Boston-based multi-style fiddler Cecilia Vacanti takes her
first step into the professional solo artist role with her debut
album of new acoustic stringband music, Earth’s Dark
Shore. Inspired both by various people across her life and
themes of storytelling, and pulling influences from several
fiddle styles and jazz, Vacanti’s tasteful compositions and
carefully crafted arrangements highlight her versatility and attention to detail, while underlining the high level of musicality that she and her collaborators bring to the table.

“Cecilia Vacanti has arrived! With “Earth’s Dark Shore”, Cecilia has beautifully crafted a set of original material that takes you on a delightful journey from note one. Building off the musical foundations established by fiddlers like Jeremy Kittel and Darol Anger, Cecilia has emerged as a fresh voice in the ever evolving contemporary string world.” — Jason Anick

The album boasts a studio band of respected musicians in the New England folk and jazz community, handpicked for their technical prowess and stylistic versatility. Vacanti is joined by mandolin extraordinaire Ethan Setiawan, who lends his skills both in the role of producer and as a member of the studio band, as well as bassist Brittany Karlson, guitarists Ian Steed and Maurizio Fiore Salas, pianist Sam Zakon-Anderson and singer Vanessa Vacanti. With myriad specialties ranging from bluegrass to Venezuelan folk to avant-garde jazz, the studio band was well-equipped to bring Cecilia Vacanti’s music to life.

Earth’s Dark Shore is a collection of tunes that range from moody to whimsical, ethereal to spunky, reflecting Vacanti’s desire to write tunes with people or stories in mind. “Acquainted With The Night,” a duet sung with her sister, is inspired by the beautifully somber poem of the same name by Robert Frost. Painting an image of someone walking through the streets at night, the band’s steady accompaniment mimics the feeling of footsteps as the two sisters’ voices meld together in delicate harmonies reminiscent of Crosby, Stills and Nash. “Sword Games’” cheery melody evolves into a clock-tower inspired descant that soars over top of melodic motifs played by the guitar and mandolin, all choreographed to carefully interlock like cogs in a machine. The slow, introspective jazz waltz “Moonswept” demonstrates Vacanti’s recently honed jazz chops and stylistic flexibility. Of the Manouche-style swing tune “Take It Back,” Vacanti says, “This tune started during a different time in my life, and similarly to people, it needed to go through a few life phases before settling into the sound it has now.” It features a violin solo that reflects these changes: starting out sparse and mysterious, it gradually grows in energy and resolve into the fierce yet elegantly melodious improvisatory style that Vacanti has become known for, with the band’s supporting accompaniment satisfyingly building with her as she explores.

Vacanti’s collaborators each get their time to shine, too, as can be heard on tracks such as “Sea Change,” where Brittany Karlson starts off the tune with an ethereal arco bass melody over Ian Steed’s gentle fingerstyle guitar. Steed gets to display his fiery improvisation over the breakdown in “The Silversmith,” while Karlson and Ethan Setiawan team up in creative solos over the funk-influenced “When Waves Collide.” Maurizio Fiore Salas’ tasteful and effortlessly impressive solos over “Take It Back” and “Moonswept” will leave any listener awestruck, and Sam Zakon-Anderson’s intertwining duet with Vacanti on “A House In Medford” pulls heartstrings with his soulful and sensitive musicality.

“Fiddle tunes are passed from person to person by ear. The same is true for people and storytelling, and like music, it’s part of human nature: ancient myths and legends influence cultures and generations; people share their favorite books, movies, podcasts; friends share the experience of creating stories together in tabletop roleplaying games. I like the parallelism there, and I wanted to infuse a bit of this fantasy into my own music.”
–Cecilia Vacanti

Earth’s Dark Shore is a breathtaking musical journey across a deep sea of tradition and through the wilds of imaginative invention.