released November 3, 2023

1. The Girl I Never Knew
2. My Cousin the Spy
3. Cooking with Lightning
4. A Pair of Boleros (Ravel’s & Beck’s)
5. Punko
6. (Be Careful What You Say to) An Armed Lady
7. Mariska (with The Shandong Hop)
8. Orange Sky
9. A Strange Day in June (with We Fight, We Bury the Dead, We Eat,
and Drink and then We Dance)
10. Madame Gonzo
11. A Butterfly at 80
12. Meet Me in the Meadow

John Kruth – mandolin, mandocello, 12-string guitar, banjo, alto flute, harmonica, penny whistle, recorder, bird whistles, zither, doshpuluur (2-string Tuvan lute) and “The Clong” – a steel pot lid filled with a bit of water swirled around to create an eerie flange.
Premik Russell Tubbs – clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, alto and bass flute, lap steel guitar
Kathy Halvorson – oboe, English horn
Kenny Margolis – accordion, electric piano, organ, electric harpsichord, clavinet
Ray Peterson – bass
Rohin Khemani – tabla, dumbek, sundry percussion

With Special Guests:
Gaia Murasecco – voice on “The Girl I Never Knew”
Gideon Freudmann - cello
Boris Kinberg – congas, timbales, maracas, rubboard, triangle
Ömer Doğramacı – Turkish kanun
Deirdre Áine Eilís Morgan – Jew’s harp
Sam Margolis – trombone
戴秦 (Dai Qin) – voice on “The Shandong Hop”

All songs written by John Kruth (c 2023 Sonic Kruth/BMI) except “A Pair of Boleros,” which is by Maurice Ravel and Jimmy Page and “The Shandong Hop” which is by John Kruth and Dai Qin. String arrangement on “The Girl I Never Knew” by Gideon Freudmann. “A Pair of Boleros” arranged by the Folklorketra. Woodwind arrangement on “A Strange Day in June” by Kathy Halvorson.

Recorded and engineered by Jim Clouse at Parkwest Studios, Brooklyn, New York, in May, and June 2023. Gideon’s cello tracks were recorded at Big Pink Freud, Clinton, WA. Deirdre’s Jew’s harp was recorded at Funkytown Studios, Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada. Gaia’s voice was recorded by Claudio Scarbottini at --- Spoleto, Italy.
Produced by John Kruth. This recording was made possible by a generous grant from CMA, Chamber Music America and the Howard Gilman Foundation.

Photography by Stan Schnier
Graphic design by Glenn Wolff
Folklorkestra typeface by Patrick JB Flynn
Special thanks to Dave Rimelis, Claudio Scarabottini, and Marilyn Cvitanic
Smiling Fez Records – 88 Bleecker St. Suite 2L, New York, NY 10012