Dromedary began playing as a duo with no professional ambitions in mind back in the last century (1998). Possessing a fascination with music from other countries to which they had traveled, Rob McMaken and Andrew Reissiger were inspired to listen, study, compose, and eventually perform some of this music together on each other's front porches in Athens, GA. Passersby eventually convinced them to play in a club, and the rest is history.
Their first independent CD Artifact (2001) was picked up by NPR's All Things Considered within weeks of its release, and was heralded for its "deep reverence for tradition" while confidently "expanding those boundaries." The duo began touring in the New England and the West Coast over the next couple years (Rob was still teaching High School History at the time) which deepened the "telepathic improvisation" that they became known for.
Their second release, Live From the Make Believe (2002) revealed their deep love of American sounds, with the appalachian dulcimer more prominently featured, as well as an American spiritual tune, a Bill Evans' (jazz) tune, and even a dobro and fiddle player joining in on some live performances. This music caught the ear of award-winning songwriter and singer Jonathan Byrd, who then composed an entire album inspired by and written for the duo.
Jonathan Byrd and Dromedary's collaborative album The Sea and the Sky (2003) -- called a "masterpiece" by multiple reviewers and deejays -- landed Dromedary on stage in some of the world's finest folk venues and festivals in the US and Europe. The Washington Post calls it "a soulful, multifaceted odyssey" and the buzz about Dromedary's mysterious and powerful sound has since grown considerably.
Never content with staying with one music palette, Dromedary released Dromedary Quartet (January 2006), which features two like-minded improvisers -- percussionist Jeff Reilly and bassist Neal Fountain. Dromedary Quartet takes Dromedary -- some would say -- to the "next level" as some of Dromedary's latent compositions and musical ideas (that were impossible to pull off as a duo) come to the forefront in the context of the Quartet.
In 2008 McMaken and Reissiger ushered out a new acoustic quartet. Buy a copy of the new CD “Sticks and Stones” here today!
