Host, Alasdair Fraser, is justly renowned for his warmth and wit as well as his music. One of Scotland's most valued tradition-bearers, his richly expressive playing transports listeners across a broad spectrum ranging from haunting laments drawn from the Gaelic tradition to classically styled airs and raucous dance tunes, all delivered with sincerity, flawless virtuosity and the sweetest of sounds. Tonight [Alasdair performs with brilliant young cellist Natalie Haas and renowned Scot pianist Muriel Johnstone], showcasing selections from his recent albums like last year's Legacy of the Scottish Fiddle, Vol. II. One of the most influential old-time fiddlers of his generation, Bronx-born Bruce Molsky continually proves that traditional music knows no boundaries. Always veering toward the fun and engaging, his high-spirited playing melds the archaic mountain sounds of Appalachia, the power of blues and the rhythmic intricacies of traditional African music. Bruce was recently nominated for a Grammy Award as part of the acclaimed quartet Fiddlers 4, and his 2001 solo album Poor Man's Troubles (Rounder) won an AFIM "Indie" Award. You may recognize Ellika Frisell from her famed solo work, her robust, vibrant playing with the groundbreaking Swedish folk revivalist band, Filarfolket, or from her recent award-winning collaborative album with Senegalese musician Solo Cissokho, Tretakt Takissaba. Ellika may have been around the world-both literally and musically-but she always comes home to the traditions she learned from the older generation of fiddlers in the Swedish county of Dalarna, producing beautiful, wildly rugged music, full of trills and complicated rhythms.