He may be one of the most recorded fiddle players of the 21st century, yet Andy Leftwich shows no signs of even coming close to slowing down, as he anticipates the release of his new LP, The American Fiddler. Influenced by Irish and bluegrass fiddling, Leftwich—former member of Ricky Skaggs’ multi-GRAMMY-winning Kentucky Thunder band—the variety is abundant throughout, and also features the likes of Sierra Hull, Cody Kilby, Rob Ickes, and more on collaborations. Andy Leftwich qualifies as a musician’s musician — widely admired by his peers and colleagues, yet still one of the best-kept secrets in and around the world of bluegrass music. The American Fiddler is a jaw-dropping collection of mostly original tunes that makes a compelling case for Leftwich as not only among the very best fiddlers playing today but one of the very best mandolin players, too.

From its opening (and title) track, which finds him deftly incorporating strands of bluegrass and Irish music, to the blend of old-time string band and new acoustic music in the closing “Through The East Gate,” the set rings a dozen changes on instrumental music that encompass a wide variety of moods and styles while flowing from a singularly unified creative vision.

Intertwining echoes of Irish, bluegrass, old-time, and even classical music into his originals, Leftwich claims a place among the foremost practitioners of modern, forward-facing yet traditionally-based string music. Whether it’s the contemporary mandolin arpeggios that punctuate “Over Cincinnati”; the spiky racing melody of “Pikes Peak Breakdown”; the dreamily contemplative “Back to the Garden” or the alternating new old-time modal and Celtic flavors of “Kimper County,” these are rich compositions that, while they carry echoes of better-known colleagues’ work, bear his own and unmistakable stamp.  Even his recap of the centuries-old “Liberty,” a tune he used to play in contests as a youngster, gets an unexpected and delightful twist by the time it’s through.