Greatest Quebec Fiddler

Subject: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: Beer
Date: 18 Jul 11 - 11:14 PM

With out a doubt,Jean Carigon is there at the top. I had the pleasure of booking him and hearing him play for the patients at a Psychiatric hospital I worked for. What an amazing fiddler. Richard wood and Ashley McAssic mention him often as to the influence he had on them.
Enjoy.
Ad.

http://youtu.be/HzTDtHARW70


http://youtu.be/BjlkRH2wl7Q

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 12:59 AM

His bowing technique is FANTASTIC!! Thank you, Ad. for posting this. Here's another one I liked:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYQk4ph7fM0&feature=related

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: Smokey.
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 01:35 AM

Phew.. his bowing reminds me of Scott-Skinner.
Ta for posting.

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 02:05 AM

Carignan visited Ireland some time in the early 1970s and was brought here to the west coast, where he was filmed by the BBC for an hour-long programme with some of the older local musicians, Junior Crehan and John Kelly, for instance.
Traditional Clare fiddler John Kelly played a prominent part in the making of the film; from memory it comared Carignan's style with that of Irish/American fiddler, Michael Coleman - fascinating stuff, I seem to remember.
Wonder if there are any surviving copies!
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: GUEST,Don Stevens
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 08:26 AM

For many years, we used to travel up to Ontario, and Quebec, to hear, and collect Music, from so many Great Fiddlers. Our favorites were Jean Carignan, Al Cherny, Andy De Jaris, Ned Landry, and Graham Townsend, although we also enjoyed many others. At the time, we had no idea what Province they were from, later learning thay only Jean Carignan was from Quebec. So, I agree, he is the Greatest Quebec Fiddler.

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: Beer
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 08:33 AM

Jim,
What a find that would be.
Don, use to love to watch and hear Ned Landry when he appeared as a guest on Don Messier and his Islanders
ad.

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: GUEST,999
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 08:36 AM

Chris Crilly is no slouch either. (Morning, Ad.)

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: Vic Smith
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 08:39 AM

I have always loved the little section in Aly Bain's "Down Home" TV programme on Canadian fiddlers where Aly interviews Jean and then gets him to play. After a while, the camera pans back on Aly and we see this master fiddle player with wide eyes, jaws dropping, shaking his head in disbelief at what he is witnessing.

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: Beer
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 09:41 AM

Did some looking Vic but came up empty on the clip you are speaking of with Aly and T-Jean.
Good morning Bruce. Hope your show went well.
ad.

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: GUEST,999
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 09:59 AM

This isn't the interview, but it says lots.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6DfrB7l5JI&feature=player_detailpage

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: C. Ham
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 10:12 AM

I remember going to see Carignan in the early-1970's at Dawson College. I think it was his first concert in several years. Someone pointed out to me that a bunch of string players from the Montreal Symphony were sitting right up front to watch his incredible bowing technique.

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: Beer
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 10:49 AM

Copied from Wikipedia.

Jean "Ti-Jean" Carignan (December 7 1916, Lévis - February 16 1988, Montreal) is perhaps the most famous Québécoisfiddler since Allard. He started to play violin at four years of age and, at seven years age, his familiy moved to Montreal. He heard a recording of Joseph Allard who became his role model. He also started to learn the repertories from the Irish fiddler Michael Coleman and from Scotch fiddle player James Scott Skinner. Another major influence was Louis Boudreault, Yehudi Menuhin and Henryk Szeryng. The particular stylistic influence was ' ' Sligo' ' Irish fiddling of Michael Coleman.

According to ' ' The Folk Music Sourcebook' ' (New York 1976): "The technique of Carignan is astounding, but more still are the joy and the energy ...

In 1973, 400 fiddlers of the United States and Canada met in Ascot Corner, in the south of Montreal, in order to pay homage to Carignan. A bust out of wooden of the sculptor Georges Morissette was then revealed.

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: Beer
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 02:00 PM

Here is a young piano/fiddle player who showed up at the coffee house Friday evening. Germain Leduc in this clip is in a contest with a young April Verch. After you listen a bit you will get to understand that in the background someone calls out a chord change. In English it is for the benefit of April and in French for Germain.

The second video it is Germain on piano fooling around with his friend Danny on fiddle.

http://youtu.be/S4AIpDJg6wU

http://youtu.be/5FEPKnj9qgc

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: Vic Smith
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 02:11 PM

Beer wrote
"Did some looking Vic but came up empty on the clip you are speaking of with Aly and T-Jean."

No, not on YouTube or anywhere on the internet, I'm afraid. No, I recorded this series on good old video tape decades ago. I re-visit it from time to time as it remains a favourite amongs my extensive library of TV programmes devoted to traditional music from around the world.

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: Beer
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 02:24 PM

I'm jealous Vic.
Good for you. Maybe one day you will put it in a c/d format.

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: gnu
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 02:47 PM

Vic... sounds like a wonderful collection!

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: gnu
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 02:52 PM

BTW, it's a good thing Jean is from La Belle Province on accounta the asbestos mines. That fiddle is FIREPROOF!

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: Smokey.
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 02:53 PM

Beer, or anyone - what are the rules of that contest? I can't quite see why the girl loses.

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: meself
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 02:59 PM

So in that clip with April Verch and Germain Leduc, the fiddler has to play in whatever key is called at the last second; the first one to falter loses. It's the best two out of three(!). I don't know why the 'ref' stops the second round - was April in the wrong key, or what? She didn't seem to make a mistake in the tune - but I couldn't make out what key had been called ....

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: Beer
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 06:05 PM

I'm with you on that one as well "meself". she had to either go in the wrong key or stumble momentarily at loss as to what to play. I believe Smokey that meself explains it just as well as I could have.
ad.

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: Smokey.
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 07:45 PM

Kinda what I'd thought, but she seems to go into the same key as the backing musicians - not that it really matters, it's bloody good anyway.. Much better than the inadvertent competitive fiddling we sometimes get over here - fiddle jockeys, I calls 'em.

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: Beer
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 08:16 PM

Last summer I was at a house party of fiddlers and guitarist and Germain was there playing the piano. At 11 p.m we stopped for a bite to eat. Germain then picked up the fiddle and without a word of a lie at 2 a.m. he momentarily stopped to change his bow. I left at 2:30 a.m and he was still playing. I mean all this time without stopping. He just kept jumping into different tunes over and over.

Subject: RE: Greatest Quebec Fiddler
From: Beer
Date: 21 Jul 11 - 10:18 PM

Starting in September the third Sunday of the month and every month following on the same third weekend there will be a fiddle jam at The Café Namasthe In Ormstown Quebec from 2 to 5 p.m. It will be run much like Auntie's Crae's in St. John's Newfoundland.
http://youtu.be/1msP_2YF0VA