Celtic Colours Vol. 6 - 2002
Compilation CD featuring
Phil Cunningham, Liz Carroll, Jerry Holland, The Rankins,
Daniel Lapp, The Barra MacNeils, Andre Marchand, Margaret
Bennett, Joe Derrane & Frankie Gavin, Dave MacIsaac, Joe
Peter MacLean, Fine Friday, Shawn MacDonald, Colin Watson,
Carlos Nunas, John MacLean, Cucanandy, Alison Brown, Sharon
Shannon Celtic
Colours prices Or
buy 6 CDs at a special
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price Phil Cunningham:
Accordion, whistles, cittern, and keyboards The "slow air," often
referred to as a "pastoral air," has its origins in the
ancient piping and harping traditions of Scotland and
Ireland. Composers, ranging from Neil Gow (1727 - 1807)
through to James Scott Skinner (1843 -1927), cultivated a
new "Golden Age" of composition in Scotland. Today,
present-day composers have continued the tradition of
writing slow airs. 2. Liz Carroll Liz Carroll: Fiddle From the album LOST IN
THE LOOP immigrants. Liz drew
much of her inpiration from the local community.
Sessions at the Irish Traditional Musicians'
Association gave Liz a direct link to the music of
early Chicago. A gifted improviser, Liz's approach to
traditional music is highly innovative. Liz is also a
noted composer of new Irish music, and throughout her
career, many of her tunes have become standards of
other musicians' repertoire on both sides of the
Atlantic. 3. Jerry
Holland Jerry Holland:
Fiddle From the album MASTER
CAPE BRETON FIDDLER Jerry was born in
Brocton, Massachusetts (near Boston), in 1955 and came
to Cape Breton music through the influence of his
father, Jerry Sr., who was a fine fiddler himself.
Boston was a cradle for Cape Breton Gaelic culture.
Jerry began to play at the age of six and eventually
performed at dances on a regular basis with Bill Lamey
and Angus Chisholm. In 1975, Jerry finished high
school and soon headed for Cape Breton, making it his
home. Jerry took immediately to the dance circuit and
began to refine his ideas on piano accompaniments and
arrangements. In 1982, together with Hilda Chaisson
and Dave MacIsaac, Jerry heralded Cape Breton fiddling
into a new era with the release of MASTER CAPE BRETON
FIDDLER. This album instilled
in "the music" a gripping and youthful quality,
without altering the "trio" format established by
Winston Fitzgerald more than fourty years earlier.
This success was achieved through a stunning command
of chord substitutions and dynamics and a balanced
repertoire of traditional and newly composed tunes.
The album went on to become the new standard for Cape
Breton fiddling. 4. The Rankins Raylene Rankin: Lead
vocals, percussion Arranged by The Rankin
Family Recorded Oct. 1997,
Nashville In the 1980s, Cape
Breton gave birth to an unprecedented movement of
traditional music. By this time, the home-tape network
had been firmly established throughout Cape Breton and
North America. Cape Breton fiddlers had already been
traveling to Boston, Detroit, and Toronto for more than
fourty years to perform at dances. Throughout the 1960s
and 70s, prestigious festivals, such as Newport,
Smithsonian Folklife, and Mariposa, all featured Cape
Breton music. The 80s saw Cape Breton musicians take
their place on the world folk circuits. The Rankin Family,
comprised of five sisters and brothers, paved the way to
innovative styles of music, eventually establishing a
status previously unheard of within the realms of
traditional music. Although they did not officially form
The Rankin Family until the late 1980s, the Rankins had
been performing as a family in their community of Mabou
for many years. With a rich repertoire of songs in Gaelic
and English, and impeccably arranged instrumentals, The
Rankins met with chart-topping success. One of the most
impressive elements to the sound of The Rankins is the
voice of Raylene Rankin. Her stunning and crystal-like
voice is unmistakable in the world of folk music. Today,
The Rankins have retired as a band, but Raylene and her
two sisters continue to perform. 5. Daniel Lapp Daniel Lapp: Fiddle,
trumpet, percussion From the album
REUNION Today, there is a
rich repertoire of indigenous BC fiddle tunes. BC
fiddler Daniel Lapp collected many of these tunes in
1990. One year later, he performed these rare tunes at
the University College, Cork in Ireland, during the
Fiddlesticks Festival. It was a long way home for this
music. This year, Daniel traveled to Edinburgh to
record his new album. There, he was reunited with
piper and fiddler Kathryn Tickell for the first time
since the 1989 Shetland Folk Festival. Daniel, who is
also a trumpet player, is known today as one of
Canada's finest fiddlers and performs regularly with
his band Lappelectro, a west-coast based "jazz
electronica" quartet. He also performs in Bowfire, an
ensemble of eleven diverse fiddlers. 6. The Barra
MacNeils Kyle MacNeil:
Fiddle From the album THE
CHRISTMAS ALBUM Another prestigious
musical family from Washabuck is the MacKenzie family.
Carl MacKenzie has recorded several albums since his
own 1970s Rounder Records release. His brother,
Hector, is also a noted fiddler and composer. Another
brother, Charlie, was a well-known singer. Their
sister, Jean, raised her own musical family, The Barra
MacNeils. During the early 1980s, The Barras brought
east coast music to a wider audience. The foundation
of the sound of The Barras is the Washabuck accent of
fiddlers Kyle and Lucy MacNeil. For a 1999 Christmas
album, The Barras brought together Washabuck's
fiddlers for this tribute to an unmistakable accent
within the mosaic of Cape Breton music. 7. Andre Marchand, Lisa
Ornstein and Normon Miron Andre Marchand:
Feet From the album LE BRUIT
COURT DANS LA VILLE Throughout the 19th
Century, the Irish became the most numerous Anglo-
immigrants in lower Canada. In Quebec, there were
Irish who developed distinct ethnic identities, yet
most intermarried with French people and adopted the
French language. It was a cultural exchange that would
have a profound effect upon traditional music in that
province. One of the richest fiddle regions in Quebec
surrounds the town of Joliette, north of Montreal. In
this French speaking district, Irish music heroes,
such as Michael Coleman and James Morrison, are
admired alongside Joseph Allard and Jean Carignan,
heroes of the Québécois tradition. It
was this region that gave birth to La Bottine
Souriante. Andre Marchand, Lisa Ornstein, and Normand
Miron were all members of La Bottine Souriante (Andre,
a founding member), and today, they play as a trio.
Their sound harkens back to those early La Bottine
days. The two reels on this track might well have
started their lives as Irish reels. The irregular
measure structure betrays French adaptation. It should
come as no surprise that in recent years, these two
reels eventually found their way to Galway on the west
coast of Ireland. Traditional music often finds its
way back home. 8. Margaret
Bennett Margaret Bennett:
Vocals From the album IN THE
SUNNY LONG AGO| For THE LAST
STRONGHOLD, Margaret collected numerous recordings of
rare Gaelic songs, along with fiddle and pipe music.
Margaret was brought up on the Isle of Skye, moved to
the Shetland Islands, and eventually emigrated to
Newfoundland in 1968. There, Margaret studied at
Memorial University in St. John's, which led to her
extensive field work on Gaelic traditions in that
province. Her new album is a tribute to the countless
kitchen sessions she experianced in
Newfoundland. 9. Joe Derrane, Frankie Gavin
and Brian McGrath Joe Derrane: Button
Accordion From the album
IRELAND'S HARVEST 10. Dave MacIsaac with Mary
Jessie MacDonald Dave MacIsaac:
Guitar From the album FROM THE
ARCHIVES In Halifax of the
1970s, guitarist Dave MacIsaac gleaned these bass
lines from his archives of home recordings of Winston
Fitzgerald, Angus Chisholm, and Joe MacLean. Dave also
emulated Mary Jessie's syncopated rhythms and seamless
marriage of harmony and melody. Through this
adaptation, Dave MacIsaac would become an innovative
pioneer of the Celtic guitar. Dave and Mary Jessie
would eventually perform together on many occasions,
including Expo '86 in Vancouver. In 1997, he recorded,
along with Mary Jessie, on Natalie MacMaster's album,
MY ROOTS ARE SHOWING. Two years later, Dave recorded
with Mary Jessie, as his accompanist, on his latest
album, FROM THE ARCHIVES. 11. Joe Peter
MacLean Joe Peter MacLean:
Fiddle, Gaelic vocals Recorded for THE
COLOURS OF CAPE BRETON Joe Peter MacLean
was raised in McAdam's Lake, near the rear of
Bosidale, in a Gaelic speaking family. Today, he is
one of the few remaining Gaelic speaking fiddlers on
the entire island of Cape Breton. He is recognized in
Scotland and throughout the Celtic world for his
unique talents. A Gaelic singer as well, Joe carries
on the age-old tradition of community musician and
performs on a regular basis throughout the Christmas
Island district and throughout Cape Breton. On this
recording, Joe blends the three traditions from his
community heritage: Gaelic song, the fiddle, and the
pipes. 12. Fine Friday Kris Drever: Vocals and
guitar From the album GONE
DANCING The Edinburgh
night-life consists of an ever-changing lineup of
Celtic bands, duos, and trios. In fact, many of
Edinburgh's musicians play in several bands. This
intermingling is true of Fine Friday. This
Edinburgh-based trio of session musicians includes
singer and guitarist Kris Drever, who was born in
Orkney, Scotland. Flute player Nuala Kennedy is
originally from Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland. In 1995,
Nuala moved to Edinburgh as a student and has been a
regular session player since that time. Edinburgh born
fiddler Anna-Wendy Stevenson studied classical music
and toured in America before returning to Edinburgh
and to traditional music. 13. Shawn
MacDonald Shawn MacDonald:
Fiddle Recorded for THE
COLOURS OF CAPE BRETON Shawn MacDonald is a
unique fiddler in the Cape Breton tradition. As a
young boy in the early 1980s, Shawn traveled to
Scotland to study with Tom Anderson at Sterling
University. There, he would learn much of the Aberdeen
repertoire, which, of course, included Skinner's
music. Shawn also studied with Aly Bain. Forging his
own unique style, Shawn was drawn to the great
Scottish tradition of pastoral airs. On this
recording, Shawn performs Skinner's air, "The Weeping
Birches." This air was popular during the 1940s and
50s with Winston Fitzgerald and Angus
Chisholm. 14. Colin
Watson Colin Watson: Gaelic
vocals Addtional milling
singers include: Mary Jane Lamond, Maxie MacNeil, Jim
Watson, Hector MacNeil, Frances MacEachen, Peter MacLean,
Jeff MacDonald, Joe Peter MacLean, Beth MacNeil, Allan
MacLeod, Jamie MacNeil, Rod C. MacNeil, Seamus MacNeil,
and Angus MacLeod. From the album
CÒMHLA CRUINN (GATHERED TOGETHER) Courtesy of Féis
an Eilein Rinzler returned in
1966, and eventually, he compiled more than fourty
audio reels of traditional Gaelic music. All of these
important recordings mark a period of transition for
milling songs within the Gaelic tradition. By the
1950s, the role of milling frolics in the community
already began to change from the necessary task of
shrinking wool to an evening's entertainment for the
community and for tourists. The North Shore
Gaelic Singers grew out of this period, and they gave
much inspiration to Gaelic singers and communities
throughout the island. One of these communities is
Christmas Island, which hosts Féis an Eilein
(Festival of the Island), an annual program of
workshops and concerts. This year, they released an
album of Gaelic songs entitled CÒMHLA CRUINN
(GATHERED TOGETHER). The lead singer
here, Colin Watson, is the youngest singer on the
recording, yet he was raised with Gaelic as his first
language. He is also a member of a new Cape Breton
group called Triskele. 15. CARLOS
NUNEZ Carlos Nunez: Gaitae
and bagpipes Donal Lunny: Bodhran
and bouzouki From the album OS
AMORES LIBRES Nunez said, "In
Galicia, our Celtic connections came out, and we
looked north." He also looked west. Carlos found that
the music followed the immigration routes to places
such as Venezuela and Cuba, where there is Galician
pipe music today. His research into traditional music
also took him to North Africa. Reconstructing the
Galician piping tradition, Carlos took inspiration
from Scottish and Irish pipers. Carlos was thirteen
years old when The Chieftains came to his village to
play. He pointed out the similarities between the
Galician and the Irish music to piper Paddy Maloney.
Eventually, Carlos became a guest member of The
Chieftains, with whom he has toured the world. Today,
his music has taken its place within the Celtic realm
and on the world stage. Carlos recently recorded on
Sharon Shannon's album THE DIAMOND MOUNTAIN
SESSIONS.On his latest album, Carlos involved numerous
Irish musicians, including Donal Lunny and Frankie
Gavin. OS AMORES LIBRES includes more than eighty-one
guest musicians and unravels the mysteries of Galician
music and its unique connections to a variety of world
music. 16. John
MacLean John MacLean: Highland
pipes Recorded for THE
COLOURS OF CAPE BRETON One of the great
strongholds of pipe music during the 18th Century was the
Scottish island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides. Many
of the immigrants from South Uist to Cape Breton settled
in the communities of East Bay, Frencvale, McAdam's Lake,
and Boisdale. There, they nurtured strong piping
traditions well into the last century. A fire-tower
watchman from this district, who worked throughout the
1930s and 40s, remarked that he could often hear pipe
music in all directions. Actually, in this district, the
pipes were the featured instrument for step-dancing and
set- dancing. One of the most notable
piping families of that era was the Currie family.
Brothers Paddy and Alex Currie were outstanding pipers in
their day. They played for dancers throughout their long
careers. Alex Currie, one of Cape Breton's great
improvisers, never gave up the old-time pipe style
learned as a young boy. He would become a hero to the
old-time piping revival and gave his last performance
during the 1997 Celtic Colours festival. Alex's nephew,
John MacLean, continues this tradition. His father was
Johnny MacLean, another noted fiddler from Washabuck.
Johnny "Washabuck" hosted numerous house parties in his
Toronto home during the 1960s. There, young John met the
likes of Winston Fitzgerald, Johnny Wilmot, and Bill
Lamey. Returning to Cape Breton in the early eighties,
John made visits to Alex's home in Frenchvale, adopting
much of his repertoire. Today, John is recognized as one
of the finest exponents of old-time bagpipe
music. 17. Cucanandy Jasan Cade:
Fiddle From the album HE
DIDN'T DANCE A few old-time tunes
even filtered their way up to Cape Breton during the
early part of the last century. Today, even though the
original melodies have been transformed many times
over, strains of the early fiddle and bagpipe music
can still be heard throughout the current American
old-time repertoire. "The Wounded Hoosier" is a fine
example. Cucanandy learned this air from a 1940
acetate disc of fiddler Marcus Martin (1881-1974), who
lived in North Carolina. On this recording, Cucanandy
brings this plaintiff air back home through a
distinctively Celtic interpretation of early American
heritage. Based in North Carolina, Cucanandy
specializes in Celtic music and dance from Ireland,
Canada, Scotland, and the American South. 18. The Alison Brown
Quartet Alison Brown: Banjo and
guitar From the album
REPLAY The style known
today as "bluegrass" was born. Country music would go
its own way. Determined to carve out a sound of his
own, Monroe gave new life to great old music. The
banjo, which had its meager beginnings as a "gourd"
type instrument brought to America from Africa, became
the foundation of the "high lonesome sound."
Nashville-based banjo player Alison Brown is at the
forefront of contemporary bluegrass music. For the
banjo, Alison has championed a "mellow" sound and has
introduced the banjo to a much wider audience through
her genre-bending excursions. Alison began playing the
banjo at age ten, and, as a teenager in San Diego,
performed as a member of several bluegrass bands. She
toured as a member of the Alison Krauss Band before
founding the Alison Brown Quartet in 1993. 19. Sharon Shannon with
Natalie MacMaster Sharon Shannon: Button
accordion Recorded for THE
COLOURS OF CAPE BRETON Paul Cranford composed
"Union Street Session" for fiddler Kyle MacNeil of the
Barra MacNeils. Sharon had learned the tune previously
that year from Natalie, who was visiting Galway during
Easter. On that visit, Sharon's brother, Gary, played the
second reel on the flute. "The Gravel Walk" is a tune
shared by both traditions and Natalie recorded it on her
last CD, LIVE. Sharon played "Union Street" as her
opening number during the 1997 Celtic Colours festival,
which was her first visit to Cape Breton. It was the
beginning of a week of magic. The reel immediately became
the most popular tune of the week during the after-hours
sessions until it was eventually replaced by "The Magic
Foot."
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The
Colours of Cape
Breton (Phil
Cunningham, MCPS/PRS)
Composed and recorded for Celtic Colours festival
Courtesy of Phil Cunningham
Produced and arranged by Phil Cunningham
Recorded July 2002 Inverness-shire,
Scotland Accordion
player Phil Cunningham, a native of Edinburgh,
Scotland, is one of those composers. A former member
of Celtic bands Silly Wizardand Relativity, Phil has
written many fine airs throughout his career. In 1984,
he released an album of pastoral music entitled AIRS
AND GRACES. Many of his airs have become popular in
Cape Breton. Recently, Phil composed "The Golden
Tooth" for Cape Breton fiddler Natalie MacMaster.
Natalie recorded this air on her most recent LIVE
album. Another of his airs, "Tondor," is a tribute to
the prestigious Danish music festival, and was
featured on last year's Celtic Colours compilation,
THE ROUTES OF THE WORLD. Phil composed "The Colours of
Cape Breton" last October during the 2001 Celtic
Colours festival. Inspired by a spetacular early
morning view of St. Ann's Bay, Phil dedicates this air
to the people of Cape Breton and the new friends he
made at last year's festival.
The Silver
Spear (traditional)
The Earl's Chair (traditional)
The Musical Priest (traditional) - Arranged by Liz
Carroll
John Doyle: Guitar
Chico Huff: Bass
Zan MacLeod: Bouzouki
Jackie Moran: Percussion
Seamus Egan: Percussion
Courtesy of Green Linnet Records
Produced by Seamus Egan
Recorded 2000, PhiladelphiaAs emigration
from Ireland to America grew to staggering proportions
in the 18th and 19th Centuries, the cities of New
York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago all became
popular destinations. Irish historian Lawrence
McCaffrey called the Irish the "pioneers of the
American urban ghetto." The city of Chicago received
many Irish immigrants, beginning in the 1830s, and by
the turn of the century, the number of Irish in
Chicago had swelled to over 200,000. There, during
what is known as one of the most dangerous periods of
Chicago's history, the Irish music and dance thrived.
Through repeated waves of Irish immigration, by the
1950s, Chicago had become a cradle of Irish Gaelic
culture. Fiddler and composer Liz Carroll was born on
the south side of Chicago in 1956. Her parents were
both Irish
Reichswall
Forest (Dan R. MacDonald)
Easter Elchie (traditional)
Winston in the 50s (traditional)/ Mrs. Gordon of
Knockspoch (traditional)
Dave MacIsaac: Guitar
Hilda Chaisson: Piano
Courtesy of Fiddlesticks Music
Produced by Jerry Holland and Dave MacIsaac
Recorded 1982, HalifaxDuring
the1970s, the media's revival of Cape Breton fiddle
music led to THE JOHN ALLAN CAMERON SHOW, a weekly
national television broadcast. Canadians heard legends
Angus Chisholm and Winston Fitzgerald, alongside an
intriguing young fiddler named Jerry Holland. With his
long hair and sideburns, Jerry looked out of place
standing next to his mentors. There, Jerry served his
apprenticeship.
O Tha Mo Dhuil
Ruit (traditional)
Cookie Rankin: Background vocals
Heather Rankin: Background vocals
Jimmy Rankin: Background vocals, acoustic guitar, and
percussion
John Morris Rankin: Background vocals, Piano, and
percussion
Gordie Sampson: Guitars
Viktor Krauss: Acoustic bass
Scott Ferguson: Drums and percussion
The Rankins: Hand-claps
Published by Rankin Family Inc. (SOCAN)
From the album UPROOTED
1998 EMI Music Canada Courtesy of EMI Music
Canada
Produced by George Massenburg Sweet Reunion
(Daniel Lapp / SOCAN)
Kathryn Tickell: Fiddle
Tony McManus: Guitar
Mary MacMaster: Harp
Julian Sutton: Melodeon
Norman Holmes: Flute
Courtesy of Daniel Lapp
Produced by Daniel Lapp
Recorded 2001, Edinburgh, ScotlandSt. James Bay
(in northern Canada) was an early destination in the
new world for Celtic music. The Hudson Bay Company was
founded there in 1670, the same year coal was first
mined on Cape Breton Island. Eventually, the music
would pass along the voyager routes, settling in the
Métis culture of Manitoba and eventually,
throughout northwestern Canada and Alaska. The fur
trade, lumber camps, gold rushes, and eventually, the
building of the railroad would mold and shape this
music all along the way west. Like Cape Breton,
British Columbia would provide an industry-based
social fabric for sustaining traditional
music.
Kantara to El
Arish (traditional)
Hoch hey Johnny Lad (traditional)
Doug MacPhee'sStrathspey (J. Campbell)
Hamish the Carpenter (traditional)
Margaree Reel (traditional)
Lucy MacNeil: Fiddle
Carl MacKenzie: Fiddle
Hector MacKenzie: Fiddle
Hughie Campbell: Fiddle
Michael Anthony MacLean: Fiddle
Sheumas MacNeil: Piano
Courtesy of The Barra MacNeils
Produced by Declan O'Doherty
Recorded 1999, Irish Cove, Cape BretonDirectly
across from the former summer home of Alexander Graham
Belle on Baddeck Bay, lays the community of Washabuck.
There, in the shadow of this great inventor, fiddler
Vincent MacLean, a friend of Belle's, raised a family
of twelve, several of whom invented highly personal
styles of fiddle playing. Most famous was Joe MacLean,
who recorded duets with Bill Lamey in the 1940s. Joe
went on to have a prolific recording career, and his
music is now available on the Rounder Records label.
His brother, Michael Anthony, is featured on this
track. Although now in his eighties, Michael Anthony
still plays the fiddle with a remarkable youthful
quality. His sister, Theresa, recorded two albums for
Rounder Records in recent years.
Le batteux
(traditional)
Le Petit cheval rouge (traditional)
Lisa Ornstein: Fiddle
Normand Miron: Harmonica
Courtesy of Mille-Pattes Productions
Produced by Andre Marchand
Recorded 1995, Quebec Amongst the
first Irish and Scots to arrive in Quebec were
servants en route to Virginia, who were captured by
French warships. During the famous Plains of Abraham
(1759), the battlefield included landless Irish and
dispossessed Scots.
Oran Chaluim
Sgaire (traditional) - Arranged by Martyn
Bennett
Hamish Napier: Accordion and flute
Findlay Napier: Guitar and vocals
Gillian Frame: Fiddle and vocals
Martyn Bennett: Fiddle, viola, flute, whistle, and vocals
(bass)
Courtsey of Footstompin' Records
Produced by Martyn Bennett
Recorded 2000, Isle of Mull, ScotlandScottish
singer and folklorist Margaret Bennett has unique
connections with Canadian folk history. She authored
Oatmeal and the Catechism: Scottish Gaelic Settlers in
Quebec, (McGill- Queen's University Press) and The
Last Stronghold: Scottish Gaelic Traditions of
Newfoundland (Breakwater Books), which are two
important documentaries on isolated Gaelic cultures.
The latter focuses on the Codroy Valley of
Newfoundland and its unique Gaelic customs. The Codroy
Valley is located on the extreme southwestern corner
of the province, in near proximity to Cape Breton.
From 1825 - 1845, the valley was settled by Scottish
and Irish people who had travelled to Cape Breton
first looking for a new home. The scarcity of land in
Cape Breton led them across the water to this fertile
valley.
Peter Feeney's
Dream (Joe Derrane)
The Flower of the Flock (traditional)
Frankie Gavin: Fiddle
Brian McGrath: Piano
|Courtesy of Mapleshade Records
Produced by Paul MacDonald
Recorded Oct. 2001, Maryland, USA The streets of
Chicago would seem an unlikely place for the largest
archival project in the history of Irish music. Yet,
near the end of the 1800s, flute player and Chicago
police chief Francis O'Neill collected and compiled
several volumes of Irish dance music. As O'Neill once
remarked, "The time was opportune then and will never
occur again." Chicago was then home to musicians from
all the counties of Ireland and host to a stream of
visiting musicians. An excellent biography of
O'Neill's extraordinary life is entitled A Harvest
Saved (Ossian) by Nicholas Carolan. The legacy of
O'Neill's work can be heard throughout the first 78RPM
recordings released in America. Michael Coleman, James
Morrison, and The Flanagan Brothers were all prolific
recording artists during this period, and O'Neill
received credit as the source of much of their
repertoire. The impact of the 78RPMs reached around
the world. When Joe Derrane prepared for his first
78RPM recording sessions in 1947, he turned to
O'Neill's Collection. Thirty years later, on a visit
to New York City, Frankie Gavin, a young Galway
fiddler, heard these discs for the first time. He
found a new hero. Frankie eventually recorded many of
Joe's settings with his band DeDannen. In 1993, Joe
returned to "the music" after a hiatus of over
twenty-five years. Again, he turned to O'Neill's
Collection to learn the current repertoire. It has
been a new career for Joe since returning to "the
music" with three albums and concerts around the
world. Joe and Frankie first played together at the
1997 Tondor Festival. Last year, Joe and Frankie
recorded IRELAND'S HARVEST as a tribute to the great
masters from "The Golden Age of Irish Music in
America."
Johnny
Galbraith (Nathaniel Gow)
The Tweeddale Club (traditional)
Miss Campbell of Menzie (Daniel Dow)
The Merry Lads of Ayr (traditional)
The Marquis of Queensbury (traditional)
Mary Jessie MacDonald: Piano|
Courtesy of Dave MacIsaac
Produced by Dave MacIsaac
Recorded 1999, Halifax, N.S.During the
1940s, a young piano player named Mary Jessie
MacDonald often sat in the balcony of the Strand
Theater in New Waterford, Cape Breton. There, she
would listen to The Gibb Whitney Orchestra, a popular
Sydney jazz band. Mary Jessie was drawn to the sound
of the acoustic bass. The bass player, "Wooden Allan"
MacDonald, would have a profound effect on this young
piano player and her style of piano accompaniment for
traditional music. She introduced walking bass lines
to Cape Breton music. In the early 50s, when Mary
Jessie moved to Boston, she would carry that
style with her.Mary Jessie became the "fiddler's
choice" for piano accompaniment. There, she would make
numerous home-recordings. Mary Jessie's left-hand bass
lines distinguished her from the other piano
players.
Òran
Mór MhicLeòid (traditional)
John MacLean: Highland pipes
Courtesy of Joe Peter MacLean
Produced by Paul MacDonald
Recorded 2002, North River, N.S.Along the
shores of the Bras d'Or Lakes of Cape Breton, lay the
communities of Boisdale, Beaver Cove, and Christmas
Island. During the 19th Century, these communities all
had "rear lands" that were home to an isolated Gaelic
culture. These communities were known as "rear of
Boisdale," "rear of Beaver Cove," and "rear of
Christmas Island." There, before the age of the
railway, the settlers braved the harshest of winters.
Yet, they responded to their hardships with poetry,
Gaelic songs, fiddle music, and pipe music. However,
the coming of the railroad along the Bras d'Or Lakes
was the beginning of the depopulation of the rear
lands. Many residents moved inland to work closer to
the railroad. Coal and Steel industries also attracted
people away from all the isolated communities. Today,
all that remains are rock piles and old apple trees,
yet the music and Gaelic songs have adapted to the new
centuries.
Cold Blow
(traditional) (arranged by Fine Friday)
Anna-Wendy Stevenson: Fiddle
Nuala Kennedy: Flute and vocals
Courtesy of Footstompin' Records
Produced by Ian Carr
Recorded 2002, Penicuik, Scotland Edinburgh of
the mid-18th Century gave birth to an intellectual and
artistic flowering that is often referred to as the
"Scottish Enlightenment." Classical music and
traditional music thrived in Edinburgh during this
period, and many composers were involved in both
realms of music. In the Scottish Highlands, this
period was also known as the "Golden Age of Fiddle
Music" Edinburgh would play an important role in the
publishing of traditional music from the Highlands.
Many of the great collections were published there.
With the coming of Irish immigrants, Edinburgh would
become one of the important crossroads for musicians
throughout the British Isles. Today, Edinburgh still
hosts a vibrant sub-culture of traditional music.
There, paths cross for musicians from Scotland, Cape
Breton, Shetland, Orkney, Ireland, and many parts of
Europe.
The Weeping
Birches (J.S. Skinner)
Mary Jessie MacDonald: Piano
Courtesy of Shawn MacDonald
Produced by Paul MacDonald
Recorded 2002, Lingan, Cape Breton The Scottish
composer James Scott Skinner remains a controversial
figure in the history of Scottish fiddle music. This
fiddler rose to fame in the late 19th Century,
bridging a gap between traditional and classical
music. Perhaps this controversy has been due in part
to the rather large opinion Skinner held of himself.
Indeed, Skinner deplored ancient trademarks, such as
the "doodle," a bowing grace note called a "cut" in
Cape Breton. All arguments aside, Skinner's music
stands on its own. Seventy-five years after his death,
Skinner's music has made a home alongside the
traditional repertoire. In Cape Breton, countless
Skinner tunes are part of the daily repertoire of Cape
Breton fiddlers and are played in front parlors, on
dance floors, and in concert halls.
Ged A
Sheòl Mi Air M'Aineol (traditional)
Produced by Wendy Bergfeldt
Recorded April 2002, Christmas IslandIn the early
1950s, Cape Breton Gaelic singing was a curiosity to
an influential group of folklorists in New York City.
This tight-knit group of folklorists included Moe
Asche, Sidney Robertson Cowell, Diane Hamilton, and
Ralph Rinzler. Cowell and millionaire-folklorist
Hamilton independently came to Cape Breton during the
summer of 1953 to conduct field recordings, and
each published their recordings in 1955. In 1964,
after reviewing the work of both Hamilton and Cowelle,
folklorist Ralph Rinzler followed in the footsteps of
his predecessors and recorded many of the same Gaelic
singers.
Jigs and Bulls
(C. Nunez)
Juan Manuel Cañizares: Flamacoe guitar
Carles Benavent: Bass and percussion
Courtesy of BMG Canada
Produced by Donal Lunny
Recorded 2000, Dublin, Ireland Galicia and
Asturies, located in the highland regions of Spain,
host a mysterious traditional music, a blend of
ancient Celtic repertoire with flamenco rhythms. There
are also elements of Andalusian music (from the north
of Morocco) amongst the many connections of this
music. During Franco's rule of Spain (1939 - 1975),
flamenco traditions overshadowed northern traditions,
and it was not until the 1970s that Celtic-based
traditions came to light. As piper Carlos
Hey Johnny
Strathspey (traditional)
Hey Johnny Reel (traditional)
Mary Jane Currie's Reel (traditional)
The Bird's Nest (traditional pipe setting)
Courtesy of John MacLean
Produced by Paul MacDonald
Recorded 2002, North River, N.S. The Wounded
Hoosier (traditional)
Mike Casey: Flute, dulcimer, and guitar
Malke Rosenfeld: Flute
Courtesy of Cucanandy
Produced by Pete Sutherland
Recorded 1999, Charlotte, VermontMuch of what
is known today as "old-time" American music began its
life with the Irish and Scottish immigrants who took
routes in the southern Appalachian Mountains
throughout the early 1800s. The music did not remain
trapped in the mountains. Rather, the changing forces
of politics and the labor movement would ensure a life
stream for old-time music. The American Civil War
played a great role in dispersing this music
throughout North America. For example, one Confederate
company alone, from the Barksdale's Mississippians,
was comprised of ninety men, seventy-five of whom were
fiddlers. Eventually, old-time fiddle music became
culturally embedded in nearly every state of America.
The traditional music landscape of America would
become a kaleidoscope of regional styles.
Lorelei
(Alison Brown)
John R. Burr: Piano and keyboards
Garry West: Bass
Kendrick Freeman: Drums
Courtesy of Compass Records
Produced by Gary West
Recorded 2000, Nashville Eventually,
"old-time" music converged on large cities in the
American heartland. String bands were firmly
entrenched by the early 1920s, an era that saw the
birth of live radio broadcasts. Nashville, Tennessee,
of course, is considered the birthplace of country
music, and there, the GRAND OLE OPRY featured
America's early string bands. The expansion of the
recording industry during the 1920s brought this music
to a national audience. From the 1927 BRISTOL
SESSIONS, a collection of more than seventy-six 78RPM
sides, the Victor Recording Company would fulfill the
public's fascination with this new genre of music. In
1939, mandolin player Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass
Boys joined the Grand Ole Opry.
Union Street
Session (Paul Cranford / SOCAN)
The Primrose Lass (traditional)
The Gravel Walk (traditional)
Mary Shannon: Mandolin
Natalie MacMaster: Fiddle
Dounough Hennessy: Guitar
Trevor Hutchinson: Bass
Mathew Foulds: Congas
Courtsey of The Daisy Label
Produced by Paul MacDonald
Recorded October 1997, Point Aconi, Cape
BretonThe great
Donegal fiddler John Doherty once said, "There is only
a paper wall between Irish and Scottish music." The
same can be said of Irish and Cape Breton music. This
close relationship in music was the case in 1997, when
fiddler Natalie MacMaster joined Sharon Shannon for a
Celtic Colours festival performance and for this rare
recording. They had met several years before in
Washington, D.C., and their paths had crossed just a
few other times in their careers. Yet, when they got
together for this recording, there was an instant
rapport. They cut two tracks that afternoon, "The
Magic Foot" and "Union Street Session." "The Magic
Foot" was released on the 1998 Celtic Colours
compilation and on a compilation of Sharon's music,
THE BEST OF SHARON SHANNON.
Vol. 10 2 CD set
Live
at Celtic Colours
- $25.00
compiled from recordings made on festival stages from
1997-2005
1/23/07