Sam Amidon

Sam Amidon grew up immersed in folk music as part of a musical family based in Brattleboro, Vermont. His parents, Peter and Mary Alice Amidon, perform and teach traditional forms of song, dance, and storytelling; his brother Stefan plays drums with the Sweetback Sisters. Despite his folk roots, Amidon got into jazz during his teenage years, frequently listening to the work of Bill Frisell, whom he met in the late 90s. He began adding to the family discography in 2001 when he released Solo Fiddle, an album of traditional Irish tunes. Subsequent albums have included collaborations with childhood friend Thomas Bartlett (with whom Amidon plays in Doveman) on But This Chicken Proved False Hearted in 2007 and composer Nico Muhly on All Is Well in 2008 and I See the Sign in 2010. Over the next few years he released several acclaimed albums on Nonesuch Records, including The Following Mountain in 2017, but Amidon considers his most recent release, his self-titled Sam Amidon, “the fullest realization to date of his artistic vision.”