010at 3:00 pmConference call
May 27, 2010at 8:00 pmconcert
May 28, 2010to May 31, 2010FolkMADness
Jun 1, 2010at 12:00 pmmixing
Jun 4, 2010at 12:00 pmmixing
Jun 7, 2010at 12:00 pmmixing
Jun 27, 2010at 10:00 amRalph Sweet Book Release Party401 Chapman St, Greenfield, MAwith ElixirElixir will be joined by callers Ralph Sweet and Tony Parkes, and guest musicians Ann Percival, Corey DiMario, and Lee Blackwell.
Jul 25, 2010to Jul 31, 2010Ashokan Northern WeekOlivebridge, NYwith Elixir
Aug 8, 2010to Aug 15, 2010Augusta Dance WeekElkins, WVwith Elixir
Sep 17, 2010to Sep 19, 2010Echo Summit Dance WeekendTwin Bridges, CAwith Elixir
Sep 30, 2010at 3:30 pmConcord Contra DanceConcord, MAwith Elixir
Oct 1, 2010at 4:00 pmBelfast Flying Shoes Contra DanceBelfast, MEwith Elixir
Oct 2, 2010at 4:00 pmMontpelier Contra DanceMontpelier, VTwith Elixir
Oct 3, 2010at 10:30 amGreenfield Contra Dance401 Chapman St, Greenfield, MAwith Elixir
Oct 29, 2010to Oct 31, 2010Fire Ant FrolicAustin, TXwith Elixir
Nov 5, 2010at 8:00 pmSacramento Contra DanceSacramento CAwith Elixir
Nov 6, 2010Fall Has SprungGrass Valley Veterans Memorial Building, 255 S. Auburn St, Grass Valley, CAwith Elixir
Nov 10, 2010at 7:30 pmSwarthmore Contra DanceSwarthmore Collegewith Elixir
Nov 11, 2010at 7:30 pmGlenside Contra DanceGlenside, PAwith Elixir
Nov 12, 2010at 7:00 pmNY Gender Free Contra DanceNew York, NYwith Elixir
Nov 13, 2010CDNY Fall FlingNew York, NYwith Elixir
Nov 19, 2010at 8:00 pmBrown Contra DanceBrown University, Providence, RIwith ElixirThe Figments and Rebecca Lay (calling)
Nov 26, 2010to Nov 27, 2010Rochester Thanksgiving Dance WeekendRochester, NYwith ElixirThe Figments
Dec 3, 2010at 8:00 pmConcord Experienced DanceConcord, MAwith ElixirOwen Morrison (guitar/mandolin/feet) and Jeremiah McLane (accordion/piano)
Dec 4, 2010at 10:00 amBIDA Contra DanceCambridge, MAwith ElixirThe Figments: Anna Patton (clarinet) and Owen Morrison (guitar/feet/mandolin)
Dec 5, 2010at 4:00 pmHartford Mostly WaltzHartford, MAwith Elixir
Dec 6, 2010at 7:00 pmAmherst ECDMunson Library, Amherst, MAwith Elixirlydia ievins (fiddle) and Joyce Crouch (piano)
Dec 9, 2010at 12:00 pmMostly Waltz401 Chapman St, Greenfield, MAwith ElixirAnna Patton (clarinet) and Karen Axelrod (piano)
Dec 18, 2010at 8:00 pm3rd Saturday Contra DanceGuiding Star Grange, 401 Chapman St, Greenfield, MAwith ElixirLisa Greenleaf (calling), Owen Marshall (guitar), and Jeremiah McLane (accordion/piano)

store

Elixir CDs

To order Elixir CDs please visit the Elixir store.

In the Window

Selected traditional and original material arranged to highlight the diverse musical ideas that grow out of the New England contra dance tradition. Ethan’s solo CD moves gracefully between high energy jigs and reels, contemplative airs, and lovely waltzes, flirting with musical ideas drawn from a wide range of styles. Recorded and Mixed by Bob Mills in Guilford, VT.

Guest Musicians

Anna Patton (clarinet), Bob Mills (guitar & bouzouki), Chuck Corman (bass), Erica Morse (cello & bass) Elvie Miller (piano & accordion), Jesse Hazzard-Watkins (trumpet), lydia ievins (fiddle), Marko Packard (guitar & sax), Naomi Morse (fiddle & viola), Peter Siegel (guitar, mandolin, banjo, & feet), Roger Kahle (guitar), Seth Houston (piano).

tunes

Tune Book: A is for Avocado

Ethan's collection of original tunes, published in 2007, is no longer available in print. You can download a complete PDF of the book or find some individual highlights and more recent compositions below.

Download A is for Avocado

A few of Ethan's compositions are available for download below.

contact

Get in touch with Ethan: