He's considered one of the world's leading experts on traditional Appalachian fiddle and banjo styles, along with carrying on the traditions of his late and legendary father-in-law Dewey Balfa as the accordion player in the Cajun group Balfa Toujours. But fiddler/banjo player/accordionist Dirk Powell first started playing music in the classical style. The future "Renaissance Mountain Man" started piano lessons at the age of eight, and by the age of ten he had moved on to the harpsichord. It was his grandfather in Ashland, Kentucky who first exposed Powell to Appalachian music and his own mountain heritage. Powell started playing mountain music professionally and felt that it shared the sp... ... More