English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?

Subject: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST,LDT
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 09:45 AM

I was wondering can you recommend me any good 'fiddle' biased albums to buy (preferably English fiddle but I'm open to suggestions), or any archive recordings of players of the past that are available?

I've already got Spiers and Boden, and Bellowhead albums and two Eliza Carthy ones. Also got Hannah James & Sam Sweeney one, and Fay Hield's new album.

And I want to widen out a bit and hear other artists.

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: Silas
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 09:49 AM

Phil Beer takes some beating as does the Swarb. Jackie Oates has incredible style too!

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: Silas
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 09:50 AM

OH, Bella Hardy too.

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: johnadams
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 09:52 AM

There's a new album just out from The Old Swan Band plus the one from 2004 if fiddle led English dance music is of any interest.

Wildgoose Records

From the same source....

The Askew Sisters
Neil Brookes and Tony Weatherall
Hekety
Crucible

Others will come to mind as I muse on.

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: johnadams
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 09:54 AM

Yes, Swarb and Jackie Oates seconded.

Plus Gina Le Faux. Dave Shepherd. Jon Loomes. John Dipper. Matt Green (Woodpeckers Band)

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: johnadams
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 09:55 AM

Old Swan Band's Flos Headford made a CD with Rees Wesson... great fiddle melodeon combination.

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: Paul Davenport
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 10:02 AM

For a touch of the 'real thing' there are some recordings on the 'Voice of the People' series which include William Wells, Willy Taylor, Walter Bulwer, Stephen Baldwin and the wonderful Ned Pearson. I say, 'the real thing' not to decry the other players named in these postings but because if you want to study English fiddle styles you should, to quote the Zen adage; "not seek to be like the master but rather seek what the master sought."

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST,LDT
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 10:07 AM

Previously been looking for stuff with melodeons (3 years) on but now started learning fiddle (8 months so far) feel like I aught to look for stuff with them fiddles on.

Got 'Voice of the people no.9', and have' old swan band - no reels.'

Great suggestions so far. Keep em coming.

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: Steve Hunt
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 10:07 AM

Nancy Kerr

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 10:14 AM

Might I be the first to suggest Jim Eldon - one of the very finest English Fiddlers? Lots on YouTube, including THIS masterful piece of ballad singing.

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: TheSnail
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 10:15 AM

Paul Burgess, Chris Bartram (not Yorkie) for southern English style. That John Adams ain't at all bad along with Chris Partington. Neil Brookes, Cheshire. Tom McConville for Northumbrian (with a bit of cross cultural mixing).

Tom will be doing a fiddle workshop at the Lewes Saturday Folk Club in March.

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: pdq
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 10:24 AM

"...can you recommend me any good 'fiddle' biased albums to buy (preferably English fiddle but I'm open to suggestions)..."

American "must hear" fiddle players include Vassar Clements, Richard Greene, Michael Cleveland, Johnny Gimble and Kenny Baker.

Vassar is no longer with us and Cleveland is the only one under 60 but good playing is timeless.

The two greats from early days of Jazz are Joe Venuti and Stephan Grapelli, both of whom set the stage for the next generation.

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 10:26 AM

Mark Emerson?

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 10:29 AM

And Jackie Allen (Token Women, Asha).

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: The Sandman
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 10:38 AM

Willie Taylor, Northumbrian Shepherds.
and thishttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA9atWxON4Y

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 10:44 AM

Well it looks like you already have a lot of Sweeney's playing if you have Bellowhead, Hannah and Sam and Fay Hield so you might like his old band (also with Hannah), Kerfuffle. He was only just about out of the womb on those though...

Otherwise, I really like Nancy Kerr and The Swarb...especially his recordings with Martin Carthy.

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 12:02 PM

Strongly (re-)recommend Nancy Kerr. Her early work with Eliza Carthy is almost all fiddle-based. Also support the Kerfuffle recommendations. Kathryn Tickell is also a very impressive fiddler, as is her brother, Peter.

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST,Clive Williams
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 12:03 PM

No one mentioned Chris Wood yet? A terrific fiddle player long before his song career took off. Pick up the album with Jean Francois Vrod, Crossing from the English Acoustic Collective website, and of course the EAC album and the CW/Andy Cutting albums while you're there. But if your primary interest is fiddle, go for the CW/Vrod album. It's similar in style to Vrod's 'Trio Violon' project, but that album's very hard to get. But if you come across it...

Also, if you haven't found them yet, Eliza Carthy's two albums with Nancy Kerr (I think on Topic Records) are just fantastic music.

Clive

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: Paul Davenport
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 12:32 PM

Dead right about Nancy Kerr, she was taught by Willie Taylor by the way. Also agree with the recommendations of Jim Eldon and Chris Wood (couldn't be more different)

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST,LDT
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 05:34 PM

Thanks for all the suggestions. Should keep me going for a while.

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST,FloraG
Date: 16 Feb 11 - 03:49 AM

Try the Dransfields. You might find you can copy bits of their style easier than some of the others mentioned.

A few years ago the yeties did a series about Thomas Hardy with ( I think ) Roger Timms on the fiddle. Lovely gentle tunes.
FloraG.

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: Paul D
Date: 16 Feb 11 - 07:09 AM

The Farne Archive is a great resource and will have some willie Taylor


http://www.asaplive.com/archive/index.asp

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 17 Feb 11 - 06:43 AM

This is very interesting so far as S.England is concerned:

http://web.mac.com/geoff.bowen14/ydw/SouthEngFid.pdf

There was a very good LP published in 1988 - "English Fiddle Players" PLR 077 - with Paul Burgess, Flos Headford, Alan Lamb, Howard Salt, & Dave Shepherd. Highly recommended if you can still get it!

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST,LDT
Date: 17 Feb 11 - 07:40 AM

Was googling your suggestions and
this came up on amazon as 'people who bought this also bought....' suggestion.
Is it any good?

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: Chris Green
Date: 17 Feb 11 - 07:40 AM

I'd strongly recommend Boldwood. The original line-up was three fiddles, bouzouki and accordion and they're now playing as a more stripped-down two fiddles and accordion. They have a myspace here which seems to contain their entire first album as well as some rough cuts from their forthcoming one. For my money, they're the most exciting band playing English music around at the moment and it's a great pity they don't gig more!

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST,ChrisP
Date: 17 Feb 11 - 11:00 AM

"Was googling your suggestions and
this came up on amazon as 'people who bought this also bought....' suggestion.
"Is it any good? "

Yes.

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: Tootler
Date: 17 Feb 11 - 11:14 AM

Get hold of the two Topic "Voice of the People" Instrumental CDs, "Rig a Jig, Jig" and "Ranting and Reeling". They're not exclusively fiddle music but both have a significant amount of fiddle music by the players who, one way or another, will have influenced most of those mentioned in this thread.

While you said English for preference, it's well worth while listening to musicians from other fiddle traditions: Irish, Scottish, American, Scandinavian. There is much to be learned from them.

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST,LDT
Date: 17 Feb 11 - 11:18 AM

@Tootler. I've heard some 'oldtime' (American?) fiddle before and thought it was quite catchy. And a friend of mine from Sweden sent me a Swedish fiddle tune to try.

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: Wolfhound person
Date: 17 Feb 11 - 11:32 AM

Margaret Watchorn. Ron Purvis, Roddy Matthews, Hinny Pawsey. Roger Malton

Paws

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: johnadams
Date: 17 Feb 11 - 11:37 AM

If you're interested, here's a link to a

File of English Fiddle Tunes mp3s

Seven sets played by Johnny Adams, Chris Partington and Paul Roberts (plus Alison Roberts on cello on one track).

1) She Wants A Fellow/Thomas Birkett's Jig
2) Wm. Pitt/Billy is a Bonny Lad/Devil in a Bush (16 bar reels)
3) A New Way of Making Bairns/Jackson's/Long Room in Scarboro'/Peacock Followed the Hen (Slip Jigs)
4) Astley's Ride/Up & Away
5) Sadlers Wells Hornpipe/Butcher's Hornpipe
6) Nae Guid Luck/Keel Row/Kafoozalum/Love Won't You Marry Me
7) Morpeth Rants

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST,LDT
Date: 17 Feb 11 - 11:47 AM

@johnadams. Thanks. I'll go have a listen. :)

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 05:57 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 07:26 AM

Tom Kitching, currently playing with Gren Bartley, a new band called Pilgrim's Way and a dance outfit called Albireo.

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST,mattkeen
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 08:42 AM

If you get the EAC "Ghosts" album you get Chris Wood, as already suggested, plus the magnificent John Dipper
In which case you should get a Methera CD while you are at it.

By the way, Chris plays a mini viola a lot of the time

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST,mattkeen
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 08:44 AM

Just to completely over egg it............ John Diper is brilliant

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 08:44 AM

But only if you spell his name right............

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: Valmai Goodyear
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 09:32 AM

Emma Reid. Her workshop for the Lewes Saturday Folk Club three years ago sold out.

Valmai (Lewes)

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: johnadams
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 09:51 AM

I've already mentioned John Di(p)per and I'll second Tom Kitching - I played an Albireo track to open my radio show yesterday and followed it with a Pilgrim's Way track (podcast available later this week) - Tom plays with both and is a really fine player.

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 09:58 AM

Carol Dawson from Workshy Profits?

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: treewind
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 10:18 AM

Surprised nobody's mentioned Taz Tarry yet.
In The Grand Union Ceilidh Band, along with the aforementioned Paul Burgess.
Also Nina Hansell (ex-Bismarcks)

Both fine fiddlers in different but very English styles.

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST,LDT
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 05:19 AM

@ChrisP. It arrived today. So just listening to the CD while I'm at work. Enjoying it so far.

@Anahata. Any CD's available?

@Tootler. I have rig-a-jig but not ranting and reeling

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: greg stephens
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 07:20 AM

For northern England the following are well worth a listen: Paul Roberts, Willie Taylor, Ned Pearson, Kate Barfield between them cover a very wide spectrum. But obviously there are a load of others; that was my taster list, not "the best of". There are no bests in traditional music, just a lot of people doing their thing. But I applaud Paul Davenport's Zen adage. Don't copy,seek and ye shall find.

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 07:31 AM

Whatever happened to Tymon Dogg?

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: Speedwell
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 08:18 AM

I may be wrong but no-one seems to have mentioned Nic Jones. For my money he's a very fine English style fiddle player.

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: treewind
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 08:45 AM

LDT - no solo CDs I know of, but both bands have recorded.
The Bismarcks were one of my favourite bands and I'd recommend any of their albums (they made at least two, maybe three, can't remember off hand)

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: Kara
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 08:46 AM

Ben Paley

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST,Ralphie
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 09:49 AM

Bismarks...2 CDs available....(I get a cameo on the 2nd one!)
And Nina is now a member of Polkaworks, other fiddle input from Fi Fraser. nothing commerscially available as yet.....Great band though..
John Dipper. Apart from his other activities, was in PJD with me and James Patterson, one CD sadly out of print at the moment, might rectify that when finances allow.
Also, the John Dipper band had a short life a few years ago,
There are plenty of other great fiddlers out there. It's just that they've (mainly) not recorded anything....
Ruth Thompson (Colins wife) has just popped into my head! I'll be killed now for not mentioning other friends! Put it down to extreme old age!
Previously mentioned, Jim Eldon. Top Chap!

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: Surreysinger
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 09:47 PM

Since Ralphie mentioned John Dipper (and he was also mentioned further up the thread) I'll mention Methera . (Yes,I know that has already been mentioned further up the thread as well, but it bears repetition ) - 2 fiddles, viola and cello. I bought their Live CD at their Guildford gig in October , and can highly recommend it and them ... have a look at the Methera website

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: GUEST,folkiedave
Date: 23 Feb 11 - 04:47 AM

Skyhook and you get two fiddlers.

Bottle Bank Band.

Stewart Hardy - but he is a bit advanced!

Subject: RE: English Fiddle Listening Suggestions?
From: treewind
Date: 23 Feb 11 - 04:56 AM

Ed Caines (Posh Band)