BELLA UNION records are thrilled to announce the release of Road To Palios, an exquisite cycle of instrumental duets for acoustic guitar and violin by Portland-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Francesconi and his Australian partner Mirabai Peart.Fans of Joanna Newsom should already be familiar with the work of Francesconi.

He was a member of her ‘Ys Street Band’, the principal arranger and instrumental foil on her hugely feted triple album Have One On Me, released in 2010, and musical director for that album’s live incarnation, which Peart was also part of. But as well as a master collaborator, Francesconi is a vastly experienced soloist, performing and recording in all manner of guises.

Though Francesconi doesn’t limit himself to one sound - he spans Baroque, Americana and jazz improvisation - he admits his (and Peart’s) main obsession is Balkan folk music, mainly from Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey. “This colour seems to seep into everything I do. It’s not entirely conscious at this point… It’s my hands. It’s not me.”

Track Listing

Parallel Flights
For Christos
Road To Palios
Far From Shore
Pontic
Kalamatianos
Not Ned