217. Exploring Unfamiliar Albums with Fretted Dulcimer Player Sam Edelston

This is an excerpt from a Bonus Tracks episode published on the You, Me and An Album Patreon on Sept. 25, 2025. You can hear the entire episode, plus all of the other Bonus Tracks episodes, by joining the YMAAA Patreon at patreon.com/youmealbum.

Dulcimer player Sam Edelston joins Al to talk about listening to albums that are off the beaten path. Whether we're listening to genres we're unfamiliar with or music that we come across unexpectedly, finding the key that allows us to enjoy that music can be a challenge. Sam and Al talk about their experiences with listening to albums on a list that Sam created, which features artists ranging from Tom Lehrer to Bobby Bare to Kazuhito Yamashita. Sam also discusses how he has discovered and reimagined music through the fretted dulcimer—and he and Al chat about his terrific dulcimer rock album Making Waves.

You can keep up with Sam and his music at the following places:

https://www.samthemusicman.com/

@contemporarydulcimer on Instagram and YouTube

@Sam.Edelston.Music on Facebook

Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io. 

To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum.

0:17 Introduction: Sharing excerpts from Bonus Tracks

2:55 Sam joins the show

3:08 Al explains how he is approaching this episode

4:36 Sam talks about why he took up fretted dulcimer

7:44 “Mellow Yellow” got Sam started on his exploration of rock songs on dulcimer

9:20 Sam talks about the advantages of playing a three-stringed instrument

11:49 Sam explains how he varies some of the arrangements on his cover songs

16:09 Sam aims to take the integration of dulcimer into rock music to another level

19:33 Al didn’t connect with some of the music on Sam’s list

24:02 Sam found each of the albums on his list in unexpected ways

28:03 Hearing a cappella versions of songs sometimes gets Sam to explore the originals

35:49 Sometimes record store recommendations fill in the gaps that radio listening leaves

37:05 Al highlights some of the music from Sam’s list that he liked the most

39:09 Arranging songs for dulcimer enhances Sam’s enjoyment of songs that are new to him

Outro music is from “Wild Horses” by Edelston & Dulcimer.