Tracy Schwarz Cajun Trio

b. Daniel Tracy Schwarz, 13 November 1938, New York City, New York, USA. Although he was born and raised far from the source, Schwarz developed an early fascination for traditional country music and bluegrass. Mostly, he heard this on radio and records although the strong interest in these forms in nearby New Jersey helped fuel his musical plans. After learning to play guitar and banjo, which were followed when he was in college with bass and mandolin, in the late 50s he played in bluegrass bands, mainly around Washington DC. In the early 60s he served in the military where he added the violin to his instrumental arsenal. In 1962, he stepped into Tom Paley’s place in the New Lost City Ramblers, working with the band through the rest of the decade and into the mid-70s. In this band he worked with Mike Seeger and John Cohen, his arrival bringing a shift in repertoire to accommodate his interest in Appalachian folk music. Concurrently, Schwarz was active with other groups, as indeed were other members of the Ramblers, some of which were in a similar musical genre while others leaned more into folk. The most notable of these bands was the Strange Creek Singers. His violin playing was by now of such quality that he was invited to make instructional records. He also recorded with his then wife, Eloise. After the New Lost City Ramblers disbanded in 1975 Schwarz’s eagerness to explore traditional musical forms remained unabated. He had begun taking a serious interest in Cajun music, adding the accordion to his arsenal. In the 90s, and now resident in West Virginia, he teamed up with Kay Justice and Ginny Hawker for live dates and records. He and Hawker later married. An exceptionally talented instrumentalist, through four decades Schwarz has consistently displayed his commitment to traditional country and folk music.