Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 2, 1991 TAG: 9102020084
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: DONNA ALVIS NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Long
Funny name for a fiddler.
Sluz duz.
Funny name for his music.
But Peter Ostroushko is, indeed, a fiddler - not to mention a virtuoso on mandolin and guitar.
Ostroushko, who for 10 years was a regular performer and musical director for National Public Radio's "A Prairie Home Companion, calls his brand of music "sluz duz," a phrase he borrowed from his Ukrainian mother. Roughly translated, it means "off his rocker."
Combine bluegrass, swing, country, jazz, blues and a bit o' Irish or Swedish or Ukrainian folk music, and that's sluz duz.
Sluz duz is what Ostroushko does, and he will be doing it in Blacksburg Wednesday at 8 p.m. upstairs in the Hokie House restaurant.
The New River Valley Bluegrass Association at Virginia Tech is sponsoring Ostroushko's appearance, his second in Blacksburg.
"The first time, two years ago, we contacted Pete and asked him to perform in Blacksburg. This time, he contacted us," said Ken Shaw, spokesman for the association.
"He gave a very good show last time," Shaw said, "and he seems to be willing - more so than other musicians - to work with small groups like ours."
According to Shaw, Ostroushko's not only a fine musician, he's also a swell guy.
"He's staying at my house to help us cut down on expenses," Shaw said. "He's very well-known. He's very versatile. He's extremely gregarious. He's just a lot of fun."
Ostroushko has recorded on more than 100 albums with artists, including Bob Dylan, Chet Atkins, John Hartford and Willie Nelson. He also has five solo albums to his credit. The latest, "Blue Mesa" on the Red House label, was released in the fall of 1989.
Other accomplishments include appearances on public radio's "Austin City Limits" and NBC-TV's "The David Letterman Show." He also has performed the lead ukulele part for the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra directed by Sir Neville Mariner.
While Ostroushko has toured extensively in Europe and North America, his publicists say he never wanders far from the old ethnic Minneapolis neighborhood where he was born, raised and still lives. Home, Ostroushko believes, is where the heart is.
"I would have a hard time living apart from a Ukrainian community," he said.
Ostroushko's family immigrated to the United States from the Ukraine after World War II. They brought their love of music with them and passed it along to Peter.
His sister taught him his first guitar chords when he was 10 years old, his father taught him to play mandolin and he picked up the fiddle on his own.
Many of Ostroushko's original songs express his sense of attachment to his heritage. They range from the sentimental "Down the Streets of My Old Neighborhood," a heartfelt tribute to his Ukrainian community, to the playful "They Pick Potatoes," a teasing tune about Ukrainian stereotypes.
Ostroushko's Minnesota sidekick, Dean Magraw, will join him for Wednesday's concert in Blacksburg. Magraw, who frequently accompanies Ostroushko on guitar, is known for his comic contributions to the act.
Shaw describes Magraw as a "wild man."
"When Dean Magraw gets going," he said, "he keeps you in stitches."
Shaw noted that local musicians always show up for concerts featuring performers like Ostroushko.
"Acoustic concerts are attended by at least 50 percent musicians," he noted. "It's a very discriminating audience. When Peter Ostroushko gets a rousing ovation, he really deserves it. We all wish we could play like him."
Shaw said the New River Valley Bluegrass Association sponsors a guest artist each year. The group, which he describes as "very loosely organized," meets first and third Wednesdays at Tech for an informal jam session.
"We just get together and play songs and sing," said Shaw, a professor in the math department at Tech. "When new people come along, we try to teach them how to play bluegrass."
Shaw said the association is open to members of the community, as well as students and faculty at the university. Membership, he noted, has shown some decline in the past few years.
Shaw, a guitarist, joined the group about five years ago. Currently, the association has 15 to 20 members who regularly attend activities.
"The old-timers say their membership isn't as vigorous as it used to be," Shaw said. "It seems to be a trend."
Advance discount tickets for the Peter Ostroushko and Dean Magraw concert are available at Mainstream Morrell Music and Books, Strings & Things in Blacksburg. Advance tickets are $7. Admission at the door is $9. For more information on the New River Valley Bluegrass Association, call Ken Shaw at 231-3264 or 552-4600.
by CNB