Spaghetti Western String Co.
The Spaghetti Western String Co. is an instrumental acoustic quartet from Minneapolis that formed in the winter of 2003. Their music seems made for film scores, and is at times bittersweet and chaotic. They are two-time recipients of Minnesota Music Awards in 2005 and 2006 for 'Eclectic Artist of the Year.' The current line-up features Michael Rossetto (banjo, guitar), Nicholas Lemme (mandolin, guitar, voice), Ethan Sutton (cello), and Paul Fonfara (clarinet). They have performed on such stages as the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, the Southern Theater and the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis.
The quartet's 2004 release was largely a one-man record written by Rossetto entitled 'Do Right By People.' This recording featured the violin of Denise Guelker, the mandolin of Nicholas Lemme as well as a host of Twin Cities musicians including Travis Even who performed percussion and melodica with the group live. Do Right By People was named one of the Star Tribune's top 20 records of the year and City Pages named it in their top 10 of the year. In 2005, Ethan Sutton joined on cello and the group recorded the Quiet Mob ep. This five-song release featured daring acoustic compositions including a sullen arrangement of ‘Luna Marinara,’ a traditional Italian folk-song. During this time the SWSCo. wrote two film scores, one for the 1934 epic, ‘Grass,’ and the second for the 1956 French Classic, ‘The Red Balloon.’ The scores were performed live with the films at the Square Lake Film/Music Festival in Stillwater, MN, the Greenman Festival in Duluth and the International Film Festival in the Twin Cities. In 2006, the String Co. collaborated with the ‘Live Action Set,’ a Minneapolis dance troupe, for a performance entitled ‘The Percussionist,’ (Walker Art Center: Momentum Dance Series) The weekend of performances took place at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis and merged live music, dance and theater.
In 2007, Paul Fonfara joined on as clarinetist, ably filling the gap created by the departure of Denise's violin, and helping to take the group in new directions. Since then, the Spaghetti Western String Co. has been recording in Minneapolis, working up new pieces and also compiling songs from their two film scores, and ‘Percussionist’ performances. Their last recording Lull and Clatter was the group's first proper full-length album, and was released at The Cedar in February of 2008.
