In 2007, when The Initiation was released, Charlene Adzima was a young fiddler making her way on the festival and summer camp circuit in central Ohio. This is her first and, to the best of my knowledge, only recording, and she was able to entice renowned Chicago fiddler Liz Carroll to join her on an original track and offer a ringing endorsement in the liner notes.

More than a dozen years later, it looks like Adzima is keeping busy. According to her website, she's still a solo fiddler and fiddle instructor, now based out of Wisconsin. She also performs with The Lilies of the Midwest, West Wind, Nelson & Adzima, and The Westerlies.

Knowing that, I half expected The Initiation to be a musical resume of sorts, an introduction to her music that Adzima could use to promote her various enterprises. But it's more than that; she went full tilt on the recording, with great arrangements and plenty of guest musicians to give her a full, but not overproduced, sound. Her fiddling is definitely praiseworthy, and she has a sweet voice, too. (Her Gaelic singing on "Inion A'Bhaoghailligh" is particularly lovely.)

Besides Adzima, the album includes guest appearances by Carroll on fiddle, Marian Funk on piano accordion, Zac Leger on guitar, whistles, bodhran and percussion, producer Craig Markley on keyboards and piano, Rick Nelson on guitar, John Sherman on tenor banjo, Jennifer Short on cello and Jeni Westerkamp on harp.

I really enjoyed this album. I'm glad Adzima is still at it.

[ visit Charlene Adzima's website ]