Lifelong friends are made at music festivals. Connections and bonds also become apparent in the conversations that take place between banjo and fiddle. The Cliffhangers call themselves a "campground band" because they are an association of pals whose love of jamming at the Appalachian String Band Music Festival near Clifftop, W.V. has brought them together in fellowship. Their first meeting was in 2001, and they have reunited annually since. Driven by Mark Simos' fiddle and Brendan Doyle's banjo, "On The Edge" features 16 traditional old-time instrumentals that document a great deal of emotion, history and nostalgia. The solid rhythm foundation is provided by Jody Platt (tenor guitar), Rusty Neithammer (guitar), and Karen Falkowski (bass). Some nifty and pleasant lead guitar work can be heard in the mix on a few numbers like "No Corn on Tygart." Jody's instrument with a short scale tenor banjo neck and small guitar body is tuned an octave low to the fiddle. Using a variety of open tunings, she flatpicks melody as well as rhythm. 

The CD jacket provides tunings and sources for each of the selections. Their renditions range from a minute (a West Virginia version of "Silver Lake") to over six minutes (a Kentucky version of "Forked Deer"). Produced by noted banjo-player Bob Carlin, the album's music is distinctive and infused with energy. The musicians' personal expression is right in the groove with excellent tone, pitch and rhythm. Simos' precise technique is flawless, smooth and pleasing. I can only imagine his bow arm gliding and swooping like a hawk in flight. His style emphasizes tonal beauty, and the band's melodic accuracy is combined with creativity and rhythmic steadiness. The brawny cross-tuned fiddle heard on "Chinquapin Hunting" wails with old-time sensuality. If anything is missing in this set, it would be some beautifully-rendered waltzes, rags, or parlor tunes not fit for much else. I'll bet that Mark knows some trick fiddling too. While reels are their forte, unless you're dancing along, a little more variety in the nearly hour-long set would have been a satisfying change. 

In his liner notes, Mark Simos refers to the "glorious cacophony" of Clifftop's campgrounds late at night. That's one way of putting it. "On the Edge" is the first in a set of three albums recorded in late-2005. This "straight up" music is their older traditional tunes. The next two-volume "Clifftop Notes" feature Simos' original tunes played with the Cliffhangers and other friends. As much as this music is a celebration of music and festival revelry, it's also a celebration of old-time kinship. (Joe Ross)