Career
Darol Anger played fiddle to
David Grisman's mandolin in
The David Grisman Quintet's (DGQ) 1977 debut. He co-founded the
Turtle Island String Quartet with David Balakrishnan in 1985 and performed, composed, and arranged for the chamber jazz group. He frequently collaborates with fellow DGQ alumnus
Mike Marshall.
Anger met pianist
Barbara Higbie in Paris and formed a musical partnership with her. Together they released an early record on
Windham Hill,
Tideline
(1982). Two years later, they formed a group called The Darol Anger/Barbara Higbie Quintet with
Mike Marshall, Todd Phillips, and
Andy Narell. This group performed at the 1984
Montreux Jazz Festival. The quintet later took the name
Montreux. After two studio releases, the band broke up in 1990, and Anger continued with the
Turtle Island String Quartet, founded in 1985. He still collaborates with
Montreux
and fellow
Psychograss
colleague, Mike Marshall, and occasionally also collaborates with Barbara Higbie and Michael Manring.
Using classical, folk, and jazz music as springboards, he currently leads Republic Of Strings, with Scott Nygaard. He also co-founded The Duo (with
Mike Marshall), Psychograss (the bluegrass group including Mike Marshall, mandolin; Todd Phillips, bass;
David Grier, guitar; and
Tony Trischka, banjo), and Fiddlers Four (with
Michael Doucet,
Bruce Molsky, violins; and
Rushad Eggleston, cello). Anger also plays frequently with pianist Phil Aaberg. He has performed or recorded with musicians ranging from
Tony Rice,
Stephane Grappelli and
Mark O'Connor to Marin Alsop, Bill Evans,
Nickel Creek,
Chris Thile & the Tensions Mountain Boys,
Yonder Mountain String Band,
Béla Fleck,
Taarka and Anonymous 4.
Anger currently lives in
Portland, Oregon, after moving from his long-time home in the
San Francisco Bay Area.
Discography
Solo/With Mike Marshall
- Fiddlistics (1981)
- Tideline (1982)
- Live at Montreux '84 (1984)
- Chiaroscuro (1985)
- The Duo (with Mike Marshall) (1988)
- Jazz Violin Celebration (1988)
- Jam (1999)
- Diary of a Fiddler (1999)
- Brand New Can (2000)
- Heritage (2005)
- Woodshop (2007)
- Mike Marshall and Darol Anger with Väsen, 2007
Republic of Strings
- Republic of Strings (2004)
- Generation Nation (2006)