Several months ago I was introduced to the Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill Live in Seattle album and I’ve been fiddlepated pretty much ever since. I’m now learning to play the fiddle myself and am voraciously trying to get my hands on as much great music as possible.
I’m particularly interested in artists that showcase the instrument (bluegrass with heavy fiddle leanings, for instance), or that might be considered ‘quintessential’ examples of a particular style… anything really: Bluegrass, old-time, swing, Texas swing, Cape Breton, Quebecois, Scandinavian, Balkan, Klezmer, Irish, Scottish, Mariachi… I want to hear it all.
I don’t really listen to fiddle music, but I did play in the UIUC Society of Celtic Cultures. Here is a link to 100 Irish fiddle tunes (warning: PDF) to get you started.
If you ever hear anything you like, this website has a search function and you can find the music for lots of tunes. (I used this a ton after I would learn 3 new songs at SCC and then forget them all the next day.)
I recommend checking out Thomas Nuendel (his CD is only available via e-mail at this point, but if you e-mail me I’ll send a sample - addy is in my profile) and Natalie McMaster. You also might like to check out renradio.com - it’s primarily folk music, but there’s loads of great fiddlers represented there.
Hugh (fiddle) and Karl (guitar) Farr from the Sons of the Pioneers are widely regarded as two of the greatest musicians in the history of country music, kind of a hillbilly version of Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt.
The Eddie South CD The Dark Angel of the Fiddle has some fascinating rare jazz fiddle recordings from the '40s, “some of the most extraordinary music by a violinist in any genre.”
Oh yeah, Eddie South. Props to the man. Three other good swing jazz fiddlers are Stéphane Grappelli, Stuff Smith, and Joe Venuti. Definitely worth checking out.
Scandinavian… a good place to look for recordings is Northside Records. My particular favorite group is Harv, but there’s plenty of good fiddle traditions there. If you can find it (it’s unfortunately out of print) you must pick up “Swedish Fiddle Tunes” by Ben Paley. It has a discography in the back, and I recommend “Three Swedish Fiddlers” on the Shanachie label to give you a good idea of what the tunes are supposed to sound like.
Shanachie’s also good for klezmer; my fave here is Kapelye, who mix the classic tunes with their own compositions.
For your Scotch-Irish needs, there’s a book called 1000 Fiddle Tunes that is jam-packed with reels, jigs, schottisches, and much more.
If all else fails, dig around the local music scene for fiddle and ethnic dance groups. They’ll always have fifteen tons of resources for you to learn tunes and to get your chops up with people who have good skills.
Good on you for picking up the fiddle, and I wish you the best of luck!
Vassar Clements started out as a great bluegrass fiddler, and has done a lot of different stuff since.
Ashley MacIsaac does Cape Breton/Maritimes stuff, and did put on a spectacular show. He fell from favour for being a total jerk, but I think he cleaned up his act later.
For something a little more esoteric, go to archive.org and check out the stuff David Grisman has done with Jean-Luc Ponty. I believe they put out an album or two, but there are many concerts available for download free and legal as well.
I don’t know much about any of the other genres, but as far as Irish fiddling goes, here’s a list of the top of my head for some of the more welknown players (warning: opinion is biased by my own taste in music).
You already have Martin Hayes.
His father, P Joe Hayes was also a fabulous fiddler and a huge inspiration to Martin. Find him on the seminal recording “All Ireland Champions Violin” which is now re-issued as “An Historic Occasion- Music from Clare and East Galway”. Also on this album is another fiddler, Paddy Canny, who is also great. He has a solo album out as well. Because he’s an old guy his style might sound scratchy and even out of tune if you’re not used to it, but it’s well worth making the effort as the style and rythm are amazing.
Probably more accessible is Kevin Burke who made a nr of albums, the most famous is “If the cap fits”. He was also part of the group “Celtic Fiddle Festival” which made two CD’s under that name. The other fiddlers in that were the late great Scottish fiddler Johnny Cunningham and Breton player Christian Lemaitre. These CD’s are probably a really good bet for a new fiddle enthusiast.
Classics from the seventies are De Dannan and The Bothy Band. Both are bands consisting of more than just fiddle but feature the playing of Frankie Gavin and Tommy Peoples respectively. Any solo efforts by these guys are worth it too, especially Tommy’s albums.
These are some of the more well known players. If your purse isn’t empty I can give you a huge list of increasingly obscure players who are so worth your while, but I will hold of for now, thrilled as I am that someone finally asks about something I really know about. Give me a shout if you need more info on the Irish side of things.
More places to peruse.
The Session is a website about Irish music as played in pub sessions. They have an extensive section on recordings.
Custy’s is a music shop that also does mail order. They have a very extensive collection of Irish music. The staff are very nice and know their stuff. I’m sure they would be happy to advise you on what to buy according to a description of the kind of thing you like.
What a small world! I used to play in a session with Ben a lot a few years ago (he plays a mean Irish tune as well as Swedish and Old Timey). His CD’s are worth a listen as well. Here’s his website. Perhaps he has some copies of his book lying around…
Must go and bankrupt myself by looking at the Scandi site you gave there.
:eek: DUDE! Really? Are you still in touch with him at all? If so, please tell him his book has helped create a more authentic atmosphere for a bunch of Thirty Years’ War re-enactors here in the mid-Atlantic, and thank him very much for it.
If not, no big deal. But his book kicks ass and was a great way to find my way into more Scandinavian fiddle resources.
When I see him, which is hardly ever these days, I will certainly do that. The story of the “random message” board is just to good! Alternatively, his website has a contact form as well.
[Gloat] I live in Chicago and see Dennis Cahill on a regular (couple times a month) basis. I’ve known him for over ten years. Their band Midnight Court was one of my all time favorites and heavily influenced me. I also know Martin Hayes. Larry Nugent, a fine world class flute and whistle player also in Chicago painted my MIL’s house. Kathleen Keane, the fiddler from Gaelic Storm and others is another old accquaintance. In fact I bought a mandocello off her.
Chicago is one of the greatest hotbeds of Celtic music in the world IMHO. I love the music and try to see it live at least once a week. If you ever come to Chicago, let me know and I’ll find out where the craic is.
For simply amazing fiddle-work, I can’t recommend *Leahy * strongly enough. The band is made up entirely of brothers and sisters and almost all of them can play the fiddle, though three brothers play most of the fiddle parts in their songs. Donnell Leahy is the lead fiddler and he’s amazing to watch play live. They’re from Ontario, but they play Cape Breton music and their own compositions. They’re on the Narada label and they have a web site at www.leahymusic.com
Alternatively, his website has a contact form as well.