avec Elodie by Eloise & Co.

You can hear it now, in a small town
grange hall, where a roomful of dancers

are linking arms for the last time, tracing
a circle on the floor while the music floats
around them, reversing gravity, sweetening

the air with a melody new and familiar,
as distant as a memory, as close as a footstep.
Excerpt from Eloise Schultz’s poem, “Staravychnia”

Eloise & Co. 2025
Becky Tracy (fiddle, octave fiddle)
Rachel Bell (accordion)
with Rachel Aucoin (piano)

The name ‘Louise’ has had a fateful place in the lineage of this ensemble. When Becky and Rachel Bell discovered early on in their musical relationship that they shared the same middle name, “Louise,” it cemented their connection and led them to choose Eloise & Co. as their ensemble name. That ensemble has often included a revolving cast of amazing guitar players: Bethany Waickman, Owen Morrison and Andrew VanNorstrand who have all contributed mightily to the evolution of Eloise & Co.

When Becky and Rachel crossed paths with Quebecois piano phenom Rachel Aucoin at an Ashokan Music and Dance week, the music took on yet another layer of depth and complexity. And when it came to light that Rachel Aucoin’s middle name is “Elodie,” fate seemed to have worked her magic once again. And so here they are …. avec Elodie.
~Keith Murphy

Becky Tracy and Rachel Bell are a powerhouse Celtic, contra dance, and bal folk duo, often joined by one of an all-star cast of guitar and piano players: Bethany Waickman, Owen Morrison, Rachel Aucoin, and Max Newman. They criss-cross the continent playing for concerts, dance events, festivals, and workshops. More info: www.rachelbellmusic.com/eloiseandco

rachelbellmusic.com