Alaska's Fiddling Poet Ken Waldman coming to Fullerton

In late June 2001, Ken Waldman, Alaska’s Fiddling Poet, loaded his Nissan Sentra and left his home in Anchorage. Two self-produced CDs had received rave reviews in print and wide radio airplay on public and community stations nationwide. Also, his first book of poetry with Albuquerque’s West End Press, a collection set in and around Nome, Alaska had gone into a second printing within a year, and another book was due out in early 2002.

A long-time Alaska resident, he’d begun touring outside the state in the late 90’s. Now, Waldman has six books and six CDs, including a big double CD, the 2006 release All Originals, All Traditionals, which includes 27 original fiddle tunes with five-piece band, and another 27 traditional tunes, all but two with Waldman’s trademark poetry and storytelling.

So, Waldman continues on tour, working a variety of venues, from concert series, to university reading series, to arts festivals, to folk clubs, to schools. For two nights, Wednesday and Thursday, April 9 and 10, at 8 p.m. Waldman comes to The Muckenthaler Cultural Center, 1201 W. Malvern Avenue in Fullerton for his first public Los Angeles area performances in over a year.

Wednesday, Waldman will be accompanied by stellar Arcadia traditional multi-instrumentalists Tom Sauber, and his son, Patrick. Thursday, Waldman expects to be solo. From Waldman, expect new poems, old favorites, Alaska-set storytelling and some first-class Appalachian-style old-time fiddling. Ticket price is $15 in advance. $20 at the door.

Waldman says the National Poetry Month shows will be like a quick trip north to Alaska .

A twenty-two year Alaska resident, Waldman’s live performance has been described by Michael Miller, music columnist for The State in Columbia, South Carolina, as “Picture William Carlos Williams behind a dog sled. Walt Whitman jamming with the Carter Family.”

According to Austin Chronicle writer, Ric Williams, “Feels like a Ken Burns movie. . . . Always recommended.”

Recently, Shepherd Express Weekly in Milwaukee termed Waldman, “A one-man Prairie Home Companion.”

More? www.kenwaldman.com . Or www.themuck.org . Or call 714/738-6595.