Ken Waldman, Alaska's Fiddling Poet, combines traditional Appalachian-style fiddling, poems about old-time music and dance, and vivid stories about his travels through Alaska, creating a unique, compelling show. A performer's performer (think Utah Phillips with a fiddle), in the past two years Ken has released a pair of albums, A Week in Eek, and Burnt Down House­both of which have received extensive national airplay on public and community stations, as well as excellent reviews in such publications as Sing Out! and Old-Time Herald -- and Ken should have a brand-new album, Music Party, on hand at the show this November. His first book of poetry, Nome Poems (West End Press, 2000), chronicles his travels in the Bering Straits region, where for two years he was a college professor, teaching writing over the telephone, and traveling to remote villages. Ken will be accompanied by three stellar San Francisco musicians, Barb Hansen on twin fiddle, Allegra Yellin on guitar, and Erik Pearson on banjo.