Jeremy Kittel celebrating new "Chasing Sparks" album with Ark show

Jeremy Kittel plays The Ark on Sunday.

The Ann Arbor-area native and University of Michigan graduate now lives in California, but he's still doing what first brought him notice around here: playing the fiddle. In fact, as he's explored various styles of music on his instrument, he's become known as among the best fiddlers around. He's been the U.S. Scottish Fiddling Champion a number of times, and in the last couple of years has become a member of the prestigious Turtle Island Quartet.

Sunday night, Kittel returns to Ann Arbor to headline a show at The Ark. And it's a special occasion: Two days later will see the release of his new album, "Chasing Sparks."

The album, all instrumentals, weaves together pieces of the various types of music Kittel - still just 25 years old - has explored: Celtic, jazz, folk, classical and beyond. Kittel wrote or co-wrote most of the tunes himself, and his lively, impeccable playing is fleshed out by other acoustic instruments, including an occasional special guest. (Star mandolin player Chris Thile is on one track; the core band consists of guitarist Kyle Sanna, cellist Tristan Clarridge and drummer Bodek Janke.) If you've never heard Kittel play, the album just might expand your ideas of what a fiddle/violin can do.

Listen to Jeremy Kittel's "The Chase":

“I wrote most of these tunes with no intention of combining styles - rather, they were just embellishments of melodies and sounds that were floating around in my head,” Kittel says in a press release. “One of the toughest challenges for me is to learn to trust my instincts, my own judgment; but sometimes I don’t even hear those instincts - I’m not paying attention. I find that this is important when composing anything. You have to listen to your inner voice or you will miss it.”

And although Kittel has moved away, there's a local music angle here: One track on the album, "Bear Island Reel," was recorded in concert during a previous Ark appearance and is the only live track on the disc. Recalls Kittel:

“We were all charged up by one of our best shows, and for the encore, Tristan and I started playing an Irish tune (via Darol Anger) called “Bear Island Reel,” just to see what would happen. It begins innocently enough - the tune lilting along just like it should - but at some point, it veers off into improvised territory, and when it finally comes back to the melody, it sounds more like a tune you might hear pumping at your local dance club than it does traditional Irish fiddling.”

PREVIEW
Jeremy Kittel Band
Who: Hometown fiddler made good.
What: Folk-pop-jazz and beyond.
When: Sunday, Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Ark, 316 S. Main St.
How much: $15.

Bob Needham is director of entertainment content for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at bobneedham@annarbor.com or 734-623-2541, and follow him on Twitter @bobneedham.