Biography

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Contact
Patrick McAvinue
Email - patrick@patrickmcavinue.com
Phone - (443)564-7713
Website - https://www.patrickmcavinue.com/
Hometown - Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.
Current Residence - Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.A.







Liner Notes
On Perfect Fit, Patrick McAvinue clearly shows that playing the fiddle is way deeper than playing the right notes in tune or having magnificent bowing and chops under his hands. Music often speaks louder than words, and when this fiddle master does use words, they are well chosen. But it’s Patrick’s versatility, sense of composition and inventiveness that make for a perfect recording.

The compositions trace an emotional parallel track to Patrick’s rise as a preeminent fiddler. His melodies are surrounded by textures and tones played by virtuosos who serve the ensemble sound with elegance and drive. You couldn’t write a more beautiful love song than “The Perfect Fit,” a testament to Patrick’s effort to make his life embrace the love he has to give and his openness to receiving it in return.

Perfect Fit tells stories that connect Patrick to his ancestors and family, while exploring his own heart and artistry. I know I will listen to this recording over and over again, and it won’t be long till I’ll be saying, “I knew him when...” - Cathy Fink, GRAMMY® Award Winner

Songwriters & Publishing
All compositions by Patrick McAvinue, McAvinue Music (BMI) except:

Gagging Order - Colin Charles Greenwood, Edward John O'Brien, Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, Philip James Selway, Thomas Edward Yorke, Warner/Chapel Music Ltd
Carriage House - Patrick McAvinue & Alex Lacquement, McAvinue Music (BMI)
Prayer Under the Pressure of Violent Anguish - Public Domain, lyrics by Robert Burns/adapted by Patrick McAvinue, McAvinue Music (BMI)

Production
Session Dates: May 15-18, 2017, and November 14, 2018

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Scott Vestal at Digital Underground, Greenbrier, TN
Additional recording by David Nachodsky of Invisible Sound Studios Inc., and Mario Palumbo of Omni 1 Productions in Baltimore, MD



Album Announcement Video

Album Artwork




Tracklist (Featured Songs listed first)

2. Voice in Your Ear (04:20) Featured Song

Songwriter: Patrick McAvinue
Publishing: McAvinue Music, BMI
Release Date: July 12, 2019

Have you ever had somebody shoot down your art immediately? I started this song in Jan 2014. I was told that it wasn’t worth finishing. The song is about listening too much to outside opinions. I’ve learned to follow my own intuition and inner voice.

Patrick-mandolin & lead vocal, Audie Blaylock-tenor vocal, Scott Vestal-banjo & baritone vocal, Cody Kilby-guitar
Bob Mummert-drums, Alex Lacquement-bass,
Sean McComiskey-accordion
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1. Waltz For Kelly (03:57) Featured Song

Songwriter: Patrick McAvinue
Publishing: McAvinue Music, BMI
Release Date: July 12, 2019

Kelly is a friend of mine from Maryland, who was turning 30. Not long after writing this song for her birthday, I played her wedding at Delfest in Cumberland, MD.

Patrick-fiddle & mandolin, Cody Kilby-guitar,
Scott Vestal-banjo, Alex Lacquement-bass
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5. Gagging Order (03:48) Featured Song

Songwriter: Colin Greenwood, Jonathan Greenwood, Edward O'Brien, Philip Selway, and Thomas Yorke
Publishing: WB Music Corp. o/b/o Warner/Chappell Music Ltd
Release Date: July 12, 2019

My friend, Letitia Van Sant is a talented singer from the Baltimore/DC area and she graciously sang this Radiohead cover for me. As a band, Radiohead has been a huge influence on my musical taste and I love this song. Like Radiohead, I also question the government.

Patrick-strings, Letitia Van Sant-lead vocal, Audie Blaylock-harmony vocal, Scott Vestal-banjo & shaker, Cody Kilby-guitar, Alex Lacquement-bass

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7. Der Belsnickel (04:15) Featured Song

Songwriter: Patrick McAvinue
Publishing: McAvinue Music, BMI
Release Date: July 12, 2019

A modern Christmas carol for the Belsnickel. The Belsnickel is a darker German Folklore character that visits children during the Christmas holiday. For you music nerds, the tune is in the mode of Lydian b7. It gives it a bright character, while still sounding lightly sinister – much like the Belsnickel.

Patrick-fiddle, Mike Cleveland-mandolin, Gaven Largent-resophonic guitar, Shaun Richardson-guitar, Scott Vestal-banjo, Ethan Jodziewicz-bass

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11. Burke House Fever Chills (03:38) Featured Song

Songwriter: Patrick McAvinue
Publishing: McAvinue Music, BMI
Release Date: July 12, 2019

This is a goofy old-timey sounding tune from my time living on Burke Avenue in Towson, MD. I was snowed in the house for a few days, and I wrote this melody while feeling the cabin fever. The poignant spoken words during the intro (hidden in the previous track) are from a 2007 lesson with Prof. David Ballou at Towson University.

Patrick-fiddle & mandolin, Shaun Richardson-lead guitar, Cody Kilby-rhythm guitar, Scott Vestal-banjo, Alex Lacquement-bass

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3. The Perfect Fit (06:01)

Songwriter: Patrick McAvinue
Publishing: McAvinue Music, BMI
Release Date: July 12, 2019

Jules and I bought our first home in 2017. One morning shortly after moving in, I started to hear this melody. Quickly, I grabbed some staff paper and wrote it out. This is the only composition I’ve ever had come to me complete, without edits. I remember feeling content. Two weeks later, I proposed to Jules. She is my perfect fit.

Patrick-fiddle, Mike Cleveland-mandolin, Gaven Largent-resophonic guitar, Shaun Richardson-guitar, Scott Vestal-banjo, Ethan Jodziewicz-bass

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4. Claro Que Si! (03:41)

Songwriter: Patrick McAvinue
Publishing: McAvinue Music, BMI
Release Date: July 12, 2019

In June of 2017, Dailey & Vincent asked me to compose a piece that would feature Shaun Richardson and myself on their stage show. They enjoyed it and decided to feature it on their RFD-TV show. I didn’t intend for it to sound latin-y, but it does. “Claro Que Si!” means “Yes, of course!” in Spanish. It’s the only phrase I remember from my time spent in Ecuador.

Patrick-fiddle, Mike Cleveland-mandolin, Gaven Largent-resophonic guitar, Shaun Richardson-guitar, Scott Vestal-banjo, Ethan Jodziewicz-bass

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6. Carriage House (05:24)

Songwriters: Patrick McAvinue & Alex Lacquement
Publishing: McAvinue Music, BMI
Release Date: July 12, 2019

Alex Lacquement and I wrote this together during an impromptu stay at the Victorian-era Carriage House in Rock Hall, MD.
We were saddened when we awoke to a rainy day on the Maryland Eastern Shore, so we stayed in the parlor and serenaded our gracious host, Malida.

Patrick-fiddles & mandolin, Cody Kilby-guitar, Scott Vestal-banjo, Alex Lacquement-bass

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9. Prayer Under the Pressure of Violent Anguish (03:38)

Songwriter: Public Domain work by Robert Burns adapted by Patrick McAvinue
Publishing: McAvinue Music, BMI
Release Date: July 12, 2019

A friend introduced me to the work of Robert Burns, an 18th century Scottish poet. His words moved me deeply and I decided to set this poem to music. We captured Cris Jacobs’ amazing performance that brought this haunting song to life. He’s joined by two of my favorite singers, Audie Blaylock on tenor and Aaron McCune on bass.

Patrick-strings, mandolin & baritone vocal, Cody Kilby-guitar, Alex Lacquement-bass

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10. Clean of Heart (02:36)

Songwriter: Patrick McAvinue
Publishing: McAvinue Music, BMI
Release Date: July 12, 2019

Composed in the memory my grandparents - John & Agnes McAvinue, and Herbert & Margaret Worley. They were idyllic role models, and the glue that our held our families together. I found the phrase “Clean of Heart” in a pocket prayer book that John carried with him.

Patrick-strings, Shaun Richardson-guitar,
Ethan Jodziewicz-bass

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11. Mátyás a Margit (03:13)

Songwriter: Patrick McAvinue
Publishing: McAvinue Music, BMI
Release Date: July 12, 2019

I challenged myself to compose a piece in the style of
J.S. Bach. I got as close as I could. It is in the form of an “Invention,” a short composition with two-part counterpoint.
I named it after my great grandparents. Mátyás and Margit immigrated to America from the Austro Hungarian Empire during World War I. They eventually settled in Hamilton, a borough of Baltimore, MD. Their home on Bayonne Avenue was the epicenter of our family for many years. It also served as a home to many fellow Czechoslovakian immigrants, to whom they rented rooms. When they naturalized in the 1940s, they changed their names to Michael & Margaret Tartal. Without them, I wouldn’t be who I am today.

Patrick-fiddle, Ethan Jodziewicz-bass

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12. Ballou (03:46)

Songwriter: Patrick McAvinue
Publishing: McAvinue Music, BMI
Release Date: July 12, 2019

A tune I composed in dedication to Prof. David Ballou. Dave is the head of the Jazz department at Towson University.
He broadened my conception of music, and impelled me to be a proficient musician. I’m eternally grateful for his guidance and friendship.

Patrick-electric mandolin, mandolin & fiddle,
Savino Palumbo-piano, Cody Kilby-guitar,
Bob Mummert-drums, Alex Lacquement-bass