Washington's cellist Janel Leppin rose to prominence with
the collaborations with her guitarist husband,
Anthony Pirog, credited to Janel and Anthony:
Janel and Anthony (2007) and
Where is Home (2012).
She then debuted solo with
Mellow Diamond (2016), on which she played cello, koto, pedal steel, several synthesizers, optigan, mellotron, piano, harpsichord, vibraphone, drums, bass, guitar, and assorted electronics, besides singing.
The two centerpieces are Her Tale Was Cut In Two and
Belly Of The Beast.
At the same time she released the five-song EP Songs for Voice and Mellotron (2016), on which she played mellotron, vibraphone and synthesizer, notably the
eight-minute Union Arts.
After her second solo album American God (2017), a more modest collection of songs for cello and voice credited to Mellow Diamond, came
Sister Mirror (2020),
a collaboration with pedal-steel guitarist Susan Alcorn and soprano singer Meghan Habibzai that includes classical music by
Heitor Villa-Lobos and Olivier Messiaen.
Leppin then formed the Ensemble Volcanic Ash, a jazz combo
(guitarist Anthony Pirog, tenor saxophonist Brian Settles, alto saxophonist Sarah Hughes, harpist Kim Sator, bassist Luke Stewart and drummer Larry Ferguson) which debuted on
Ensemble Volcanic Ash (Cuneiform, 2022).
The music ranges from
the vibrant, energetic and very swinging nine-minute Woven Forest to the
lyrical and liquid nine-minute jam Volcano Song (with an almost mournful ending).
The Ensemble Volcanic Ash returned with To March Is To Love (august 2023),
featuring
Luke Stewart on bass, her husband Anthony Pirog on guitar, Brian Settles on tenor sax, Sarah Hughes on alto sax, and Larry Ferguson on drums.
Leppin and Pirog recorded New Moon In The Evil Age (2024) with
Devin Hoff (bass) and Ali Analouei (percussion):
Leppin on cellos, vocals, synthesizers, piano, koto, hammered dulcimer and bass, whereas Pirog played electric and acoustic guitar, guitar synth, synthesizers, bass and percussion.
Skullcap, i.e. the trio of Janel Leppin (cello and Minimoog), Anthony Pirog (electric guitar) and Mike Kuhl (drums, percussion), debuted with Snakes Of Albuquerque (december 2023).
Slowly Melting (released in 2026) contains
nine compositions performed by Leppin on cello, guitar, bass, synth and piano.
Ensemble Volcanic Ash returned with
Pluto In Aquarius (september 2025).
A trio with Devra Hoff (bass) and Chad Taylor (drums and mbira) recorded The Realist (february 2024) with Leppin also on synth.
