About Big Fiddle: Although cello was introduced as the Big Fiddle in Scotland over 300 years ago, its potential in folk music was largely untapped until recently. After all, it was harder to hear than the fiddle, and definitely harder to schlep (I speak from experience). Within the last two decades, however, cellists have begun to test out new rhythmic, technical, and melodic ideas in folk idioms. As a composer, arranger, and Big Fiddler myself, I love finding new ways to include the cello in folk music. The versatility of the instrument allows it to fill multiple roles on this album: the cello can take the place of lead fiddle; provide low, rhythmic accompaniment; or decorate the middle range with supportive counterpoint. I arranged the album’s title track for cello trio to highlight each of these roles. This project has been a wonderful experience for me, but I consider it a first stop in a much longer creative journey. I hope you enjoy this album and I invite you to join me as we embark together on this Big Fiddling expedition! --Liz About Liz Davis Maxfield: “Liz is a rising star in the Celtic music scene, and she is revolutionizing the use of cello in performance.” —Natalie Haas, Scots Trad Music Award winner Liz Davis Maxfield is an eclectic cellist with extensive experience as a performer, recording artist, and teacher. She started playing the cello at the age of ten and she recorded her first album before she turned twelve. Since that time, Liz has recorded ten albums and has been featured on dozens more. She does freelance work for singer-songwriters, movie soundtracks, and composer projects. Additionally, she works as a producer, composer, and arranger. Liz has performed in festivals and concert halls from coast to coast and around the world. Her international tours have spanned across western Europe, the Baltic States, Canada, and Japan. While she primarily plays Celtic music, she has played with groups of all styles ranging from the Utah Symphony to the Dropkick Murphys. Liz currently teaches classical, jazz, and folk music at her private studio. In the past, she has taught courses on improvisation and adapting folk styles to the cello at Brigham Young University (Provo, UT), the New Directions Cello Association Festival (Sacramento, CA), Munroe Center for the Arts (Lexington, MA), and the Somerville String Camp (Somerville, MA). In May 2009, Liz graduated summa cum laude from Berklee College of Music with a BM in Cello Performance. She has been awarded a Fulbright grant to pursue a Master's degree in Irish Traditional Music Performance at the University of Limerick in Limerick, Ireland. She will be moving there in August 2009. She plays a 2007 J.P. Lucas cello named Maggie.