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Old Native And Métis Fiddling in Manitoba, Vol 2, Falcon FP - 287 

Amand Savoie

A New Brunswick Lumberjack, Musk MEL 85-1 - 1985

Amand Savoie, fiddle; Germaine Savoie, piano; Wilfred Drisdelle, guitare; Francis Des Roches, percussion; Bernie Arseneau, bass

Recorded at Musk Sound Studio, Bathurst NB, March 1985

Tracks: Log Cabin Reel*; Les Belles Femmes de Sheila; Donegal Jig; Messer Memorial Waltz; Tintin’s Reel; Reel du hareng; Reel du nord; Cowboy Reel; Indian Jig; First Waltz*; Princess Reel; High Level Horn Pipe; Reel Richelieu; Wild Wood Waltz
 

Amand Savoie, né à St-Wilfred le 18 juin 1933.

Amand Savoie was born in St. Wilfred on June 18th, 1933.

“Je joue du violon, ainsi que d’autres instruments de musique, depuis l’âge de 12 ans.

J’ai étudié la musique depius plusieurs année. Mon professeur était M. Wilfred Gautreau.

“I first started playing the fiddle at the age of 12. I also learned to play other instruments. I studied music for a few years and my professor was Wilfred Gautreau.

J’ai joué plusieurs fois du violon dans des soirées d’amateurs, dans des party ainsi que dans des compétitions.

J’ai remporté le championnat plusieurs fois. J’ai gagné au-delà de cinquante trophées durant ma carrière.

I played the fiddle during amateur nights, at parties and in competitions. I won over 50 trophies during my career. I also won many championships.

Je suis opérator de grosses machines, mécanicien et soudeur.

I am a heavy equipment operator, a mechanic and a welder.

J’espère maintenant que, ce disque que vous tenez entre vos mains, saura vous plaire.”

I hope that the record you now hold in your hands will please you.”

Amand Savoie.

Bill Sawyer

Fiddling For Fun, Marathon ALS 377 - circa 1973

Tracks: Soldier’s Joy; Blue Water Hornpipe; Kevin’s Jig*; Flowers Of Edinburgh; Faded Love; Sawyer’s Hornpipe*; Daryl’s Hornpipe*; Smash The Window; Joys of Quebec; Ste Anne’s Reel; Rippling Water Jig; Rubber Dolly
 

Bill Sawyer started out in his musical career playing for local jamborees and dances in and around his home town of Carlisle, Quebec. what is perhaps remarkable about this, is that at this time in his life he wasn’t as yet even in his teens! Whenever word went out that “Little Billy Sawyer” was appearing, people from miles around the community would gather to see and hear this fiddle playing boy wonder.

In later years it was only natural for Bill to make music his full time career. He played with groups off and on untill Bill joined my band. “Honest Wille” as I dubbed him, was to become the mainstay of the group for eleven years. We played and toured mostly throughout the Maritimes and there is many a fan down there who still remember Willie as a highly entertaining and versatile musician.

If that face on the album appears slightly familiar to you people in th Southern Ontario region, it’s because you see Bill Sawyer every week on CHCH TV’s “Jamboree”, Ron McLeod’s popular country show. Since television cuts into a lot of his time, Bill has had to ease off public appearances. Until that time when he can make it gback on the road, this album will more than satisfy fiddle fans everywhere.

Congratulations Willie on a great record.

Bill Snow Marathon Recording Artist

Oliver Schroer

The Traverston Band: Swingin' The Night Away, Jump Start Records - JM 8386 - 1983 (Not Strictly a Fiddle Album)

Oliver Schroer, fiddle, lead guitar, vocal, percussion; Jim Ryan: vocals, rhythm guitar, mandolin, percussion; Thelmo Black: vocals, piano; Ian Fowler, bass; Walter Knapp, drums; Nedd German, banjo; David Steel, pedal steel; Sue Hallam, vocals, percussion

Produced by Jim Ryan, Oliver Schroer and Bill Mathar; Recorded at Elora Sound Studio, April - May 1983 by Bill Mather

Tracks: Swinging The Night Away; Maybe This House; This Is The Song; Memories and Wine; Hellbent For Miami / Mahon's New Truck*; That's What Friends Are For; When All The Leaves Are Gone; Afraid of Falling In Love; Double Vission; Snowblower Breakdown*; Heartbreak Coiuntry Song; It's Time For Dreams

The Traverston Band would like to thank you for your support. Special thanks to Sid Campbell, Ring Music, Madonna McManus and Bill Mather for his patience, and skill and for getting the best out of us.

Engineered by Fred Petersen; Recorded at Kinck Sound, Toronto ON December 6 - 7, 1988

Tracks: Cinq Jumelles; Knocknagow / Little House Around the Corner / Cousin John Ryan; Miriam Gagne's* / Martina's Reel* / Tornado*; Myrel White's Jig* / Hoist The Flag / Uncle Jimmy's Pancakes; Uncle Norm* / John & Rita Two Step*; Ritchie Street* / Ann's Reel; Millie's Waltz*; Susan Cooper / Hughie Travis / The Kildeer; Le Rang de la Misère / Le Promenade; The barron Road / Greenough Jig / Morrison's Ridge; Webb's Favourite / Cactus Reel / St. Catherine's Reel*; Peverit Lassie's / Yapper's Reel; Planxty Beth; Rise And Shine* / New Tyme*; The Apprentice / The Millwright's Daughter; Mullin's / Tom Steele / Uncle Henry
 

Thanks to: Martina for her unflagging support, without which this project would never have taken place. All the musicians for their magnificent contributions and patience. Norm for the use of his fiddle and Brian for the use of his bow (No, I still don't have my own!). Marie for her constant and cheerful encouragement. Norm G. just for being himself.

Oliver Schroer, fiddles, violas, hammered dulcimer, eukalin, glass harmonica, guitar, mandolin, voice, percussion, power tools; Shelley Berger, pzud, tamboura, bass, piano; Mark Duggan, tambourim, percussion; Alan Heatherington, congas, percussion; Don Ross, guitar, slap guitar; David Travers-Smith, flugaluba, trumpet, pedal trumpet, water schlumpfen; Christian Frappier, 6-string bass; Rochelle Zubot, voice; Kelly McGowan, brush bodhran; David Woodhead, fretless bass; Yarko Antonevych, bandura; John Lenard, Ludwig Leedy snare drum; Keith Murphy, piano; Roman Borys, cello; Rich Greenspoon, drums, percussion; 'Rockin' Rich Pell, Wahwah guitar; Pat O'Gorman, flute, gasps, fairy music; Patrick Hutchinson, Uilliann pipes; Anne Lederman, piano; Kate Murphy, banjo; The Syrenes: Soozi Schlanger, Diana Torrans

Produced by Oliver Schroer. Recorded at Kinck Sound, Scarborough, Ontario with Fred Petersen / Comfort Sound, Toronto with Andrew St. George, assisted by Ric Rokicki and David Travers-Smith

Tracks: Victory of Love*; Toby's Reel* / The Job*; Laughing in her Sleep*; Horseshoes and Rainbows*; Far Away By The Sea* / Lady Diane Laundy* / Seanaghan Kennedy's*; Ansgar's Jig* / Kari's Jig*; Blue November Wind* / Sea of Change*; The Devil & the Little Faces*; The Hub of the Wheel*; Jump Up* / Ghost Dance*; Roro*; December 16th* / The Shooting Star*; If Geese Could Sing*; Bright Eyes*

1. Victory of Love - A fiddle party gets hijacked by a Brazilian street band. All join forces in the end and march off in an exuberant celebration of life, love and music.

2. Toby's Reel / The Job - For Toby S, an Irish music enthusiast, psychologist, and erstwhile goat breeder from America. the Job - because it's easy to get into and hard to get out of!

3. Laughing in her Sleep - She watched a fishtank for hours. She preferred to read the same book over and over again. She loved English grammar. By night she laughed in her sleep. (For S.S.)

4. Horseshoes & Rainbows - the smell of new mown hay and rain on dusty streets, music on the wind, the back of a neck held just so; a few of my many favourite things.

5. Far Away by the Sea / Lady Diane Laundy / Seanaghan Kennedy's - The Air was written for a soul mate on the other side of the continent. the strathspey was a wedding march for a friend of that name. The reel is for a spirited Irish dancer with a mighty 'leppin' about factor'.

6. Ansgar's Jig / Kari's Jig - He invents things. He understands machines. Plays old tyme piano, and 'he's not a pounder.' She favours the banana peel, the jug of water balanced on the door, the cream pie on the chair. (For RAS & KLH)

7. Blow November Wind / Sea of Change - My impressionist tragic Irish poet theme. For Sean Tyrell, Irish songwriter and poet of almost frightening intensity.

8. The Devil & The Little Faces - Sleazy chickenpickin' funk. I used to say this tune is 10% melody and 90% attitude. 'Oh, no', a friend corrected me, 'that tune is 20% melody and 90% attitude!'

9. The Hub of the Wheel - The native Indian medicine wheel of healing and transformation.

10. Jump Up / Ghost Dance - A high octane Scottish blowout. An alternate title might be 'Asphyxiate the Flute Player.' (for PC) The second tune refers to the native Indian Ghost dances of the late 19th century - futile attempts to rid N. America of the scourge of the white man.

11. Roro - Based on a medieval Portuguese lullaby. While she is rocking the cradle, a woman sings to her lover that he must stay away as her husband is home.

12. December 16th / The Shooting Star - About a shooting star so bright that it tore the heavens asunder as it exploded - and all in the one instant that I looked away. (For KLH and MD)

13. If Geese Could Sing - A jazz waltz for portable dialysis machine (pipus uillianus). Thanks to B. Pickell for the whimsical and inspired title.

14. Bright Eyes - From the back porch to the grand ballroom, a last farewell waltz.

Thanks to all the musicians whose artistry and enthusiasm brought this album to life.

Thanks to Soozi for constant encouragement and criticism, bravery in the face of immanent studio widowdom, and not letting me leave well enough alone.

Thanks to Crazy Snorkel for the album title.

Very special thanks to Fred 'Redeye' Petersen and Andrew 'Killer Reptile' St. George for gobs of hard work. Also to Rob Allen and Michael Wrycraft for duty above and beyond the call.

More special thanks to the scores of people who listened to this project in its various stages of completion and gave me valuable feedback, suggestions, or just plain old kick in the butt.

Last but not least, thanks to Mr. Everything - David Travers Smith for invaluable assistance at every stage of the project.

Special Thanks for support to:

Taye Chenyi, Bill Coffman, John & Dorothy Coffman, Andree Wallace Coffman, Marjo Dunn, John Caultey, Suzy Schlanger, Irene Schroer, Martina Schroer, Tasha Stevenson.

This recording was made possible through the financial assistance of the Ontario Arts Council.

This album is dedicated to Martin, Emilie, Jamie, Natty, Hayley, Garth, Erica, and the whole generation who will one day take up where the old farts left off. may you grow strong and true and follow your hearts.

Remember... it's hard to beat the boiled egg.

Oliver Schroer, fiddles, hammered dulcimer, bells, cittern, percussion, guitar, glass harmonica, eucalin, footsteps, whistling voice, vocals; Shelly Berger, bass; David Travers Smith, trumpet, pedal trumpet, trumpet cloud, chain gang; Casey Sokol, piano; Al van Seggern, Soprano Sax; Bob Becker, marimba; Mark Duggan, shaker, marimba; Patrick Hutchinson, Uillian pipes; Patrick O'Gorman, flute, war pipes; Trichy Sankaran, Kanjira; Carlos Del Junco, Diatonic harmonica; David Woodhead, fretless bass, lap steel, vocals; Michele George, voice; Don Ross, chain gang; Maria Piazza, voice; Grier Coppins, bombards; Rich Greenspoon, drums; Ahmed Hassam, didgeridoo; Tina Kiik, accordion; Ian (Inuktatuk) Bell, jaw harp; Christian Frappier, bass; Chrorus of Revellers: Rob Allen, T. Kiik, Ric Rokicki; A. St. George, Steve Starchev, Soozi Schlanger, D Travers Smith, Dina Torrans & Jeff, Michael Wrycraft

Produced by Oliver Schroer; Recorded at Kinck Sound, Scarborough ON with Fred Petersen & Comfort Sound, Toronto with Andrew St. George, assisted by Ric Rokicki and David Travers Smith, and Inception Sound, Toronto with Jeff Wolpert; Mixed at Comfort Sound with Andrew St. George

Tracks: Into The Sun; Whirled; Blue Sun in a Yellow Sky; The Humours of Aristotle; The Humours of Plato; Early in the Morning / Irkuzan; Gurka's Retreat; Sit By Me; Deep Water; Marcie's Dzygh; Christmas With Poncho / Last Call; The Western Door; Handgame
 

Into The Sun: Years ago, on a lonely frozen lake in Northern Ontario on a brilliantly sunny day, I got the sudden urge to run with my eyes closed. Propelled by a feeling of utter joy, I ran full tilt, straight into the sun for ten minutes or so, across the frozen ice. NB: Don't try this during ice fishing season kids.

Whirled: You grab a melody by the tail when it isn't looking and you swing it around your head. The fun really starts when the rhythm and the clouds begin to give chase. Just be careful that the melody doesn't catch you by the ear and swing you into oblivion!

Blue Sun in a Yellow Sky: Another tune that turns itself inside out. An Irish point of view twists itself through Macedonian, African and South Indian territory in its search for its own beginning. Sometimes if you look for too long at the sun in a clear blue sky, and then close your eyes, a similar strange reversal will take place, and colours and shapes will turn themselves inside out.

The Humours of Aristotle: Irish tune titles abound with humour - the humours of whiskey, the humours of Galway, the humours of any number of places & situations. Many lifetimes ago I really did study philosophy. It is for one of the gang of louts with whom I spent far too much time then that this decidedly non-Irish tune is named.

The Humours of Plato: You are in a middle Eastern  market somewhere, comparing prices of camels, carpets and kif. As you walk back and forth between stalls, you keep passing in front of an open doorway where, for reasons none of us will ever fathom, a blues band is playing.

Early in the Morning / Irkuzan: But of course - a traditional blues / Mongolian medley. The first tune is an old working song from the chaingangs of the deep south. The second is a traditional Mongolian song: "Let us enjoy these wonderful times together, for when life is hard, the memory of this joy and companionship will sustain us."

Gurka's Retreat: A polluted river of noise. The aftermath of a battle flows by - a soldier's helmet, a blackened chariot, a child's teacup - all torn along in the muddy flood. The Gurkas are an extremely fierce and warlike piping regiment from Nepal. In a mountain pass, by a river, something so terrible appears that even the Gurkas beat a chaotic retreat.

Sit By Me: The calm after the strum. By a quiet river, in a grove of dappled sunlight, a reflection, a moment of connection. We collect these moments like shiny stones.

Deep Water: Down, down into the infinite waters of the soul... we feel the pushing and pulling of tides internal... we hear the thunder and waves rolling... we see the ever shifting water catch shadow and light - our dreams and thoughts - light and shadow.

Marcie's Dzygh: A wild burst of a tune that would have Bartok rolling in his grave - or at least, wiggling his toes. A dzygh is like a jig, but wilder, more dangerous with more consonants to chew on.

Christmas with Poncho / Last Call: Poncho is an expatriate American draft dodger, deejay, smuggler, and beat poet who has a spread in southern Mexico. We spent an unlikely Christmas there, surrounded by palms, mangy dogs, and blue and silver plastic tinsel trees. Poncho, all dissolute charm, ranted and rhymed his philosophy for the few of us who would listen. He was on the way out in a blaze of glory - for the last call was at hand, and we all knew it.

The Western Door: A native healer once told a friend - "We all have to pass through the Western Door, sometime..." Here we cross that threshold. This is the point of dissolution. Now there is hearing and sight, but the "I" at the core has already begun to blow apart, like smoke and dust, everywhere and nowhere.

Handgames: Finish with a party. This is a kind of Afro-Chinese Texan blues tune - King Sonny Ade meets Ry Cooder at an annual First of July beach party and crab bake. No deep hidden messages here, but lots of fun.

Oliver Schroer, 5 String violect, slide whistle, clapping, acoustic violin, horse fiddle, finger cymbals, freak voice, radio dial; Colleen Allen, tenox sax; Rich Greenspoon, drums; Ben Grossman, percussion, dumbek, frame drum, triangle; David Travers Smith, trumpet; David Woodhead, 8 string bass, big ass bass, bass; Carlos Del Junco, harmonica; Anne Lindsay, violin, Casey Sokol, piano; Rick Pell, guitar; Doug Sole, Shekere, djembe; Ahmed Hassan, didgeridoo; Ravi Naimpally, bells; Brent Titcomb, voices, medicinal rattle; Maria Kalaneimi, accordion; DJ Tysen K, turntable; Jani Lauzon, breathing, wild chorus voices; other voices: Modabo members Mike Doyle, Derrell Grant & Joe Weaver; Chorus: Mike Doyle, Stella Haybukhai, James Keelaghan, Magoo, Casey Sokol, Soozi Schlanger, Ric Robicki, Michael Wrycraft, Liam McDonnell, Darrell Dorsk, Stefan Hannigan, Sam Amato, Polly Mitter, Andrew St. George

Produced and arranged by Oliver Schroer; Oliver Schroer produced by Henry and Irene Schroer; Mixed by Andrew St. George and Oliver Schroer; Recorded at Comfort Sound Toronto by Andrew St. George, Big Dog Yurt, Found Sound, Harlow Sound, in Toronto, and Sibelius Academy, Helsinki.

Tracks: Stewed Tomatoes; The Yodeller From Guadalajara; My Uncle's Pockets; Ariele; Hippos; The Sadness of Parting; The Secret Life of Maria K; Way Down; Moving Mountains; Wild Apples; Earth Logic; Ghengis Dreams; Same Boat, Different Lake; Hello Dali; The Travellers adn the Spirits of Love

Oliver Schroer, fiddle

Recorded by Oliver Schroer at Big Dog Yurt, Toronto, and La Solitude, Vandeleur, October to December, 1998; digital editing by David Travers-Smith, Found Studio, Toronto

Disc 1: How Heart Came Into This World
Tracks: Joy; Life On The River; Light Passes Through; The Lord’s Prayer; The North Side of the Tree; Mask Without A Memory; Stories She Told; Frank Zappa’s Reel; Whistle In The Dark; Aphrodite; How Heart Came Into The World; John Cage’s Reel;

Disc 2: The Bizness of Izness
Tracks: Across The Valley; Taking A Lin For A Walk; The Bizness of Izzness; Body memory; The Breaking Point; Just A Plain Girl / Slowly Butt Shirley; Calling The Ancestors; A Charm to Weave By; Signals; The Beating of My Heart; Dance For A New Beginning; Grace; John Cage’s Reel (Extended Version)

All tunes composed by Oliver Schroer
 

Vibrations traveling through air. Vibrations created by scraping horsehair across five strings. Vibrations that convey meaning. Vibrations that express a complex architecture. Vibrations that go into your ears and change the way you feel. My fingers do a little dance over the strings of my fiddle, and as if by magic, something of myself is communicated to you. And after all of these years of playing, it does still feel like magic.

I have always loved to explore. When I was a kid, I roamed around the forests and valleys of Grey County. Later I studied philosophy in University, and I explored the world of ideas. But I guess I am ultimately  a sensualist, and the world of music drew me in. At the end of my brooding twenties, I got deeply into fiddle music, and began busking full-time. Playing those cheery tunes five hours a day for four years literally rearranged my body chemistry. My whole personality lightened up. Those busking years made me very aware of the power of music to alter people.

Back then, I used to write a lot of jigs, reels and waltzes – in fact I still do. But over the years new kinds of melodies emerged – more rarefied, harder to pin down. There were prayers, incantations, whimsies, melismas, mysteriosos, heisenbergs, fractal reels, forest blues, blessings… They are not so much entertainment tunes, but music that expresses other important things about my relationship to life. This music is, dare I say, more spiritual. It makes me want to kick up different things than my heels. But my heels are never far behind!

I’m not even sure if these can rightly be called tunes any more. They are a bit more fluid and larger in scope. Let’s just call them shapes. Shapes made out of smaller shapes, which in turn, are made out of smaller shapes. Sound gestures arranged in patterns. Gestures which repeat and subtly mutate; patterns which repeat and subtly mutate. Fractal coastlines of notes. Concatenations of vibrations.

Shapes and stories…

These new melodies are like strings of carnival lights draped over a series of nails on a fence, swaying in the wind. The nails in this case are the strong beats that always intersect with a specific melody note. In between these fixed strong beats there is a great deal of flex – room for ebb and flow. This results in music that is both gestural and pulse driven, reminiscent of the cycles and pulses of nature.

This music came to me in playing not in thinking. In fact, I didn’t really write these pieces at all. Rather, they announced themselves to me, and I was quick enough and lucky enough to catch them as they flickered by.

These pieces are the result of many hours of taped improvisation. During my playing sessions, fragments would surface and resurface in a cyclical way. I began recognizing melodies from the same families – melodies with the same musical DNA, as it were. After much playing, one version would assert itself at the most eloquent member of its family. That means that for every piece on this album, there were between five and sixty previous versions that are still evolving. This is very much living music for me.

When I set out on the path that culminated in this album, I was not moving toward a predetermined destination. Picasso said that if a painter ends up with the painting he intended to make, he has basically failed. Each time I play, I open myself up to the music, in case it has something entirely new to say to me. Each time I play, I reinvent myself, I have new insights, I take chances, I like to dive in. “If there was a music that no one had ever heard before, what would it sound like?” Games like this often motivate me when I improvise. (After all, we play music we don’t work music.) On these explorations, I may go to strange and distant places, but the fiddle dialect of my playing roots always pokes through in the end.

I consider myself a fiddler, no a violinist, because my music primarily comes out of my body, my feet, my belly. My training, the core of my musical battery consisted of playing jigs and reels. I took that energy with me when I struck out into uncharted territory. In my ongoing explorations, I am encouraged by the words of the great Cajun fiddler, Dewey Balfa. “Traditional music is like a tree. The roots have to be strong, but you can’t go cutting the branches off every time they want to grow.” Tradition and innovation … parts of a continuum. The pieces on this double CD may not at first sound like fiddle music. Think of it more like the spirit of fiddle music projected into different landscapes and alternate dimensions. When we think of fiddle tunes we often thing of dancing and celebrating. In Norway, there are certain fiddle tunes that are specifically for listening, not for dancing. A different kind of celebration. This is what my music is. Stories, flights of fancy, explorations of melody, all told with the warm twang, the familiar brogue of a language called ‘fiddle’. The two CD’s are not really arranged thematically. They are like two siblings with related yet distinct personalities. You will probably notice a subtle difference in mood, and sometimes prefer one over the other.

These pictures were born out of silence. Silence is not an absence, necessarily. It can also be a fertile void. Silence can be listened to. And as there are no hills without valleys, so the high level noise we call music needs the low level noise we call silence to achieve its full effect. This is why I have ended each disc with a few minutes of silence. It lets you gently decompress and assimilate what you have just heard. It lets you reset your brain.

It has been a long journey from solo busking in the subway to playing these solo 5-string violin pieces. This album has been a long time growing, and I am so happy to finally present my violin, alone, clear, and direct. Please join me in this exploration, this celebration, played on a single instrument of wood, wire and glue.

Disc 1: How Heart Came Into The World

1. Joy – Joy, that intense expression of our aliveness seems like the perfect place to start the album. In fact, it’s probably a perfect place to start … any day, any project, any interaction with our world…

2. Life On The River – I woke up one day with this tune in my head. I could hear the lapping of the waves, I could feel the rocking of the boat, and I just knew it was life on the river.

3. Light Passes Through – My friend Sarah Hall designs and builds huge and immensely beautiful stained glass installations in cathedrals and public buildings. In her work she affects people quite directly by changing the quantity of light in a space – the visually perceived vibrations.

I’m trying to do much the same thing, but with auditorily perceived vibrations … music. Music, and light. Not so different after all.

4. The Lord’s Prayer – This prayer came to me in it’s entirety one night. I was somewhat in shock – where was this coming from? It just seemed to play itself through my violin. It was actually several months before I dared to play the piece again.

5. The North Side Of The Tree - … a bobolink on a fencepost … wind in the apple trees … the pulsating syncopation of nature. Growing up in the country, I spent many hours wandering through the fields and forests of Grey County, both during the day, and sometimes deep into the night. This tune evokes that time. The piece will naturally interact with your environment. During the quiet bits, listen to what is around you.

6. Mask Without A Memory – A touch of the old world in a lyrical lament.

7. Stories She Told – My mother read to us as children. In fact, it was a family tradition that we kept up until I was about eighteen years old. My brother and I would cut up endless bushels of beans, pit mountains of cherries, or just lounge around beside the woodstove, while my mother read aloud entire libraries of books, filling our head wit stories and pictures that still nourish me.

8. Frank Zappa’s Reel – A whimsy for that master of the absurd – it’s a sing-along fiddle tun!

9. Whistle In The Dark – A mysterioso. Oblique shadows dark whispered knowledge a slight brooding sense of danger.

10. Aphrodite – For Soozi

11. How Heart Came Into The World - …and Heart said – “If I can not meet the one who made me, I will enter into man and woman. Through them I will continue my search.” And so it is that ever since that time, in the beginning of the world, every child born with a longing to meet the one who made the world, and we call that longing – Heart.

The title of a story by master storyteller Dan Yashinsky

12. John Cage’s Reel – Not for radio

Disc 2: The Bizness of Izzness

1. Across The Valley – An invocation, a summoning of the senses, a call to things known and unknown.

2. Taking A Line For A Walk – A whimsy. The painter Paul Klee used to say that he wasn’t drawing, he was just taking a line for a walk. For L.M.

3. The Bizness of Izzness – It was one of those late nights that lasted for three days. At some point someone declared me a musical phenomenologist. “What’s a phenomenologist?” came the question. I replied – “Someone who studies the ‘isness’ of things. And with my morning toast in one hand, and last night’s wine glass in the other, I sang “Isness is my business!” A friend commented – “The business of isness is where it’s at.” She pondered on this for a while. “In fact, the business of isness is where it’s at-est!” (Thanks Kimberly.)

4. Body Memory – Sometimes we get brief glimpses, a subtle sense of recognition in our body, to let us know we’ve been and done before.

5. The Breaking Point – Reaching your breaking point can occasionally be very funny. I was thrown into being a French speaking tourguide through Toronto for a busload of retired Swiss firefighters one very hungover morning. Most of the downtown streets were blocked off because of a G7 Summit, and sometime after I had exhausted all of my Canadian historical trivia, I reached my breaking point, and cracked. “Ladies and Gentlemen”, I began (all in bleary French, of course) – “this tree you see on your left is the oldest tree in the city of Toronto, and was planted personally by governor John Graves Simcoe on the occasion of his daughter’s betrothal.” After that, there was no stopping me. I made up a complete and riveting alternate history of Toronto and its sites. I realized that what these tourists really wanted was a good story to remember where they had been. And that’s exactly what I gave them. After my ordeal, I collected fabulous tips. “Vott an interesting place, ziss Toronto…”

6. Just A Plain Girl / Slowly Butt Shirley – Her girlhood sadness lifts as she discovers the power of her own presence. Filling so much space, at her leisurely pace, steering her colossal posterior, cheer spreading in the wake of her rear. She never goes anywhere fast, but when she ever gets there, the good feelings she spreads are sure to last. Slowly Butt Shirley, we call her. Always smiling, always basking under an invisible moon, swaying to the strains of a private tune … together at last at twilight time …

7. Calling The Ancestors – A pair of shamanic tunes, forest blues, influenced by African pygmy music and Creole fiddling from Louisiana – in particular, Canray Fontenot and Calvin Carriere.

8. A Charm To Weave The Way By – A musical palindrome. The first half was written for a friend as a charm for safety on a journey. The second half (backwards version of the first) is a charm to bring her safely back home again. For S.G.

9. Signals - …shortwave radio, late at night, signals cracking in a wash of static and gospel. After a pointless argument one night, I was struck by how much face to face human communication is really just like shortwave radio, late at night, signals crackling in a wash of static and gospel…

10. The Beating Of My Heart – The Beating of my heart.

11. Dance For A New Beginning – In the end, a new beginning.

12. Grace – A prayer to close the two albums.

13. John Cage’s Reel (Extended version)

Oliver plays a Neil McCannell 4 string fiddle, and a David Papazian 5 string fiddle. Oliver’s fiddle was recorded on digital format with an AKG 414 microphone through a Joe Meek tube pre-amp. A number of these tunes were composed for the Canada Council.

Thank you to:
The Creative Spirit

Soozi Schlanger, who was there in so may ways during the conception, maturation, and birthing process. Her constant, unerring, passionate, (and sometimes infuriating) critique and her unflagging support were essential to this recording. Soozi you are a true partner.

Sarah Hall, for always letting me know how much she believed in this project, and for giving me a strong helping hand and a light in the dark hours before dawn.

James Keelaghan, David Travers-Smith, Holmes Hooke, Dan Yashinsky, Sarah Granskou, Pomme Clayton, and David Woodhead for valuable input along the way.

My mother and father.

Mary Schlanger

The Russell/Titcomb gang.

Anyone who takes the time to listen

Special thanks to Eugene Kash and Jim Blackley for lending their ears.

A prayer for Eleanor and Graham Townsend – Thanks for all the fabulous music you gave. Bless you both wherever you are.

For those of you into virtuous reality, visit my website at www.oliverschroer.com

The bizness of izness is where it’s at-est.

Pierre Schryer

http://www.pierreschryer.com

New Canadian Waltz: Live In Concert, New Canadian Records NCCD 9610 - 1996

Pierre Schryer, fiddles, feet; NathanCurry, guitar, bodhran; Brad Fremlin, spoons, snare drum, brushes, pad; Brian Pickell, guitar, mandolin; Julie Schryer-Lefebvre, piano

Produced by James Stephens & Pierre Schryer; Recorded by Nathan Curry, James Stephens assisted by Linda Miller; Mixed at heat Of Sound, Ottawa by DavidBignell assisted by James Stephens and PierreSchryer; Mastered at Twelfth Root, Ottawa by John Harris; Recorded live on location in: Sault Ste. Marie, Water tower Inn, December 1, 1995; Sudbury, Laurentian University, December 2, 1995; Timmins, Senator Hotel, December 3, 1995

Tracks: Trans Canada; A Scottish Tribute; The Sally Sisters; The New Canadian Waltz; The Leading Role; Reel du pendu; Northern Ontario Set; Set in Ireland; East Coast Set; Cape Breton Dream; En plein hiver; From George to Jenny; Timmins Encore
 

About The Artist

Good fiddle sessions are something that you can't have on your own. They require a few fiddlers who like to play together, a sensitive accompanist, and a pleasant 'tune friend' environment. When Pierre Schryer was growing up he could find all three things - without having to leave the house.

Pierre was born into the rich Franco-Ontarian musical traditions of a family whose name has become synonymous with great traditional fiddle music and step-dancing. Along with triplet brothers Dan and Louis, he was one third of a ready-made trio who all eventually took up the fiddle under the eye of older brother Raymond. Sister Julie conveniently (inevitably?) became a brilliant piano accompanist, and backed them up as they competed and performed as The Schryer Triplets, and with Raymond as The Schryer Family.

For years the four fiddlers took turns, winning virtually every major fiddle contest in Ontario and other parts of Canada as well as performing in various combinations in concert and festival settings. The Triplets have also produced two recordings and appeared on numerous radio and television programs including The Tommy Hunter Show.

In recent years, Pierre has been performing more and more on his own, and as a sideman with other musicians. He has been named Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Champion, Canadian Open Fiddle Champion, and North American Fleadh Cheoil Fiddle Champion and is establishing an international reputation as an outstanding interpreter of traditional fiddle styles. In 1995, Pierre was invited to perform at 'the Gathering' in cork, Ireland - a festival of Irish music featuring many of the world's finest players.

Pierre's abilities don't begin and end with fiddling. He also works as an artist and illustrator (an example of his work can be seen on the front of this cover), and he builds violins - one of which can be heard on this record. Pierre also created these musical arrangements, all of which bring the life and excitement of a real fiddle session to the performances.

Over the course of a life of sessions, Pierre has made a great many friends, and absorbed a lot of wonderful music. On this album you can hear both!

Ian Bell

Trans Canada: Le rêve du Quéteux Tremblay / Reel à Brian / Two-Step d'Armand: I first heard Le rêve du Quéteux Tremblay played by Lisa Ornstein on La Bottine Souriante's album titled Je Voudrais Changer d'Chapeau. This tune was written by André Alain of St-Basile, Québéc. It is followed by Reel à Brian, a tune I wrote for my friend and musical partner, Brian Pickell. The last number of this medley, Two-Step d'Armand, was penned by Canadian Fiddle Champion, Graham Townsend.

A Scottish Tribute: Bee's Wing / High Level Hornpipe / Madam Neruda:The first of these three Scottish hornpipes is the great Bee's Wing, written by the late James Hill. The High Level Hornpipe is another popular tune often played as a standard reel for Canadian fiddle contests. Madame Neruda, a technically challenging piece, was written by the great Scottish composer, J. Scott Skinner. This medley is a tribute to Fiddle Masters, Sean McGuire and Willie Hunter.

The Sally Sisters: Sally Johnson / Sally Ann / Sally Goodin': The first of the Sallies is the standard Texas fiddle tune, Sally Johnson. I heard this tune from various players including Emory Lester, an exceptional mandolin player; he calls this one Katy Hill. Sally Ann is an old tune that I learned from Mark O'Connor's recording, The Championship Years. Sally Goodin' is a standard old-time Texas fiddle tune often heard at Texas-style fiddle contests.

The New Canadian Waltz: It was not until after I came back from Mark O'Connor's first annual fiddle camp in Nashville that I was motivated to write this waltz. With the inspiration coming from listening and hearing the different sounds of fiddle playing, I began amalgamating the various styles into one piece - a 'wee-bit' of Cape Breton, a little of Irish and Scottish, a touch of American and a hint of Canadian. this melody with its blended cultural influences still feels very much Canadian, hence its title, The New Canadian Waltz.

The Leading Role: That's Right too / The Leading Role / Foxhunters: The first two reels, That's Right too and The Leading role, are both composed by Liz Carrol, a Chicago-based performer and composer of traditional Irish music. the third piece is my adaptation of a traditional reel called Foxhunters.

Reel du pendu (Hangman's Reel): This is a very old reel from Québéc that was popularized by Jean Carignan, a fiddle player who revolutionized the bow technique in traditional fiddle music. The legend of this tune goes back many years when a man was to be hung for some named crime. while standing on the gallows, he was given an ill-tuned fiddle to play as a last chance for pardon... le Reel du pendu est joue en hommage  à Ti-Jean Carignan.

Northern Ontario Set: McMillan's March / Chasing Squirrels / Serpent River Reel: These are three tunes by Brian Pickell, a prolific composer of fine Ontario fiddle tunes. Brian wrote McMillan's March for a good friend from North Carolina. Chasing Squirrels is dedicated to the family dog. Serpent River Reel was a response to the beautiful waterfall by the Trans Canada Highway, east of Sault Ste. Marie.

Set in Ireland: Killen's Fairy Hill / Killavil Fancy / Love At The Endings / Reel To Rio: Killen's Fairy Hill is a traditional Gaelic song from Ireland. I adapted this air from John Wood, a whistle player from the group, Six Mile Bridge. The air is followed by a medley of Irish reels: Killavil Fancy, heard played by Natalie MacMaster, Love at the Endings by Ed Reavy, first learned from Josephine Keegan; Reel to Rio, a Sean Ryan tune learned from the mandolin playing of Mick Moloney.

East Coast Set: Sandy MacIntyre's Trip To Boston / Lime Hill Strathspey / Cabers of Glengarry: Sandy MacIntyre's Trip To Boston, a Cape Breton reel, was composed by John Campbell, an accomplished Cape Breton fiddle player. Lime Hill Strathspey, added in mid-stream, was penned by one of Cape Breton's finest composers, Dan R. MacDonald. Cabers of Glengarry, first heard played by Denis Lanctôt, is a reel by Malcolm Dewar, a fiddle player from the Ottawa area.

Cape Breton Dream: Cape Breton Dream / Mason's Apron: In the fall of 1992 I woke up one morning with a jig in my head which sounded to me like a Cape Breton tune, so the title, Cape Breton Dream seemed appropriate. The set ends with Mason's Apron, a traditional Scottish reel.

En plein hiver (In The Dead of Winter): La valse d'hiver / waltz clog / Le 24 juin: In Canada, we can hear the wind howl on cold winter nights. This set is dedicated to the folks who endure the harsh months of winter and anticipate the warm months of summer. These French Canadian tunes imitate a similar transition from winter to summer. La valse d'hiver, written by Danielle Martineau; the Waltz Clog, a popular tune for step-dancers; le 24 juin, a quadrille composed by accordionist Philippe Bruneau.

From George to Jenny: King George IV / Drowsy Maggie / Jenny's Chickens: This selection begins with King George IV, a traditional Scottish strathspey played in the Cape Breton style. It is followed by Drowsy Maggie, a traditional Irish reel (played in two different keys). Jenny's Chickens, one of my all-time favourites, is a reel popularized by the Sligo fiddle-player Michael Coleman.

Timmins Encore: Big John McNeil / Dillon Brown / Angus Campbell / Maids of Castlebar / Fisher's: Hornpipe / Whitefish in the Rapids: Well, this is what we call 'letting loose'! This set was spontaneously ignited with a standard tune, Big John McNeil. Finally, we end this session with Whitefish in the Rapids, a traditional Ontario reel made popular by Sault area fiddler, René Côté.

I hope this recording will give you, the listener, a taste of the enjoyment and excitement experienced by all of us involved in this project.

A sincere word of thanks to everyone who believed and contributed in this project. Thank you for the support, Northern Ontario! And thank you to all of you who listen...

This album is dedicated to my parents with love - Julien and Juliette Schryer.

---

Pierre Schryer, fiddle, mandolin, tenor banjo, percussion, feet; Dermot Byrne, accordion, melodian; Ciaran Curran, bouzouki; Nathan Curry, guitar, bodhran, mandolin, cittern; Brian Pickell, guitar, mandolin; Julie Schryer, piano; Frank Kilkelly, guitar; Merrie Klazek, trumpet; Stephen Cooney, guitar, percussion, high-strung guitar; James Stephens, bass

Produced by Pierre Schryer, Dermot Byrne, Stephen Cooney and James Stephens; engineered by Stephen Cooney at Dingle Studio (Ireland)  - James Stephens at Prince Albert Studio (Canada) - helped by Ross Murray and David Bignell; Mixed at Heat of Sound Canada by David Bignell and James Stephens with assistance of Pierre Schryer and Dermot Byrne; Mastered at SNB Mastering (Canada) by Stephane Simard and James Stephens; Liner Notes by Pierre Schryer & Dermot Byrne

Tracks: Kimmels Fancy; Pigeon on the Gate; Lady Montgomery; Sourgrass and Granite; The Low Level Hornpipe; Farewell to Whiskey; Tiarna Mhuigheo; J.D.'s Jigs; Pointe au Pic; To Dermot From Pierre; Ril Gan Ainm; Moving Cloud

Reaching Across An Ocean

In 1997, it was Australian-born guitarist Steve Cooney, a resident of Ireland since 1981, who first hatched the idea that champion Ontario fiddler Pierre Schryer and Donegal button accordionist Dermot Byrne of the renowned Irish band Altan should record together. And what a brilliant idea it was. The Sault Ste. Marie-born fiddler and the Buncrana-born box player hit it off immediately, and that budding friendship carried over into the fully blossomed musical alliance heard here.

Not surprisingly, the album offers a healthy selection of Irish and French-Canadian tunes, but it also includes Scottish, Cape Breton, and original melodies, all performed with astonishing vibrancy and virtuosity. The duo exhibit a refreshing, risk-taking attitude and spirited approach, proving that serious music does not always have to be played oh-so-seriously. "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing," Duke Ellington said, and this recording surely swings.

"Kimmel's Fancy," a reference to Brooklyn-born diatonic accordion legend John J. Kimmel (1866 - 1942), reveals some mirthful quoting from "Swanee River" much in the way Kimmel and, later, Joe Derrane tucked it into their playing. On another track, changing from a Scots strathspey to a polka might unnerve musicians of lesser talent, but here, in these expert hands, it is executed with snap and sizzle.

The entire album is a triumph of taste and touch, from the baroque-like beauty of "Sourgrass and Granite" leading into the animated bowing of "Pierre's Right Arm," to Dermot's haunting accordion solo on a slow air and his incisive melodeon playing with Pierre's fiddling on a pair of Quebec reels.

Few musical bridges have ever been forged so strongly and skillfully as this album, connecting two great traditions, Irish and Franco-Ontarian, and two of their greatest living exponents. What a total joy this recording is, to be savored over and over again.

Earle Hitchner

Earle Hitchner is an internationally respected music writer for The Wall Street Journal and Irish Echo newspapers.

1. John Kimmel's Favourite - a piece from his Victor recording entitled "Melody of Straight Jigs" (trad) - This seven part fancy is one of many great tunes that originated from the repertoire of German-American diatonic accordionist, John J. Kimmel. It was popularized by the solo 78s made by Irish-American accordionist, Joe Derrane. Pierre first heard this version played by French-Canadian fiddler, Jean Carignan. The source for Dermot was Irish box player, Mairtin O'Connor.

2. The Road to the Glen (E Reavey) / Pigeon on the Gate (trad) / Martin Rocheford's (trad) - The first reel in this medley was composed by Co. Cavan musician, Ed Reavey, who lived in Philadelphia. The last two tunes are traditional Irish reels. Martin Rocheford's was taught to Pierre by his older brother Raymond, who heard it on a recording of Irish fiddle player, Vincent Griffin.

3. Lady Montgomery (trad) / Randall's (trad) / the E flat Tune (in E) (J P Cormier) - This set has borrowed ideas from both sides of the Atlantic; it is played in a straight ahead Ontario Style with a higher pitched Irish tuning. The first two tunes are believed to be from Scottish origins. The last, "the E flat Tune", was written by the talented Cape Breton artist, J. P. Cormier.

4. Sourgrass and Granite (B Pickell) / Pierre's Right Arm (B Pickell) - Pierre and his band are featured on these beautiful works by tune craftsman, Brian Pickell. Brian wrote the waltz for Julie Schryer, and her small acreage of paradise near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The second tune was composed for Pierre and his skillful bowing arm.

5. The Low Level Hornpipe (trad) / The Lochside Hornpipe (trad) - Dermot learned these two hornpipes from the late John Doherty of Co. Donegal, one of the most influential musicians of this century. The second hornpipe is quite rare, having been heard only through Doherty, the "prince among traditional fiddlers".

6. John Stephen of Chance Inn (I Powrie) / Farewell To Whiskey (trad) - This unusual arrangement couples a Scottish strathspey and a Scottish polka. It was suggested to Dermot and Stephen Cooney by Pierre, on the morning of their last recording session and turned out to be a great set.

7. Tiarna Mhuigheo (Lord Mayo) (trad) - This beautiful old melody features Dermot's solo playing. He learned this slow air from his father, Tomas O Beirne, who learned it from his neighbour, Frank Cassidy of Teelin, Co. Donegal.

8. The Silver Slipper (trad) / The Lanser's Jig (trad) - John Doherty is again the source for these jigs. The unique first jig is a piping tune, as is hinted by the multiple ornamentation of the A part. The Lancers was a popular dance in Co. Donegal.

9. Galope et chaine de cotillon (trad) / Pointe au Pic (trad) - These two Quebec reels come from Pierre's French-Canadian repertoire. They represent the sound of the true joie de vivre found in Quebec folklore music. The first reel is named after a dance that became popular in certain areas of Quebec and the last is the name of a town in la belle province.

10. To Dermot From Pierre (P Schryer) / My Only Sister (P Schryer) / Just For Curry (P Schryer) - This medley, again featuring the Pierre Schryer Band, showcases Pierre's own compositions. The first piece was written in Killarney, while waiting for Dermot, enroute to Dingle. The second composition is dedicated to Pierre's only sister, Julie. The medley ends with a spicy little tune in B major, penned for Nathan Curry.

11. Larry Og (L Redigan) / Ril Gan Ainm (Unknown Reel) (trad) / Reel for Carl (J Holland) - This set starts with a well known reel that has become a standard in sessions around the world. It carries several other names such as "Kiffadda", "The Cruel Father," "The New Years In", and "Larry Redigan's". The second tune is another great Irish reel that seems to have lost its name. Last abut not least, is a fine composition by Cape Breton fiddler, Jerry Holland.

12. Piper's Inn (trad) / Moving Cloud 1 (in F) (trad) / Moving Cloud 2 (in G) (trad) - The duo signs off with a fine improvisation of two traditional tunes. First is a jig that Pierre picked up from a recording of boston fiddler, Seamus Connolly, and following are two versions of Moving Cloud. Pierre learned the version in F from the playing of master fiddler, Sean McGuire, and the three-part version was first heard by Dermot from Irish accordionist, Joe Burke.

Special Thanks To: all the musicians and friends who contributed to this recording, our families, Altan, Earle Hitchner, Tommy Sullivan, Linda Miller, Michael Nesbit, Merrie Klazek and Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh.

Extra Special Thanks to: Stephen Cooney for starting this project, and James Stephens for finishing it.

Pierre Schryer, fiddle, mandolin, feet, tenor banjo; Julie Schryer, piano, synth; Brian Pickell, guitar, mandolin, vocals; Nathan Curry, bodhran, mandolin, cittern, guitar, vocals; Merrie Klazek, trumpet; Rob Graves, darbeki, riq, wood block; Ken Kanwisher, upright bass; James Stephens, electric bass

Produced by Pierre Schryer and James Stephens; Engineered by James Stephens; Mixed by David Bignell and James Stephens, May 2000; Recorded at StoveStudios, Ottawa

Tracks: Sligo Maid / Knotted Cord / High Road To Linton; Townsend Tribute: Cat Fish Jig / Blind River Breakdown / Heather Bonn / Popcorn; The Apprentice** / The Millwright's Daughter**; Peter Emberley (song); Highway 1* / The Klazek Way*; Slipping Away*** / Restless Child**; If Ever U Were Mine; Martin Wynns No. 1 / Sam Cormier Reel / Humours of Westport / Silver Spear; Berber Set; da Slockit light /Aandowin' at da bow / da forefit o' da ship; Coming Home**(song); Lady Be Good / Walker Street; Red Carpet

** Brian Pickell
*** Nathan Curry

1. Sligo Maid / Knotted Cord / High Road To Linton - Pierre associates the first two Irish reels with the session playing he experienced in Ottawa in the late 1980s (also when he met Nathan Curry). We end this set with the four part Cape Breton version of High Road To Linton - Julie

2. Townsend Tribute: Cat Fish Jig / Blind River Breakdown (J Durocher) / Heather Bonn (G Townsend) / Popcorn - This medley is dedicated to the late Canadian fiddle legends, Graham and Eleanor Townsend. This jig and accompanying reels are played in a style one would hear at Ontario fiddle competitions. We finish off the set with a fresh approach to Popcorn, a tune popularized by Don Messer in the mid 1900s, related to the Perthshire Hunt and the Boyne Hunt - Pierre

3. The Apprentice / The Millwright's Daughter - The first was composed for Pierre's older brother Raymond, who was working as an apprentice violin maker at George Heinl's in Toronto (in the early 1980s). The second is for longtime dear friend and musical comrade, Julie Schryer, whose father is now a retired millwright from Sault Ste. Marie's Algoma Plant - Brian

4. Peter Emberley (J Calhoun) - The Story of one young Prince Edward Islander, whose short life might have gone unremarked, but for the pen of local Balladeer John Calhoun - Nathan

5. Highway 1 / The Klazek Way - This first came about on a Canadian West Coast tour, traveling long hours in a van and passing the mandolin to whoever was inspired to write a tune. The second, created for my lovely wife Merrie Klazek, reflects the sounds of her Ukrainian heritage and my French-Canadian background - Pierre

6. Slipping Away / Restless Child - Two tunes - the first mine, the second, called the Restless Child, by Brian. The marriage of these jigs was made one day in Ross Murray's control room during a break from working on "2 Worlds United" recording - Nathan

7. If Ever U Were Mine (M Lennon) - The featured composition, by Irish musician Maurice Lennon, is undoubtedly one of the prettiest melodies today. We first arranged this duet for violin and trumpet as a gift for a friend's wedding. It continues to be a special and meaningful expression of our own love for each other - Pierre & Merrie

8. DEF.D: Martin Wynns No. 1 (M Wynns) / Sam Cormier Reel (D Lanctot) / Humours of Westport / Silver Spear - DEF.D (adj.): Groovy, cool and fresh! Coincidentally, we created the title of this medley by simply naming the key changes of these four reels. Our fiddler-friend Denis Lanctot, write the second tune which is quickly joining the other three as an Irish session standard - Pierre

9. Berber Set - These tunes came out of an unlikely setting for an Irish session - an Algerian coffee-house called Le Cafetiere in Montreal. It was a good spot for cross-cultural exchanges, and I think Bob Cussen for the presence of mind to remember them. The inclusion on this recording has been much requested - Nathan

10. da Slockit Light (T Anderson) / Aandowin' at da bow / da forefit o' da ship - In the 1970s Shetland tunes via the Silver Bow recordings (Tom Anderson, Aly Bain, Violet Tulloch) swept through our home impassioning the four fiddlers (Raymond and the triplets Louis, Pierre, and Daniel) and myself. This air and two reels were recorded by The Schryer Triplets in 1982 and this set continues to be a favourite of the Pierre Schryer Band - Julie

11. Coming Home - This song is dedicated to my own relatives and others who were drawn into the soul destroying conflicts of the 20th century and yet somehow managed to return and live life fully - Brian

12. Lady Be Good (G Gershwin) / Walker Street - This set evolved in a spontaneous warm-up jam at the Goderich Celtic Festival when we shifted from jazz classic Lady Be Good to the traditional reel Walker Street. The second tune maintains the swing groove and suggests a Texas fiddling style, yet can't help returning to our own Ontario roots - Brian

13. Red Carpet (Carol Kennedy-Dawson) - Pierre first learned this classic Ontario waltz from the influential fiddle player, Chuck Joyce. This piece is reminiscent of the fiddle competition days of our youth. Pierre took home many prizes with this sweet and lyrical composition - Julie

Pierre Schryer, fiddle, feet, mandolin, vocal; Martine Billette, piano, stepdancing, vocal; Joseph Phillips, guitar, bass, classical guitar, vocal; Duncan Cameron, bouzouki, whistles, bodhran, mandolin, guitar, vocal, hammered whistles; Yann Falquet, bg vocals; Nicholas Williams, bg vocals; Dan Whiteley, mandolin; Joey Wright, guitar; Kyran Klazek-Schryer (age 2), voice; Merrie Klazek, trumpets

Produced by Pierre Schryer and James Stephens; Engineered by James Stephens; Additional recording w/ Danny Johnson; Mixed at Heat of Sound, Ottawa by David Bignell, James Stephens & Pierre Schryer; Mastered at Shark Fin Mastering, Ottawa - 2002

Tracks: Blue Drag; Red Haired Boy I; Red Haired Boy II; Lurgy Stream; Ice On The Road; La Chasse; In & Out; Hiawatha; Now Westin' Winds; La Chicaneuse; My Walkin' Stick; Martin Wynne's; Morning Dew; Broken heart's Recovery

"Pierre Schryer Band brings the wide world of fiddling (song and dance) together on Blue Drag. There's some blue notes, but it's no drag! Pierre's tone is full and rich and his groove is deep, leading the band expertly on each selection. The CD is made of joy and drive and real fine playing."

Tim O'Brien, Singer / Musician, Nashville, TN

1. Blue Drag (J Myrow) / Reel á Beátrice (trad) - The first tune was learned from the playing of the great gypsy swing duo, Stephane Grapelli and Django Reinhardt. Blue Drag combines well with the French Reel á Beátrice, creating a full bodied medley that blends the sounds of Paris and Quebec.

2. Red Haired Boy I (trad) - An impromptu session in the recording studio created this version of the popular Red Haired Boy. The New Acoustic sound and relaxed groove really invites the listener in.

3. Red Haired Boy II (trad) - Kyran counts us in to a high spirited Bluegrass version of Red Haired Boy - Canadian style.

4. Lurgy Stream (trad) / Shores of Lough Gowna (trad) - Duncan learned this haunting Irish song from Kevin Mitchell. It is followed by a well known session jig.

5. Ice On The Road (G Townsend) / Shady Nook Jig (B Hebert) - These jigs and reels come from the Ontario fiddle parks and competitions where fiddling and step-dancing is alive and well. this set is dedicated to Julien and Juliette Schryer, who love to square dance.

6. Clog Parizeau (trad) / La Chasse (trad) / Violon accordé comme une viole (trad) - this medley is full of the joie de vivre of Québécois music. The first reel is in a standard form and the last in a crooked style. they create musical bookends to the humorous Hunting Song La Chasse, learned from Nicholas Williams and Pascal Gemme.

7. In And Out Of The Harbor (trad) - After an ethereal introduction, this arrangement explodes into the wonderful reel from Limerick, learned from the playing of Irish-American fiddler, Brendan Mulvhill. This one goes out to Pierre's wife, Merrie.

8. The Hurricane (JS Skinner) / Hiawatha hornpipe (trad) / The Banks Hornpipe (Parazotti) - Some fancy Scottish hornpipes to tickle your ears.

9. Now Westin' Winds (R Burns) - This Scottish song comes to us from Dick Gaughan. The lyrics were penned by Robbie Burns when he was seventeen, for a girl at school.

10. Valse Clog (trad) / Farrell O'Gara (trad) / La Chicaneuse (Growling Old Man and Growling Old Woman) (trad) - This set starts off simply with the roots of Québécois fiddling and Martine's authentic style step-dancing, building gradually to a melting pot of today's French Canadian Celtic sound.

11. My Walkin' Stick (I Berlin) / Clog à Ti-Jules (trad) - My Walkin' Stick, popularized by Ethel Merman in the 1938 musical "Alexander's Ragtime Band" blends seamlessly with a fun traditional reel called Clog à Ti-Jules.

12. Martin Wynne's No. 2 (M Wynne) - What a treat to hear classical guitar playing traditional tunes! Joe gives us a beautiful rendition of a slow Irish reel by Martin Wynne.

13. Morning Dew (trad) / Lads of Laois (trad) Never was Piping So Gay (E Reavey) / Sean McGuire's (B Murray) - One big set for the road! The band shows off a large selection of Irish reels learned from various fiddle players from around the world. Enjoy!

14. Broken Heart's Recovery (D Cameron) - This project would not be complete without one original from a band member. We chose this lovely composition by Duncan, written for his friend Lindsay Shanahan.

I met Pierre Schryer at a late night fiddle jam during the 1997 Shetland Folk festival. There were some great fiddle players - both old friends and new acquaintances - at the festival club that night. The mighty J.P. Cormier from Cape Breton, Paul O'Shaughnessy from Dublin, the girls from the Scottish band Def Shepherd, and some of the local Lerwick luminaries. But there was one unidentified fellow there and I wondered who is this little dark haired guy with the mustache? I didn't recognize him from the festival program. Of course, everybody knew a bit of each other's repertoire. The Scots, Irish, Cape Breton, Shetland, and even Bluegrass genres do bleed together a bit. But this one guy seemed to be not only conversant in all the styles, he was absolutely ripping through each tune like it was his own. It was Pierre Schryer and I found out he was from Ontario and had come to Shetland for the fun. I've been a fan ever since that night.

That Shetland trip was indicative of his drive to absorb the wide fiddle tradition that moves from Scandinavia, through the British Isles, to North America. His new recording with his fine band illustrates his continuing quest. Opening with the Hot Club of France style "Blue Drag", he pours his heart and soul into a great program of traditional and not so traditional dance music. The band is easily up to this challenging material, supporting and occasionally stepping forward on piano, foot percussion, guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, and whistles. Just when you're ready for a song, Duncan Cameron brings his fine voice to a piece sun in English or French. Pierre's tone is full and rich, and his groove is deep, leading the band expertly on each selection.

Lastly, I want to say that Pierre is a sweet and gentle man. Look inside his fiddle case, and you'll see nestled among the bows and rosin, pictures of his wife and child. As he told my wife a few months ago, his family is his life and it inspires his music. I've not met Pierre's family, but listening to the joyous set on "Blue Drag", I'd say they're doing their job.

Tim O'Brien

Pierre - Daniel - Louis, Boot Records BOS 7233 - 1982

Pierre, Daniel and Louis Schryer, fiddles; Julie Schryer, piano; Kim Brandt, bass; Ron Dann, pedal steel; Claude Desjardins, drums

Produced by Bill Garrett; Engineer: Chad Irschick; Recorded at Inception Sound, Toronto

Tracks: Rakes of Kildare - Martin Rocheford’s; The Praties are Dug - Munster Lass - Light And Airy; San Antonio Rose - Spanish Two Step; Da Silvery Voe - Mrs. Babs Anderson - Pottinger’s Reel; Walker Street - Lady Anne Montgomery; Grant Lamb’s Breakdown - Don Messer’s Breakdown; Da Slockit Light - Aandowin’ At Da Bow - Da Forefit of Da Ship; Westphalia Waltz; Le Bonhomme Et La Bonne Femm - La Galaope De La Malbaie; Trip To Windsor - Silver Spire; St Anne’s Reel - Patronella; Birch Hill Waltz - Blue Jeans And Gingham; Cherokee Swing; Da Auld Restin’ Chair - Humnavoe Polka - Maggie’s Reel; Stirling Castle - Rachel Rae - Mrs McLeod’s Reel - Olive Branch
 

Pierre, Daniel and Louis Schryer were born in 1968 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Their family is of French Canadian descent, and making music together was an important part of their growing up. Julien and Juliette, their parents, have been longtime fans of traditional fiddling, and the Schryer home was the scene of countless musical “sessions”. These were often centered around the triplets’ older brother Raymond, one of Ontario’s finest fiddlers. At the age of eight, Pierre, Daniel and Louis took up the bow and followed in his steps. With Raymond coaching and exposing them to a wide variety of styles, and their sister Julie’s solid piano accompaniment, they soon made the move from competing at fiddle contests to performing as invited guests, and to appearances on national television and radio. On this album they offer a wide range of tunes, some familiar, some unusual, all superbly performed. this is a fiddle album bursting with the kind of playing that has kept the tradition alive - full of fire and full of fun.

Special thanks to mom and dad, who devoted so much time and encouragement to our growth in traditional music, and without whom this record would not have been possible. Also many thanks to Raymond for his help in putting this album together; especially for his influence in the development of our repertoire, and to Brian Pickell for really getting things rolling.

Dan Schryer, fiddle; Louis Schryer, fiddle; Pierre Schryer, fiddle, alto-fiddle, tenor banjo, feet;Raymond Schryer, fiddle; Jamie Gattie, bass, double bass; Ann Downey, double bass; Julie Lefebvre, piano; Denis Lanctôt, piano, accordion; Rob MacLeod, drums; Brian Pickell, guitar; Kerry Vaillancourt, guitar; Nathan Curry, guitar, cittern, bodhran, mandolin; Pat McLaughlin, guitar, electric guitar; Al Bragg, pedal steel; Bobby Lalonde, overdub programming, percussion, mandolin, guitar

Produced by Louis Schryer; Co-Producers: Bobby Lalonde, Dan Schryer, Pierre Schryer; Engineer: Bobby Lalonde; Recorded and mixed at BOLAB Audio, Fournier ON, 1993

Tracks: French Reels: La Sauvagesse / Reel à Rémi / Reel de l'enfant / Reel du printemps; Panhandle Rag; Clog, Jig & Reel: Spellan's Inspiration / Sir Wilfred Laurier Quadrille / Donnell Leahy's Breakdown / Timmin's Reel / Dan's Hornpipe; My Lily: My Lilly / the Sweetness of Mary Strathspey / Hughie Jim Pau's Reel; Black and White Rag; Tennessee Waltz / Down Yonder; Waiting For Emile; Irish Tunes: Maids of Castlebar / The Flowers Of The Flock / Farewell to Old Decency; Tico-Tico; McHattie's Waltz; Beaumont Rag; Jammin' Live: Cape Breton Dream / Chelsey's Jig / Sally Goodin' / Fisher's Hornpipe / Sherbrooke Reel / Pointe-Au-Pic / Moving Cloud / White Fish In The Rapids / Reel du Faubourg / Schryer's Breakdown* / Snowflake Breakdown / Indian Reel / Mason's Apron / High Road To Linton
 

A word of thanks to: All the musicians on this recording. Bobby Lalonde, and friends. Special word of thanks to: Mom and Dad (Juliette & Julien), brothers Raymond and Pat, sister Julie Lefebvre, and the rest of the family for their influence, encouragement and support.

Edward Schweigert

Toe Tapping Tunes, Horizon Records HOR 7722

Produced by Edward Schweigert; Recorded at Soundwest Studios, Calgary, AB

Tracks: Zenda Waltz; Village Carousel Waltz; Happy Acres Two Step; The Television Reel; Maple Sugar; Debbie's Jig; Centennial Waltz; You, You, You; To Whom it May Concern; First Century Reel; Blue Bell Waltz; Rustic Jig
 

Toe Tapping Tunes
Edward Schweigert

Well folks.... here, at long last on an album are some of the tunes that many have requested. This collection is a representation of those requests and should be enjoyed by all who liek old time fiddling.

Edward Schweigert was born in Maple Creek, Sask., and later moved to the Murrydale District. By the age of five he began playing different musical instruments and performed at his first dance when he was nine. From then on, he played with many different orchestras.

In 1942, he joined the Canadian Armed Forces and didn't play music for the next six years. In 1944 Edward married and, in 1948, he built a home in Maple Creek that would be his residence for about twenty years. Soon after, he started playing at dances in Saskatchewan and Alberta. By 1969 he began competing and taking top honours in Old time Fiddling Contests.

Edward now has three sons and lives in Medicine Hat, Alberta, where he works at the Co-op Service Station.

---

Gerry Seaboyer

The Gerry Seaboyer Band: Traditional Fiddling, NR 2992

Gerald Seaboyer, fiddle; Ken Seaboyer (son), lead guitar; Kevin Hornsby, vocal, rhythm guitar; Barry Hebor, electric bass; Monty Mills, drums; Engineer: Andy Thompson; Recorded at Studio 29.

Tracks: blue Wrecker Hornpipe*; Tuggerman's Jig; Hants County Waltz*; Liberty Two Step; Cliff's Jig; Rambler's Hornpipe; Patronella Reel; Top's L. Tavern Waltz; Theme Boil Them Cabbage; Havelock Centennial Swing*; Truck Driver's Breakdown*; Rock Valley Jig; Apple Juice Polka*; Johny McLeod's Waltz*; Cotten (sp) Eyed Joe; Peekaboo Waltz; Ragtime Annie; Berry Bill's Breakdown*
 

Special Thanks to the Boys in the Band and Jennifer and Andy of Studio 29.

---

Winston Simpson

Tracks: Cotton Eyed Joe; Old Red Barn / Vic’s Jig; Barren Rocks of Eden; Chinook Waltz; Mountain View Jig; Nellie Gray / Honkey Harbour Two-Step; Fraser Valley / Barkley House; The Miami Breakdown; Road To The Isle / Farmer’s Schottische; Red Wing / Snow Deer; Carman Waltz; Victor Roy’s / Cape Blondimon; Nobody’s Business; Black Mountain Rag

Mike Slauenwhite, Fiddle; Robert Tremblay, Dobro & Guitar; Ron Coulthard, Piano & Guitar; Darin Parise, Banjo & Flat Top Guitar; Lynn Russwurm, Bass & Rhythm Guitar; Grant Heywood, Drums

Produced by Lynn Russwurm, 2010; Engineered by Mike Stiver; Recorded at Freightyard Studios

Tracks: Down Yonder; Have I Told You Lately That I Love You; When You And I Were Young Maggie; Devil's Dream; San Antoinio Rose; Marigold Waltz; Rock Island Jig; Marie; Crooked Stovepipe / Mason's Apron; I'm Confessin' (That I Love You); Smash The Window; Faded Love; Lady Be Good; Maple Sugar

A veteran of more than 50 years in music, Mike Slauenwhite has performed in venues as varied as the CBC-TV Country Hoedown, The Wingham Barn Dance and The Ice Capades, making music with The Silver Bar Ranch Boys, The Westemaires and the Nighthawks, as well as the K-W Symphony.**

For this recording, Mike has surrounded himself with talented musicians including Bob Tremblay and Lynn Russwurm from his Westemaires days, blending the current Barn Dance Band members Ron Coulthard and Grant Heywood, adding to the mix newcomer Darin Parise picking a mean flat top guitar and five-string banjo.

Included on:
It's The Saturday Night Barn Dance Vol 2, Rodeo International RLPCD 8047,  1998
track 15: Barndance!

Written & recorded especially for this album by Mike, who is part of the twin fiddles in the Barn Dance Band with Victor Passowisty.

Christina Smith

Fiddle Me This, Singsong Inc SS-9411 – 1994

Christina Smith, fiddle, cello; Jean Hewson, guitar, spoons; Wade Pinhorn, bass; Fergus O’Byrne, bodhran; Anita Best, vocals; Wanda Crocker, mandolin; Jim Payne, accordion

All arrangements by Jean Hewson and Christina Smith; Produced by Jean Hewson and Christina Smith; Engineered by Lee Tizzard; Recorded at Piperstock Studios, Torbay, Newfoundland.

Tracks: The Banks of Newfoundland; Crocker’s Cove Reel / Du pain, du buerre, et du caplin; Black Duck Brook French Centre Waltz / Cancer Waltz; Eddie’s Tune / Mother Wouldn’t Beat’n; On the Road to New Orleans / On The Way to Norway / Noel Dinn’s; The Bluebird / Annie, Annie; The Landfall of Cabot / Jeanie’s On The Rum; Wanda’s Tune / Coomb’s Cove / Green Grow The Rushes-O; Parson’s Pond Jig / Daniel’s Harbour Breakdown; Debbie’s Waltz / Wedding Waltz; The Hound’s Tune / McBen; I’ll Hang My Harp On A Willow Tree; Sunstroke / The Silver Screen; Eddie’s ‘Close-in’ Tune / Green Grow The Rushes-O
 

1. The Banks of Newfoundland – Also known as ‘Up The Pond’, this is a familiar tune to the fans as the St. John’s Regata. It was written in 1820 by Chief Justice Francis Forbes, and is associated with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.

2. Crocker’s Cove Reel / Du pain, du buerre, et du caplin – Crocker’s Cove is located in Conception Bay, near Carbonear. ‘Bread, Butter and Caplin’ is a common supper in early summer in St. Pierre.

3. Black Duck Brook French Centre Waltz / Cancer Waltz – Two lovely tunes written by Emile Benoit. The second is his last waltz.

4. Eddie’s Tune / Mother Wouldn’t Beat’n – Single jigs learned from accordion player Edward Didham of Colinet.

5. On the Road to New Orleans / On The Way to Norway / Noel Dinn’s – Emile liked to celebrate people, places, and events in the titles of his tunes. The first two document his travels. The last tune is one of the three he wrote for the late percussionist, Noel Dinn

6. The Bluebird / Annie, Annie – Lively jigs from the repertoire of Rufus Guinchard.

7. The Landfall of Cabot / Jeanie’s On The Rum – A couple of original tunes.

8. Wanda’s Tune / Coomb’s Cove / Green Grow The Rushes-O – A set of singles learned from fiddler and mandolin player Wanda Crocker

9. Parson’s Pond Jig / Daniel’s Harbour Breakdown – More unusual tunes from Rufus, named for communities on the Great Northern Peninsula.

10. Debbie’s Waltz / Wedding Waltz – Emile wrote the first tune for harpist Deborah Clarke. The second was written for a wedding in Port au Port

11. The Hound’s Tune / McBen – Rabble-rousing reels from Rufus

12. I’ll Hang My Harp On A Willow Tree – A beautiful song melody collected on Fogo Island

13. Sunstroke / The Silver Screen – Two original hornpipes. The first was written in thirty degree temperatures in Seville, Spain. More than one person has told me that the second tune reminds them of music for silent films.

14. Eddie’s ‘Close-in’ Tune / Green Grow The Rushes-O – Two more learned from Ed Didham. The second is another one of many versions of the tune.

Thanks to Rita Benoit, Jim Payne, Don Wherry, Anita Best, Neil Rosenberg, Dermot and Anne O’Reilly, Christopher Brookes, Bill Marshall, George Smith and Elizabeth Lawrence, Ollie and Bill Smith, Lee (the Wizzard) Tizzard, Rosanna White, Johathan White, Wade Pinhorn, Fergus O’Byrne, Dave Panting, and Wanda Crocker. Special thanks to the incomparable Jean Hewson whose contribution in time, energy and creativity for this project is without measure.

Fiddlin’ For Steppers, No Label WRC1-1151
(Shared album with Karl MacNaughton)

Gerry Smith, fiddle; Linda Smith, piano; Wayne Smith, bass; Ken Ducharme, guitar; Keith Freebairn, banjo

Engineer: Harry Busby; Recorded at King Studio, Wingham, ON

Tracks: Art Jamieson’s Clog** - Sam’s Sugar Bush Jig* - Ernie Adair’s Reel***; Blue River Waltz; Gerry’s Jig*; The Wizard of Odd**; Great Pair of Legs Clog* - Ausable River Jig* - Buck Fever Rag; Walt McNicol’s Waltz***; Clog, Jig and Reel - Medium Speed: Dundalk Clog* - Moncton Jig* - Silver Broom Reel*

**with Karl McNaughton; ***by Karl MacNaughton
 

This record is dedicated to Dancers everywhere including special tunes for stepdancers. Side one has a clog, jig and reel done very slowly for the beginner to practice. Side two has a clog, jig and reel in medium speed and two sets in 32-48-96 bar order in speed common in stepdance contests in Ontario.

All of the tunes in this album are originals by Karl MacNaughton and Gerry Smith except Blue River Waltz (Nelson Coulthard) and Buck Fever Rag (Reg Hill) arr. G. Smith.

Special thanks to Karl, Ernie King, Ken Ducharme and the Storeys of Seaforth. Special Dedication to the memory of George Varley.

A one-time member of the CKNX Ranch Boys, Gerry delivers up a tune from one of his albums

Fiddle Pickin', Rodeo Holburne RLP5-8022

Aaron Solomon, fiddle; Victor Pasowisty, rhythm guitar; Emory Lester, mandolin, acoustic fuitar, 5-string banjo; Wayne McClinchey, tenor banjo, guitar; Scott Annadale, drums; Lynn Russwurm, stand-up and electric bass; Produced by Lynn Russwurm

Tracks: Crooked Stovepipe; Woodchopper's Breakdown; Goofus; Lord Alexander's Reel; Maggie; Tom Billy's Jig; Paul Barfoot's Breakdown*; Joy's Of Québec; Buck Fever Rag; Sweet Georgia Brown; Clarinet Polka; Aaron's Waltz; Irish Washerwoman; Bowing The Strings
 

The future of the Canadian world of fiddling is in good hands with young fiddlers like Nova Scotia born Aaron Solomon. Note Aaron's own composition on this recording of "Paul Barfoot's Breakdown" which has the potential of becoming a fiddle standard. Now a resident of Kitchener ON, Aaron has logged performances with such artists as Myrna Lorrie, Gary Buck, etc.

Tracks: Reel de Riviére-du-loup; Lève ton Verre; D’la Bièrre on en Boira; Reel du Sucre-D’erable; Les Fraises et les Framboises; Boum Polka; Y’as-tu d’la Bière icitte; La Raspa; Ton P’tit Bidou Lie Lie; T’es pas Barré; Reel des Patates Brûlées; Le bon Vin m’Endort; J’aime mon P’tit Flocon; Lea Gigue à Oscar; Je Veux Boire du Rhum; Mes Bons Amis à la Table Ronde; Passe donc le Cabaret; Reel des Indiens

Tracks: Presentation; Son P’tit bidou Lie Lie; Reel Des Jardiniers; J’vide mon verre; Reel Des Indiens; Chez Fernando; Mariez-Vous, Mariez-vous pas; Paul Jones; Histoire des Chandails; Reel De Rimouski
 

Le plupart de ceux qui ont connu Isidore Soucy connaissent aussi son talenteux fils Fernando, car celui-ci l’accomagnait toujours dans ses programmes et ses tournées en province.

Fernando Soucy est né en 1927. Son épouse, Jacqueline St-Jean, lui donna deux fillettes adorables. L’une d’elles, Manon à piene âgée de 9 ans, vient de faire son premier disque pour le temps des fêtes: à la “Cie Dominion”.

Fernando apprit le violon et le piano dès l’âge de 7 ans, car il avait ‘musique en tête.’ En 1943, il gravait son premier disque à la ‘Cie Star Compo’. C’était le “Reel de l’Aviation” et le “Reel des Sucres”. Il avait alors 16 ans. Quelques années plus tard, son père signait un contrat avec la Cie RCA Victor. “La Famile Soucy Inc.” venait de naitre!

Au “Monument National” ses membres donnèrent de nombreux spectacles sous la direction de l’éminent folkloriste Conrad Gauthier et ils travaillèrent pour lui, à CHLP, dans “Les Vive-la-joi” avec Donat Lafleur et Jimmy Dabaté.

En 1949, Isidore Soucy décident de faire partie d’une troupe de théâtre “Les Soirées du bon Vieux Temps” avec Jean Grimaldi. Puis ils partent en tournée pour 8 mois, font le tour de la Gaspésie et du Lac St-Jean, visitent le Nouveau-Brunswick et L’Abitibi. Ils se renent même aux Etats-Unis. En réalité, ils donnent des spectacles durant plus de duex ans.

En 1951, Fernando veut faire de la “Chanson à répondre”. Il forme alors le trio Isidore, Fernando Soucy et René Alain. Ches RCA Victor, il endisque les fameux records “Les Fraises et Les Framboises”, “Prendre un verre de bière, mon Minou” et “Le Festin de Campagne”, connus jusqu’en Europe. Comme les affaires “marchent sur des roulettes” que l’on va de succès en succès, on décide alos de donner de l’ampleur à la célèbre “Famile Soucy”. Durant plus de 8 ans, elle est sous contrat au café “Mocambo”.

En 1956, “La Famile Soucy” débute à radio, au poste CKBL. Grâce à ces musiciens ‘endiablés’, six jours par semaine, de 6 heures à 7 heures du matin le public matinal du Québec prend régulièrement son ‘bain de chansons’.

En 1960, c’est la Télévision qui accapare les Soucy. Le post CFTM.TV les invite à ses studios. C’est là que débute le prestigieux programme “Chez Isidore”. Il était tellement goûte cote d’écoute à la télévision. Chaque semaine, le poste recevait des ‘monceaux’ de lettres. On a parlé de 70,000. C’est qu’on y présentait dans un décor ‘bien de ches nous’ des ‘sets callés’, avec des danseuses dynamiques, celles de la Famille Soucy, et avec le champion gigueur que tout le monde connaît, Oscar Morin! Ce programme devait durer 20 mois. Dans L’intervalle, la Famnille Soucy grava sur l’étiquette ‘dominion’ l’excellent disque ‘Garden Party’ composition originale pour les camps d’été, de Jean-Baptiste Purienne, fils de Conrad Gauthier.

En 1963, on vit briller en lettres de feu, à l’enseigne du “Casa Loma” en pleine rue Ste-Catherine, les mots “Chez Isidore”. On y venait de partout pour déguster notre bonne cuisine canadienne, pour y danser sur le plateau et pour y voir évoluer de tels artists du folklore.

Malheureusement, dans l’intervalle, c’était le 7 décembre, 1963, Isidore Soucy tombait foudroyé par la maladie...

Depuis ce jour-là, Fernando n’a jamais cessé de penser au grand artiste folklorique qu’était son père, à son vibrant violon et à sa musique ‘typiquement canadienne’. Toutes ce choses demeureront dans sa mémoire longtemps, et on peut dire que Fernando sera toujours là pour en raviver le souvenir au grand public canadien qu’il adore...

L’abbé Paul-Marcel Gauthier,
chansonnier (Jean-Baptitste Purlenne)
fils de Conrad Gauthier, folkloriste.

Tracks: Quadrille de Rivière du loup; Y’as tu d’la bière icitte; Lève ton verre; Reel des Indiens; Le bon Vin M’endort; Reel des patates Brûlées; Nos viderons nos verres; Reel du Sucre D’érables; La Vie D’Un Homme 

Isadore Soucy

Mes Années D’or, Carnaval C-401 - 1950s

Tracks: Quadrille de Québec (six parties); Reel A Manda; Gigue A Ti-Zoune; Reel a fi-fine; Gigue des militaires; Reel du pendu; Grand Gigue Simple

Tracks: Reel de Ti-Zoune; Reel de la bouteille; Gigue de Ti-Ness; Reel du chapeau a plumes; Reel de St-Sauveur; Reel des gouverneurs; Reel de la soupe aux pois; Reel des bretelles; Reel de Fernando; Reel des bouffons

Tout L’Monde En Place, RCA Gala Series CGP 206

Tracks: Set Calle Canadien; Paul Jones; La Raspa

(Note: This album of square dances and the Paul Jones contain vast medleys of tunes not listed - ed.)

Tracks: La Bastringue; La marche des copains; La galope de compagne; La valse des ancetres; Le Money Musk; Les quatre coins de St-Malo; La grondeuse; Les noces d'argent; Les souliers dores; Le reve du diable; La guenille; Le reel de Sainte-Anne; La gigue de Gaspe; Le reel du sucre d'erable; Le brandy

Normand Maltais organisateur et moderateur vous invite a une grande soiree
canadienne chez son bon ami Isadore Soucy le roi do nos violoneux Votre
presence sera grandement appreciee.

Isadore Soucy le roi des violoneux du Canada et son Ensemble; Fernando Soucy soloiste (chanteur); Oscar Morin, gigueur (calleur)

Tracks: Reel Popeye (set callé); Gigue Oscar; Paul-Jones; J’ai Mon Voyage; J’ai Pas D’argent; C’es La Fin Du Carême; Je Suis Amoureux De Virginie; L’homme-tirelire
 

Isadore Soucy, un de nos plus talentueux interprétes du folklore Canadien s’est frayé un chemin à la télévision Montréalaise. Au début de février 1961, M. Robert L’Herbier, Directeur des programmes de CFTM-TV abordait. “La Famile Soucy” et, dès l’ouverture de télé-métropole, l’émission “Chez Isadore” réalisée par Jean Paquin venait combler une population avide de folklore Candien.

Tracks: Reel Des Tousseurs; Valse Caribou; Breakdown des Macons; Valse Pierrette; Gigue des Busherons; Valse Linda; Ca Frappe A La Porte; Noel Cette Annee; C’est Chacun Son tour; Pour boire Il Faut Vendre
 

Un Choix judicieux de musicque et de chansons folkloriques qui creera une atmosphere de franche gaiete Canadienne a l’occasion de la periode des fetes.

Tracks: Reel d’Isadore; Hornpipe a Fido; Breakdown des Fetes; Reel du Pendu; Reel la belle Québecoise; Paul Jones; La Raspa; Clarinet Polka

Old Native And Métis Fiddling in Manitoba, Vol 1, Falcon FP - 187 

Steel City Strings, Celtic CX 5 - mid 1950s

Leo Doubley, violin; John Aucoin, piano; Joe Waye, guitar; Sean Waye, bass

Tracks: Shelburne Rotary Breakdown; Circassian Circle; Princess Royal; Buffalo Gals; Beaux of Oak Hill; Cock Of The North; Exhibition Jig; Montreal Reel; The Stomping Mill; Poor Girl Waltz; Black Thorn Stick; Barren Rocks of Aden
 

Sydney, Nova Scotia, The Steel City, has a musical heritage of its own. Names like Scotty Fitzgerald, Joe MacLean, Angus Chisholm, Joe MacIsaac and so many others are household names.

From the hart of the Steel City, from hands that guide and pour and mould the molten metal, comes a new and bright name, Leo Doubley, who makes music with strings of steel.

Leo arranges his strings, violin, guitar, bass and piano personally to present the sound the steel city.

Cye Steele

Maritime Fiddle Contest, Dartmouth, N.S., Banff Rodeo SBS 5225

Cye Steele, fiddle; Fred Cormier, piano; Sandy McDougall, guitar; Fred Pettis, drums; Dale Stevens, sax; Engineer: Bob Bartlett

Recorded at Radio Station CKCL, Truro, NS

Tracks: St John Hoedown; Over The Waves Waltz; Hundred Pipers Jig; Bowing The Strings; Riding the Hump*; San Antonia Rose; The Gordon Pyke Waltz*; The Hudson Bay Breakdown; Mitch's Jig*; The Prairie Reel
 

Cye Steele was born in Halifax, NS in 1930, but spent the first 16 years of his life at Scotch Hill, Pictou County. He learned to play the fiddle at 5 years of age and has been playing ever since. This is Cye's second album for Rodeo Records; his first was recorded in Halifax in 1958 and is still current in the catalogue.

The LP consists of tunes that were played at the Dartmouth Fiddle Contest for the past 20 years, during which time Cye has never missed the event.

As an old time fiddler Cye matches up to the best and his fans will enjoy this album.

Cye Steele, fiddle; Fred Pettis, drums; Fred Cormier, piano; Lloyd White, banjo

Master tapes engineered by Sidney Bernasconi, CKCL, Truro, NS; Re-recording by Fundy Recording Company Ltd, Sackville, NB

Tracks: Cye Steele's Breakdown*; Mitch's Jig**; Misti Dawn Waltz*; Cape Blombdon Breakdown; Don Wilson's Breakdown***; Salmon River Breakdown*; Subway Special; Regional's Waltz; Johnnie's Jig; Ferguson's Breakdown****

*Cye Steel
**with Fred Cormier
*** with Don Wilson
**** with Tom Boyle

The Maritime Fiddle Championship is held each year at Dartmouth NS. Cye Steele has not missed entering this contest in fifteen years. His ratings in this contest, over these years, have been as follows:

1956 - Top 8
1957 - 3rd
1958 - 2nd
1959 - 1st
1960 - 4th
1961 - 1st
1962 - 1st
1963 - 3rd
1964 - 3rd
1965 - Top 5
1966 - 2nd
1967 - 3rd
1968 - 3rd
1969 - 2nd

Tracks: Cye Steele's Breakdown*; Mitch's Jig*; Misti Dawn Waltz*; Cape Blomidon Breakdown; Don Wilson's Breakdown*; Salmon River Breakdown*; Subway Special; Regionals Waltz; Johnnie's Jig; Ferguson's Breakdown*
 

When Cye Steele tucks that fiddle of his under his chin you are guaranteed of the finest in country fiddle sounds. Cye has been entertaining Maritimers with his great music for quite a while now and his musicianship was recognized when, in 1970, he became Maritime Fiddle Champion.

His Championship form is strongly evident in this, his first Audat recording. Audat welcomes the Champion, Cye Steele.

Tracks: Fiddle Fingers; Tina's Reel/ Road To The Isles; Wabash Blues**; Moonglow**; Tears on my Pillow**; The Black Velvet Waltz; Sputnik Breakdown; June's Polka; Shingle The roof; Pan Handle Rag; Exactly Like You**; Calcutta**; Stranger on the Shore**; Salmon River Breakdown; Boil the Cabbage Down

** These songs were originally recorded in 1964 for the radio program "Atlantic Exchange" by THE TRURO ALL STARS.

Cye Steele: fiddle; Fred Cormier: piano; Sandy McDougall: guitar; Lorne Hall: banjo; Fred Pettis: drums; Dale Stevens: sax

** engineered by Bob Bartlett; A Boxer Production P.O. Drawer 887, Truro NS B2N 5G6

The walking cane fiddle is a uniaque and rare instrument. It was brought from Ireland to Canada by immigrants to the Antigonish, N.S. area in the mid-nineteenth century. Cye Steele heard of its existence about twenty years ago and finally traced it to New Glasgow where he added it to his collection. It is still in playable condition and repeats its original use. It is a walking cane and, when the occasion arises and music is the order of the day, the back is taken off and the cane becomes a fiddle. The fiddler always has a bow at hand.

More Fiddle Greats - Vol 2, Audat E2S - 142
See Compilations

On The Road With Lawrence Strongarm & "Highway Express Band", label unknown

Lawrence Strongarm, fiddle; Billy Anaquod, bass; Cliff Rosiak, rhythm guitar; Gerry Cote, drums, lead guitar

Engineer and Producer not listed; Recorded at Fine Coiuntry Folk Studio, Riverton, Manitoba

Tracks: Faded Love; St. Anne's Reel; Bonapart's Retreat; Lone Star Rag; Honky Tonk Serenade; Royal Princess Two Step; Cotton Eyed Joe; My Darlin' Nellie Gray; Maiden's Prayer; Tear Drop Waltz

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Brenda Stubbert

Tamerack'er Down with Brenda Stubbert, Masked Man Enterprises MM-1001-BS, circa 1984

Brenda Stubbert, fiddle; Hilda Chaisson, piano; Dave MacIsaac, guitar

Produced by Dan MacDonald for Masked Man Enterprises; Engineers: Ron Gillis, Blaine Aitkins, Todd Routhledge; Recorded by Gillisonic Sound; Editing by Ron Gillis; Notes: Dan MacDonald

Tracks: Green Mountain / Robert Stubbert / Mountain Road reels; Spin N' Glow / Stan Chapman / Aggie & Neil MacLennan jigs; Larry & Eleanor Parks march* / Dave MacIsaac strathspey* / Wilfred & Janet Burke reel* / Arthur Muise Reel*; Dan Harry Burton * / Regina Stubbert* / Jim Carroll* jigs; Alex Norman march* / Mrs John Angus MacArthur strathspey / Hughie Rory Mackinnon strathspey / Tamerack'er Down reel / Brenda Stubbert reel; Tracy's march* / Memories of Joe Confiant march* / Jerry & Bernadette Holland's Wedding reel / Tribute To Winston "Scottie" & Anne Fitzgerald reel*; The Bouncing Trailer* / William & Doris Stubbert* / Jerry Holland* jigs; Margaret MacPhee strathspey* / Doug MacPhee reel*; Dan MacDonald reel* / Courtney's Favourite reel*; Ray Mac march* / Hilda Chaisson reel*; Buddy's Favourite* / Byron & Donna Stubbert* / Lionel Muise* jigs; Joey Beaton* / The Four Sisters* / My Father* reels
 

Brenda Stubbert is a multi-talented young lady in her mid-twenties who has been around the Cape Breton music scene for over ten years and she certainly comes by her music honestly.

Brenda was brought up in a house where such fine musicians as Johnny Wilmot, Winston "Scotty" Fitzgerald, and the late Joe Confiant were regular visitors. Her father, Robert, is a noted player as is her uncle Louchie. there is at least two other fiddlers in her father's family, Emerson and Earl, although both are better known as guitar players. Their father played as did several of their uncles.

Let us not assume that all the music was on one side of the family. Brenda's mother, Regina, was a bit of a piano player herself, along with being a good step-dancer. She traced herself back through the Rolands and other French families to an Irish Grandmother on her mother's side.

Brenda started on the piano when she was seven, and she didn't take up the fiddle until three years later. She's come a long way since that, including a trip to New York as part of the Cape Breton Concerto.

In the early 70's we were told that fiddling was dead and gone. This has been proven to be untrue time and time again. By the mid-seventies a new crop of top of the line players had arrived on the stage. Jerry Holland, Donnie LeBlanc, Howie MacDonald, Kinnon Beaton, John Morris Rankin, Dave MacIsaac, just some of the names, along with Brenda Stubbert, who have made their mark in the past ten years or so. Along with being wonderful players, they all share the talent to be able to compose new and delightful tunes. Brenda is no exception. Of the 37 tunes included on this recording, Brenda composed 27 of them.

Brenda claims that she just can't sit down with the intention of writing a tune, because nothing happens. However, sometimes tunes will just pop into her head. I've witnessed several of these inspirations, including once during a drive between her home and Sydney, when she and Dave MacIsaac composed and perfected a reel in about five minutes.

I think it's fair to say we'll be hearing a lot more from Brenda Stubbert in the time to come. And, maybe someday, she'll write a tune for you.

Dan MacDonald

Side One

Cut 1 - Brenda learned this group from Jerry Holland. The first and third reels are traditional Irish and seem to have collected a variety of names. We've called the first Green Mountain as this is the title that Brenda first heard and used. It appears under this title in the O'Neill Collection.  It's also in the Ryan's Collection as The Maid Behind The Bar, and in the Thousand Fiddle Tunes as Judy's. The last reel has been traced to an early recording by Andy McGann. In the middle is one composed by Jerry for Brenda's father.

Cut 2 - Three jigs, all by contemporary composers. The third was written by Brenda for some close family friends, while the second was written by Jerry for fiddler and teacher Stan Chapman. Frank Ferrel is from Washington State, USA and is active in playing and promoting Celtic music. One can only guess what inspired this title.

Cut 3 - Larry Parks is a multi-talented left-handed musician from the Sydney Mines area. The first reel is for friends of Brenda's while the final reel is for one of Cheticamp's better known players. The Strathspey needs no explanation.

Cut 4 - One evening Brenda picked up Dan Harry's violin, and the first jig just "flowed out". Jim Carroll is a local law officer with an arresting interest in the music. Regina Stubbert is the lady to whom Brenda has dedicated this recording ... her late mother.

Cut 5 - I guess you could call this "the Donald Angus Group". Brenda opens with a march that she wrote for a good friend and supporter, Alex Norman, and finishes with a reel by Jerry Holland. In between we find two "Mabou Coal Mines" strathspeys and the Tamerack'er Down reel, by the late Donald Angus Beaton. Donald Angus was a good friend of Breanda's and she is proud to use his tune as the title for her album.

Side Two

Cut 1 - The first reel was written by Hilda Chaisson to mark a very special event. Brenda wrote the final reel and both marches for some people who are very special to her. Joe Confiant was a major Irish influence in the playing of both Brenda and her father. Scottie is a good friend and neighbour who, without a doubt, had the strongest impact on her playing, next to her father. Tracy is Brenda's four year old daughter.

Cut 2 - The last two jigs are for some good friends. The first jig was named by Ron Gillis as a tribute to his travel trailer which was used during the recording session. Six people listening to a playback is enough to set any trailer bouncing.

Cut 3 - Both Margaret and Doug MacPhee are noted artists of the keyboard while Courtney (MacPherson) is a good piper and instructor from Marion Bridge., What can I say about the other reel except "Thank you, Brenda".

Cut 4 - Ray Mac (Donald from CJFX Radio) has been very strong in his support and promotion of Celtic music over the last number of years. Hilda, meanwhile, was last seen hanging upside down, in order to help her blood circulate.

Cut 5 - Lionel Muise is a person who has been known to laugh at the odd joke and cry at the occasional slow air. Byron & Donna are Brenda's brother and sister-in-law. As for the first jig, well everybody needs a favourite buddy.

Cut 6 - Joey is one of the piano-playing Beatons of Mabou. There are four other girls in the Stubbert family, hence the second reel. Finally, a reel for Brenda's father, Robert, who was and continues to be, her major musical influence.

The pianist on this recording, Hilda Chaisson, has appeared on albums with Jerry Holland, Carl MacKenzie, and the Down Home album, as well as playing anywhere from Washington State, to Washington D.C., and from Scotsville to Scotland. Hilda has also composed a number of fine tunes, and one of these is included in this recording.

Dave MacIsaac is at home with any kind of music and can play just about anything with strings. As a result of this, he is in great demand for Radio, TV and recording sessions all over the Maritimes. Dave does the guitar work on this recording, using a 1982 Martin D-28

This album is dedicated to Brenda's parents. To her father, Robert, from whom she learned and continues to learn so much of her music, and to the memory of her late mother, Regina, who was there to encourage her during her early years but who didn't live to see the completion of this dream.

The cover shows a picture of the Point Aconi lighthouse, (taken by Owen Fitzgerald) a spot only a short distance from Brenda's home. The violin that Brenda used for the recording (seen on the front cover), was made by Mr. Leo Norman from Bedford. Brenda acquired the violin several years ago from Leo's brother, Alex Norman.

Thanks to the Cape Breton Gaelic Society, Doug MacPhee, Joey Beaton, Mrs Donald Angus Beaton, Johnny Wilmot, Paul Cranford, the Audient, Jerry Holland, Alex Norman, Sheldon MacInnis, and to all the rest who made it happen, but didn't want their name made public.

Swift Current Old Time Fiddlers

Come Dance With Us, Grasslands Records - GL 7803 - 1980

Hunter, Winnie / Shaw, Lang / Gould, Larry / Schatkoski, Verena / Wetterstrand, Ora / Mickelson, Elvy / Horner, Elizabeth / Horner, Ivy / Schofield, Isabel / Hjermenrude, Cliff / Brightwell, Bub / Peacock, Harvey / Theissen, Jake / McEwan, Bud / Steinborn, Bob / Schatkoski, Lawrence / Wells, Archie / Wetterstrand, Edgar / Moffit, John

Produced by Norm Soper

Tracks: Black Velvet; Heel and Toe Polka; Seven Step; I Want A Girl - one step; French Minuet; Pride of the Wind Jig; Snow Deer; Old Spinning Wheel Fox Trot; Plaza Polka; Red River Waltz; Schottische; Clementine & Gypsy Warning - Three Step; Coming Through The Rye Waltz; Just Because; Marching Through Georgia - Four Step; My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean / Little Brown Jug - Butterfly dance

On this record, the Swift Current Old Time Fiddlers have some of the good old time dances popular yesteryear and today. A violin when associated with Old Time dancing is always known as a "fiddle".

From the earliest recorded history, it appears that Man has sought expression in dancing, at first for religious or superstitious reasons, but finally just for the pleasure of rhythmic movement. Originally the sexes danced in groups by themselves, and dancing as a couple came in the aristocratic courts of Europe about the 17th century. Dressing up in nice clothes probably originated at the same time.

Most of our Old Time Dances were brought to this country from Europe by various ethnic groups, and formed part of the rich heritage contributed to our culture by our early settlers. The origin of some are lost in tradition but a few that can be traced are:

The Minuet: dates back to 17th century France, and soon spread to the aristocracy all over Europe.

The Waltz: was introduced in France about 1800 and was the first dance in 3/4 time. It also was the first dance in which a man dared to hold his partner by the waist with her hand on his shoulder. This was considered daring and by many, immoral.

The Polka: appeared in Paris in 1840, and spread quickly all over Europe. The Heel and Toe is a natural variation.

The Two Step: An American invention circa 1900. It became an instant hit all over the world, and is still the basic step in most round dances.

The Fox Trot: also American, about 1915. It is still the most popular ballroom dance.

The Schottische, Rye Waltz, and Jersey originated in Scotland.

The Jig comes from Ireland, and has the distinctive 6.8 time that no other dance has.

The Butterfly is comparatively new, but is included here by popular demand.

We hop you enjoy dancing to these dance tunes.

Prairie Fiddlers / New Horizons
Box 1783 Swift Current, Sask

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Wetterstrand, Ora / Steinborn, Bob / Moffat, John / Horner, Ivy / Holden, Lloyd / Shaw, Lang / Brightwell, Bub / Howes, Idabel / Horner, Elizabeth / Hanline, Agatha / Wells, Archie / Peacock, Harvey / Hjermenrude, Clifford / Schatkoski, Verena / Howes, Wes / Mickelson, Joe / Leifson, Eunice / Hunter, Winnie / Theisen, Jake / Biese, Ralph / Mickelson, Elvy / Smiley, Archie / Schatkoski, Lawrence / Dahl, Ingolf / Liefson, DeWayne / Funk, Jerry

Recorded by Gerry Golla and Warren McAuley at Studio West, Saskatoon, SK
 

Tracks: Shaumus O'Brien; Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone; Bodie School House; Johan Po Sneppen; I'm Alone Because I Love You; Beer Barrel Polka; Love Letters In The Sand; Rainy River Waltz; Pretty Little Cindy; Waltz You Saved For Me; Roll 'Em Girls One Step; Casey Jones California; Rukse Waltz; Golden Prairie; Who's Sorry Now; I'm Throwing Rice; Nobody's Sweetheart Now; Katie And John Two Step; Burgundy Waltz; Helen Polka; Moonlight and Roses Fox Trot

The Swift Current Old Time Fiddlers fifth album, Golden Gems, recorded during Swift Current's Centennial Year, 1982, completes over one hundred different tunes. We appreciate the support and encouragement of our many dancing and listening friends everywhere. The musicians wish to dedicate this album to the ladies of the organization who help with record sales, wardrobe, etc. Only with this spirit of co-operation can an organization such as Swift Current Old Time Fiddlers continue to delight their many friends

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Theisen, Jake / Howes, Idabel / Leifson, Eunice / Schofield, Isabelle / Oakman, Agnes / Hulbert, Julie / Horner, Elizabeth / Hanline, Agatha / Biese, Ralph / Howes, Wes / Mickelson, Elvy / Brightwell, Bub / Horner, Ivy / Hunter, Winnie / Moffat, John / Hurlbert, Dayton / Shaw, Lang / Wells, Archie / Leifson, DeWayne / Peacock, Harvey / Hjermenrude, Clifford / Schatkoski, Lawrence / Smiley, Archie / Oakman, Ernie / Dahl, Ingolf / Holden, Lloyd / Steinborn, Bob / Watterstrand, Ora / Schatkoski, Verena

Recorded by William Butler at Studio West, Saskatoon SK

Tracks: Clarinet Polka; Manitoba Waltz; Marion Waltz; Fraulein Fox Trot; Bouquet of Roses; Irish Waltz Medley: My Wild Irish Rose / When Irish Eyes Are Smiling; Let Me Call You Sweetheart; Carl's Schottische; The Ball in Karlstad Schottische; Tick Tock Polka; Cypress Hills Waltz; White Rose Waltz; Notre Dame Victory March; Highways Are Happy Ways; Heart of My Heart; Melancholy Baby; Red Wing; Silver Bells

Timeless Treasures is the sixth album to be produced by the Swift Current Old Time Fiddlers. In recent years the group have toured Saskatchewan, parts of Alberta and Manitoba. Many old time dancers and listeners have requested an album of this type for their enjoyment. We hope this record provides hours of entertainment and brings back happy memories.

The picture on the front cover was taken in Elmwood Park, one of the oldest parks in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. A Special Thanks to our director: Verena Schatkoski. This record is dedicated to all the original founders of the Swift Current Old Time Fiddlers.

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Peacock, Harvey / Biese, Ralph / Calimente, Steve / Aldag, Joyce / Howes, Idabel / Leifson, Eunice / Shatkoski, Lawrence / Steinborn, Bob / Smiley, Archie / Hunter, Winnie / Howes, Wes / Hulbert, Dayton / Mickelson, Elvy / McEwan, Bud / Hjermenrude, Clifford / Thiesen, Jake / Dahl, Ingolf / Hulbert, Julie / Leifson, DeWayne / Peacock, Marge

Recorded by Les Cantin at Studio West, Saskatoon SK; Photographs by Smart Studios, Swift Current

Tracks: Florence Killen Waltz; The Village Carousel; Somebody Else Is Taking My Place; Have You Ever Been Lonely; Blue Canadian Rockies; Down The River of Golden Dreams; Harbour Lights; The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise; Blue Skirt Waltz; Styrman's Valsen; Doodle-ee-do and Dewy-Day Fox Trot; Five Foot Two; I'll Always Be In Love With You; My Best To You; Home; Cheating Heart

Our Best To You is our tenth record as requested by our many fans. We have now recorded about 190 tunes. We hope you enjoy these tunes as much as we have enjoyed playing them for you. Our logo was designed in 1979 by the late Lang Shaw and Elvy Mickelson. Special thanks to our directors Eunice Leifson adn Bob Steinborn.

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Idabel Howes, guitar; Joyce Aldag, piano; Julie Hulbert, drums; Ora Wetterstrand, piano; John Moffat, fiddle; Agatha Hanline, Bass Tub; Wes Howes, fiddle; Ralph Beise, fiddle; Verena Schatkoski, director; Cliff Hjermenrude, fiddle; Bub Brightwell, fiddle; Eunice Leifson, piano & drum; Archie Wells, banjo; Jake Thiesen, fiddle; Bobb Steinborn, fiddle, banjo; Elvy Mickelson, banjo; Harvey Peacock, fiddle, saxophone; Lawrence Schatkoski, president; Ingolf Dahl, accordion; Dewayne Leifson, guitar; Dayton Hulbert, banjo, piano, guitar; Hazel Steinborn, fiddle; Agnes Oakman, piano; Ernie Oakman, fiddle; Lloyd Holden, accordion; Archie Smiley, fiddle; Winnie Hunter, fiddle; Isabel Schofield, piano

Recording engineer: Mitchell Barnet; Recorded at Studio West, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Tunes: Frisco to Cape Cod; Interlake Waltz; Lone Star Rag; Ida; Boston Two Step; Anniversary Schottische; Andy’s Schottische; Carolina Mon; Now Is The Hour; One Hundred Pipers; Skylark Polka; Polka Dot Polka; Good Neighbor Waltz; Bluebell Waltz; Down Yonder; Old Grey Bonnet; Weel May keel Row; My Gal Sal; We’ll Meet Again
 

In this, the year of Expo 1986, the Swift Current Old Time Fiddlers are pleased to present their 8th Record, Wheatland Favorites for the benefit of all Canadians, young or old, whether it be for dancing or just listening pleasure.

For those who haven’t already danced to the sounds of the Swift Current Old Time Fiddlers, this album will serve as an introduction. If you are one of the few who can resist this invitation to dance, these old-time instrumental favourites are sure to bring you pleasant memories. Our previous seven albums have been well received. We sincerely hope that you will enjoy this one too.

Swift River Old Time Fiddlers
Box 1783
Swift Current, SK
S9H 4J8

Swingin' Fiddles Maritime Express ME 1003, 1984

Bill Guest, fiddle, piano; Ivan Hicks, fiddle; Keith Ross, fiddle, guitar; Art J Böhm, acoustic bass and electric bass; Al Fitch, drums, percussion; Art MacAulay - acoustic and electric guitars; Roy Thomson, pedal steel, dobro

Tracks: Deep Water - Pick Me Up On Your Way Down; Cajun Fiddle; Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain - Wild Side of Life; Swinging Sweethearts; Waltz of the Wind - Kentucky Waltz; Blackfoot Jam - Joys of Quebec; South; Corine, Corina; Da Slockit Light - Morag of Dunvegan; Liberty Two Step / Harvest Home / Big John McNeil / Logger's Breakdown; Somewhere My Love / Edelweiss; Bully of the Town / Andy's Centennial Two-Step; Maiden's Prayer / Faded Love
 

Although we live in different areas of the Maritimes, festivals, fiddling contests, workshops, and other occasions brought us together. We soon realized from the numerous jam sessions that we had many common musical interests.

We began to work out the harmonies to various types of tunes and after appearing at a festival the response from the audience encouraged us to think about recording an album together.

We sincerely hope that you enjoy this album, “Swingin’ Fiddles”, in harmony.

Fiddlingly,
Bill, Ivan, Keith

P.S. We with to thank Diane, Vivian, and Bernice for being patient and supportive.

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