One of the best fiddlers in the old-time style (generally thought of as American rural playing styles before the 1940's, I think) and still living is Geoff Seitz. Besides being a heck of a nice guy Geoff's a really terrific violin maker and repairman here. His band, The Ill-Mo Boys, with Curtis Buckhannon on mandolin and Jim Nelson on guitar, is a treasure of the St. Louis area folk scene and is well respected in old-time circles throughout the country. Geoff is also an authority on the Missouri and Ozarks fiddle styles. I had the distinct pleasure of working with him on a production of "The Grapes of Wrath" here in St. Louis a number of years ago and it was one of the most pleasurable collaborations I've ever experienced in theater.

If you're looking for a good place to begin an old-time music collection, you can't go wrong with The Ill-Mo boys CD, "Laugh and Grow Fat" and Geoff's solo CD, "The Good Old Days Are Here".

- Sean