Amp Fiddler

Amp Fiddler

Amp Fiddler is the stage name of Joseph Fiddler, a Detroit musician born in 1958 who works in funk, soul, neo soul, electronic, experimental and hip hop. He is a keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist, and his work draws on jazz, doo-wop, afrobeat and related black music traditions.

Career

Fiddler works with Enchantment, the Dramatics, George Clinton, Moodymann, Jamiroquai, the Brand New Heavies, Fishbone and Maxwell. He also joins George Clinton’s Funkadelic, and he develops a home base for other musicians to collaborate and record. As a teenager, he performs in the doo-wop group the Enchantments.

Releases

With his brother Budz, he releases Mr Fiddler in 1990 on Elektra. His solo debut, Waltz of a Ghetto Fly, appears in 2004. Afro Strut follows it and includes contributions from Raphael Saadiq, Justin Crawford, Slum Village, Tony Allen and Larry Gold. The album also includes material associated with his 7 Mile home studio, known as Camp Amp, where Moodymann is a regular presence.

Later work and collaborations

Afro Strut includes the tracks “Faith”, “Right Where You Are”, “Ridin’”, “If I Don’t”, “I Need You” and “Hustle”. The record reflects his background in jazz, soul, funk, doo-wop, afrobeat and hip hop, and places him alongside a wide network of collaborators from Detroit, the UK and beyond.