I am always excited to dive into any album project that features Marla Fibish. On top of being an old friend, she is also one of the most creative musicians I know, not to mention a marvelous mandolin player and composer.

“Playdate” the latest offering featuring Marla and her friend, fiddler Rebecca Richman, does not disappoint. It is a mature series of musical journeys that conjure a range of human emotions, from a celebration of life to the remembrance of loved ones gone past. And it does so with a sound and with an ensemble that reminds me of the intimacy of a small session at home with friends.

First off, a rake of slip jigs. The Clockman is a lovely slip jig by Marla that seamlessly falls into the familiar hop jig, Foxhunters and then into James Kelly’s. Jimmy Murphy’s guitar accompaniment shines throughout.

Next a set of jigs – the first two of them originals by Marla. The Return of the Ducks is a dark, mysterious tune that is followed by Fae’s Fancy, which is an homage to Rebecca’s beloved poodle and which sets us up nicely for Arthur Darley’s (sometimes call the Swedish Jig), an old session favorite (and one of mine as well). In addition to the trio of Marla on Mandolin, Rebecca on fiddle and Jimmy on guitar, we are joined by Maureen Brennan on the harp and some subtle and tasty work by Christa Burch on bodhran.

Following these are a pair of original tunes related to the change of seasons – Spring Forward and Fall Back – both by Marla. The first is a stately, hopeful tune reminiscent of the passage of winter into spring and features, in addition to Marla on mandolin and Rebecca on fiddles, Marla’s husband and Noctamble partner Bruce Victor on guitar. The second tune, whose title evokes the passage of the year from fall to winter, is contemplative and thoughtful. Marla is featured on mandolin, mandola and tenor guitar on this track, with Rebecca doing some great work on the concertina.

On to some reels, we initially encounter an original from Marla, The Ameliorator, followed by a Sean Ryan tune, The Blockers, and an old tune, Old Maids of Galway (which is also known as Paddy’s Gone to France). Note the very cool gourd banjo from Steve Baughman and general funkiness in the last tune.

Rebecca leads with multiple fiddles in a sweet tune by fellow fiddler Laurie Rivin, My One and Only, with Marla providing accompaniment. This is followed by a polka set composed by Marla: Weekend with Christa written to commemorate a weekend with Christa Burch (who contributes bodhran to the track), and two more tunes commemorating figs – Fig One and Fig Two.

From here, we travel to a heart wrenching piece, Carole Jean, written by Marla in honor of her mother, who passed away in 2023. Maureen does a wonderful job on the harp in this set and Rebecca lends a soulful fiddle sound as well as concertina.

We then proceed to some more jigs, starting with an original tune by Marla, Johnny C., which commemorates much-loved Bay Area fiddler John Caulfield, who left us much too soon in 2022, and continues with a couple of session favorites, The Hag at the Churn and Connie and the Soldier. Lewis Santer provides some lovely bouzouki on this track. I think Johnny would have been tickled pink.

Penultimately, Rebecca is featured in a couple of slip jigs. The first, My Love is on a Train, was composed by St. Louis piper Nic Brown, while the second is a familiar session tune, The Sport of the Chase. Marla accompanies her on mandolin, mandola, and tenor guitar.

Finally, we get to Requiem for David, a tender, haunting piece written by Marla in honor of the late and much loved musician and teacher David Surette, who passed away in 2021. This features Marla on mandolin and Daniel Steinberg on piano. It is a fitting final tune for this album of memories.

Tastefully recorded, mixed and mastered, this is a recording that you will want to listen to again and again. The tunes are played in a thoughtful style that, while rhythmic and powerful, allow the listener to hear every note with precision. I hope to hear more from these two in the future!

The CD or download can be purchased here.