This week Salwarpe’s FANTASTIC FIDDLING thread has been a remarkable success. But right now it’s Saturday evening and I’m suffering from withdrawal symptoms. I am longing for some more string-driven things.
Stringy sizzlers that will animate terpsichoreans from the Faroe Islands to San Francisco.
I want more Strads in my space-age Scandinavian pad.
Please, let’s have more bowing before it’s starts snowing.
Rub in the resin before Hubert tosses his fez in.
Western swing, Gipsy jazz. Mournful Highland ballads. Innovative String quartets, Breton all-nighters. Loch-side ceilidhs…
See comments for a few of my favourites …..
A few fiddle gems that we have somehow failed to mention so far…..
Dan Hicks – I scare myself
The Wonder Stuff – Mission Drive
Frank Zappa – Willie the Pimp
Waterboys . Fisherman’s Blues
Bob Wills – San Antonio Rose
That led me to this…..
THE WALKABOUTS – The light will stay on’ . WONDERFUL STRINGS
The Divine Comedy – Tonight we fly
Randomly, I just spotted Lucy Wilkins (from the Roxy Music clip on the other thread) in the string section with The Divine Comedy. That’s a tremendous performance of the song, innit? I do enjoy his more orchestral music.
There is some lovely fiddle playing by Aaron MacGregor on this track by Concerto Caledonia Feat Iona Fyle and Alasdair Roberts,
A golden oldie.
Great choice, Mike. Oh, the memories.
I saw It’s a Beautiful Day at the Roundhouse back in the heady days of Implosion. They were superb.
Nice to hear some jazz violin that’s not “Gypsy Jazz”.
Nothing against Gypsy Jazz, really. Except that it’s the only jazz violin style that you tend to hear.
Jason Anick is quite a find, Mike.
Not only is he a violin teacher, He also plays in several bands.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Anick
Gipsy jazz does seem to be his favourite genre though.
For a change from gipsy jazz, this may hit the spot, @mike_h
It’s from an album called Stradivarius in Rio by Viktoria Mullova in which she fiddles her way through the Great Brazilian Songbook.
Definitely worth checking out.
Cheers.
My favourite very short fiddle break. Andy Stein, in Commander Cody & his Lost Planet Airmen.
If the Commander doesn’t get them dancing, no one will, Retro.
Andy Stein played both fiddle and sax in the band. Versatile chap.
it would churlish not to have another track from the Lost Planet Airmen.
I wonder if Herreys, who won Eurovison for Sweden in 1984 with a song called Diggi loo, Diggi Ley, had ever heard this-
I just learnt that the fiddle played in Brazilian forro music in the North East of Brazil is called a rabeca.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabeca
It originated from Portugal
Here is the rabeca being played at a dance night in Cap Verde by Katy Dos Santos.
And now another local rabeca hero in Cap Verde, Nho Nane.
He’ll fill that dancefloor.
https://www.caboverdeamusica.online/nho-nani/
Probably the name comes from rebec so have some rebec.
Yikes. The roosters of Thirsk have been busy thIs morning, @hubert-rawlinson.
You are up with the lark.
And completely correct.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebec
The rabeca, also known as rabeca chuleira, is a type of fiddle originating in Portugal. It is commonly used in Portugal, Northeastern Brazil—where it is especially prominent in Brazilian forró music—and in Cape Verde. It is descended from the medieval rebec.
That rebec sounds splendid. it’s impressive to read on wiki how many Early Music bands have a rebec player .
Here’s some violin and cello from one of my favourite current bands, the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. This is their take on the Eddie Harris classic Compared To What.
They are excellent @Alias. Great song too.
I look forward to listening to more of their music.
Exploring the world of the fiddle has led to me discovering all manner of rabbit holes.
Here is an interview with Dr. Jacqueline Cogdell DjeDje who has researched the history of the fiddle in West Africa.
https://folkworks.org/fiddling-in-west-africa/
It’s an academic paper but it brings up some interesting points.
Arabs arrived earlier, around the 7th century, and they went up to Europe. And then when they were stopped by the Crusades, they began to focus more on Africa and began infiltrating various parts of West Africa. So many people don’t know that Arabs also introduced the fiddle tradition to Europe. Arabs introduced it to both groups – Africans and Europeans. And each group has used to develop something their own — in Europe and eventually the United States.
Dr. DjeDje: People don’t recognize that the violin is actually from the Middle East, from Arab culture. In fact, the guitar, all these lute-type instruments are derived from the oud [a plucked lute].
Here is some fiddle music from the Dagmamba people of Northern Ghana.
Great for dancing
Wiki is very good if you want to investigate all the sub-genres of fiddling in North America.
Western swing for example, where the fiddle was invariably the lead instrument.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_swing_fiddle
.
So many sub-genres
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_fiddle&wprov=rarw1
Blues fiddle, jazz fiddle, electric fiddle, Appalachian fiddle, bluegrass fiddle, Boston fiddle etc etc
At the risk of lowering the tone of this excellent thread, may I add an example of the ensemble fiddle playing of my younger years? For many of us in the entertainment starved areas of Scotland, this music provided many a highlight during the long, dark nights of winter.
This is just the kind of thing I wanted @Fifer. A crowded dancefloor full of happy people dancing to lively fiddling,
I have a Scottish friend here in Stockholm who organises regular ceilidhs. They are really popular. I’m no dancer but i love the atmosphere.
After all that dancing, we need a rest.
While we’re in Scotland, let’s pop up to Shetland to hear these fine chaps from my neck of the woods-
Sidestepper “Dame Tu Querer”
An Irakere song which I think KFD has posted before. This Tito Puente cover replaces the psychedelic guitar with the psychedelic violin of Alfredo De La Fe.
These are interesting.
.
Extremely interesting, Mike, How did you stumble across them…
Purely accidentally while scouring YouTube for “jazz violin”.
I’d never heard or heard OF them before yesterday.
They were suggested to me too on YouTube
I am very glad you posted them, @Mike. Their quirky sense of humour and the way that they stage the performances really appeal to me.
There is some fine fiddling on this Bond and Bogroll re-working of John Barry.
The band have a great enthusiasm for film soundtracks.
Here is little background.
https://www.settlevictoriahall.org.uk/eventsandshows/decostruttoripostmodernisti170618
Interesting to discover the name of the cinema in their home town of Perugia…
https://www.comingsoon.it/cinema/perugia/postmodernissimo/5588/
The rebec may sound splendid, here for your delectation is the tromba marina.
Enjoy!
For sheer spectacle.
That was quite stupendous. What a find.-i would love to see it on a real cinema screen with decent sound.
Great work @hubert-rawnison
From 35 here’s the pianos.
Let’s have some love for the late, great Papa John Creach:
Thanks @dwightstrut.
I knew of Pappa John and those three track to flesh out my image of him.
I found this clip of hs first appearance with the Airplane.
The YT notes are excellent…
It was a powerful night at Winterland concert hall in San Francisco and Dean and Dudley Evenson were ready to document the evening with their new Sony Portapack (half-inch video camera). Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service had played and now the Jefferson Airplane was performing. The night before, the world had been stunned with news of Janis Joplin’s death. Her good friend Marty Balin decided not to perform but the band played on.
A surprise musical guest was elderly blues violinist Papa John Creach. This debut performance with the Airplane launched a long period of collaboration with the iconic rock band and its various permutations. His powerful violin improvisations drew from a rich background of growing up in Chicago and performing many styles of music because of all the different nationalities there. Once he had relocated to California, he met Joey Covington who later joined the Airplane and invited him to perform at this memorable event. Needless to say, the youthful crowd was captivated and Creach became a fixture in the rock world from that night on.
Afternoon! ‘Bout time I took my responsibilities seriously. Here, with my inevitable Rheingans Sisters contribution. You are welcome to bourree d’Auvergne if you wish.
That track is wonderfuL @thecheshirecat. I think we’d better have another tune from The Rheingans.
Bourree d’Auvergne. Don’t mind if I do. i’ll have that with a side order of chips.
incidentally, Cheshire, I was just looking for some Breton dance music with some violins.
Instead I found this. Breton punk rock band, Les Ramoneurs de Menhirs
Hey ho, let’s go.
They sounds very promising-
http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/en/interviews/les-ramoneurs-de-menhir-2024/
Do you consider yourselves as a part of a bigger scene? And how would you like to describe this scene?
It is obvious that strength comes from unity. We are part of the traditional Breton scene and the independent and alternative Punk-Rock scene. The strength of the Ramoneurs de Menhirs is to unite families and young people. At our concerts, there are often four generations, the young children that we bring on stage with us, the older brothers or sisters, the parents and the grandparents. That is the concept of “Uniting the tribe”. Together, we are dynamite!
What is the Breton for moshpit?
This merely confirms what I already knew. As far as les bretons are concerned, their music is not folk music; it’s just their music, and that it is breton is more important to them than the musical genre. Go to a fest noz and you will see what we think of as typical folk instruments – melodeon, pipes, gurdy – and you’ll see instruments from the orchestra – cellos, brass, woodwind, lots of clarinets in particular – and you’ll see the kids spinning decks. But whatever the style, you can always do the same dance moves and every generation will; they are the glue that holds it all together.
Punk bombard – fabulous!
My own footage of violinist Benet McLean, pianist Neil Angilley, saxman Jeremy Shoham, bassist Yaron Stavi, drummer Rick Finlay and guest flautist Miriam (I think that was her name) at the pub 7 years ago. A familiar tune that I can’t remember the name of.
I’m pretty sure the tune is Wave by Tom Jobim
And what a very agreeable version. Benet, Jeremy and Miriam do a fine job. Thanks, Mike.
A favourite very short track from one of my very favourite albums featuring the fiddle playing of the great Byron Berline. He was mainly from the bluegrass world but played with many varied artists from various genres. He was also a member of the Flying Burrito Brothers back in the day.
Excellent choice @The -californian- Let’s have some more Byron–
Smut!
Nice work, @hubert-rawlinson.
A song full of excellent advice. for us all.
The very next time you come this way
Be sure and bring your fiddle
My favourite David Byrne solo album is his first, Rei Momo. This track is a cumbia, but the violin solo is pure country.
Nice work, @hubert-rawlinson.
A song full of excellent advice. for us all.
The very next time you come this way
Be sure and bring your fiddle
PLEASE IGNORE THE DOUBLE COMMENT ABOVE.
David Byrne’s Rei Momo was an excellent choice, @Alias. It was a fantastic album and the tour he did with a Latino backing band was stupendous.
So, who was playing that fiddle solo?7
Discogs reveals it was Lewis Kahn.
https://www.discogs.com/release/8937597-David-Byrne-Rei-Momo?srsltid=AfmBOorDvLskwRuR8-3jOD1jygqAS_IDZvOEc4kEeO73uFAbDVE2peoI
I’d never heard of this talented trombonist and violinist but he was very highly respected on the NY jazz scene.
This interview is an excellent portrait.
https://latinomusiccafe.com/2011/09/05/lewis-kahn-a-blue-collar-salsa-music-man/
lloyd Carter was another violin player who appeared on Rei Momo.
His day job was with Son Primero. here they are playing a free concert in New York.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=son+primero+pide+que+lo+toque
On the topic of strings in Latin hits, this Hector Lavoe hit has a magnificently dramatic arrangement, @Alias.
That’s an absolute classic.
It always seems wrong to me that musicians of that quality play to hardly anyone. I’ve seen some incredible players with Winton Marsalis and the Mingus Big Band whose bread and butter is gigs like a weekly residency in a New York restaurant.
The YT algorithm has realised that I’m looking for fiddle clips and treated me to some Alain Stivell.
There’s a nice fiddle break on this classic too.
You will be delighted, but unsurprised, to know that Tri Martolod is in my repertoire – the only song, so far, that I sing in Breton.
Delighted, but unsurprised perfectly sums up my reaction.
Good for you, @thecheshirecat. Brave of you to sing in the Breton language.
Stick to your guns and you’ll soon be selling out stadiums like Nolwenn here.
I discovered her thanks to BRETONNE, that album where she went back to her Breton roots.
Here’s Nolwenn with another Breton floorfiller..
I
@thecheshirecat is that the one you sing when leading the dancing? Sorry we couldn’t make it to your Fest last weekend.
Tell us more, @hubert-rawlinson. Did Cheshire organise an event?
We’ve been to see him a couple of times at this but as we’ve moved away it wasn’t possible this time. Glad to see it sold out.
https://frenchdanceleeds.wordpress.com/
Alas my terpsichorean days are over but it’s always an enjoyable event.
Thanks a lot, @hubert-rawlinson.
It’s all rather impressive. And going strong after 25 years.
Ah, an avant-deux de Travers. Ooh look! There I am dancing with Kat, Becca and Helen.
My curiosity about the use of strings in Cuban music led me to this very promising site. FIDDLING AROUND THE WORLD
https://www.fiddlingaround.co.uk/cuban%20fiddle/index.html
Here’s a sample.
An important development for the violin in Cuban music came with the formation of a new band in the 1940’s; the Orquesta Melodias del 40. This featured an outstanding violinist Miguel Barbon, also known as Brindis or El Nino Prodigo (the child prodigy). He was a virtuoso improvisor on the violin, and became the model for generations of Cuban fiddlers to follow. In later life he was a featured soloist with the Afro Cuban All Stars.
There’s a splendid fiddle solo in this track by Orquestra Melodias del 40
That FIDDLING AROUND THE WORLD site is remarkable. Hours of interesting reading.
Here’s the page on the Middle east and the Mediterranean
https://www.fiddlingaround.co.uk/med/index.html
So many interesting titbits. For example, Napoleon introduced the violin to Egypt.
They mention this Greek violinist. Michalis Kouloumis.
i was listening to Swedish radiO show Kalejsoskop this morning and they played these two tracks
Turkish singer Gülden Karaböcek singing Anılar Bana Yeter
Interesting woman.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BClden_Karab%C3%B6cek
In 2018, Karaböcek attracted attention across Turkey with a remix version of her song “Saka Yaptım” for a movie called Arada. [17] In 2019, a portion of song “Anilar bana yeter” was sampled in track called “Tehran gunshots” by Bristol dubstep producer Sir Hiss,[18] which was primarily done for soundsystem clash event & gain much attention in dubstep community since release. In 2022, a Drum and bass version, named “Earshots” and based on the same sample, was released as collaboration between Sir Hiss and London collective 4AM Kru.[19]
I imagine you will enjoy @salwaroe