Fiddle Club of the World
Notation for Alan Jabbour tunes
| These are Alan Jabbour’s transcriptions of some of the tunes he learned from Henry Reed. Musical notation is only a guide to one way to play a tune. Use the written notes along with the recordings. If you hear something different than what is written down, good. Trust your ears. Play what you hear. |
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Used with permission from Learning Old-Time Fiddle Appalachian Style with Alan Jabbour. or Written music is a sketch. Sound documents are the ultimate authority. or To hear Alan Jabbour play these tunes. or |
Filed under: Notation by Paul | October 14, 2008 | Comments (0)
Ken Perlman tunes
| Click blue link to download or to listen to these .mp3s. or Click here for tips and troubleshooting on how to get at these .mp3s. or Ken learned these tunes from fiddlers on Prince Edward Island. or or Brae Reel Coming soon: a slow version of Brae Reel. or Miramichi Fire Coming soon: a slow version of Miramichi Fire. or Medley: The Brae Reel & The Miramichi Fire or or Used with permission from Ken Perlman, from his Island Boy CD. or Go to Ken Perlman’s transcriptions of these fiddle tunes. or |
Filed under: Tunes by Paul | October 12, 2008 | Comments (0)
Notation for Ken Perlman tunes
| These are Ken Perlman’s transcriptions of two of the tunes he learned from fiddlers on Prince Edward Island. Musical notation is only a guide to one way to play a tune. Use the written notes along with the recordings. If you hear something different than what is written down, good. Trust your ears. Play what you hear. |
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Click on thumbnail to enlarge.
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Used with permission from The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island by Ken Perlman (Mel Bay Publications). or Written music is a sketch. Sound documents are the ultimate authority. or To hear Ken Perlman play these tunes. or |
Filed under: Notation by Paul | October 11, 2008 | Comments (0)
Tunes from Frank Ferrel
| Click blue link to download or to listen to these .mp3s. or Click here for tips and troubleshooting on how to get at these .mp3s. or Here are some tunes played by Frank Ferrel, a Yankee fiddler from Maine. or or Mrs. Hogan’s Birthday or Connemara Stockings or Beans & Humors of Maine or Tripping to the Well & Galway Belle or or These tunes are from Frank’s earlier CDs, “Boston Fiddle” (Rounder) and “Fiddledance” (Great Meadows Music). You should buy the CDs. or or Frank Ferrel will be performing at the Fiddle Club of the World’s meeting on Saturday, October 4 at Chief O’Neills. Click here to register, or call 773.728.6000. |
Filed under: Tunes by Paul | October 3, 2008 | Comments (0)
Guest Artists for Fall 2008
Meetings held in varied locations. Check schedule below.
| October 4 (Sat) 2:00 Frank Ferrel Wicked Good Yankee Fiddling Chief O’Neill’s Pub (3471 N. Elston) Real New England fiddling, to be served up aplenty by Frank Ferrel, is a spicy stew of Irish, Acadian and Cape Breton Scottish blended with Yankee ingenuity. It’s hot and wicked good to dance to. Mr. Ferrel, who currently hails from Maine, was first inspired by the fiddling of his grandfather, a resident of West Virginia and Ohio. Then, while stationed in Boston shipyards in the 1960s, he fell under the sway of the Irish, Acadian and Canadian Maritime fiddlers who frequented the dance halls on Dudley Street. or Frank Ferrel will present a mini-concert and workshop on fiddling for contra dancing. Participants will be invited to join the band for one dance that evening at the Midway Contra in Ida Noyes Hall at the University of Chicago. or Click here to register for October 4 meeting. |
 (click for another view) or To hear some Frank Ferrel tunes. |
 (click for another view) or To hear some Alan Jabbour tunes. To hear some Ken Perlman tunes. |
or October 29 (Wed) 8:00 Alan Jabbour & Ken Perlman Fiddle-Banjo Summit Paddy O’Splaines (2434 W Montrose) Alan Jabbour learned many of the tunes we play today directly from Henry Reed, the Hammons Family and others masters of a generation that has passed on. Ken Perlman provides a solid and spirited second on clawhammer banjo. Banjoists (and other instrumentalists) are always welcome at Fiddle Club meetings, but this time, there will be something especially for you. Mr. Jabbour, now retired, was the longtime director of the Center for American Folklife at the Library of Congress. or or Click here to register for October 29 meeting. Note: if you register for Old Time Ensemble on Wednesdays next session (starts that night), you are automatically registered for Fiddle Club of the World meeting. |
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November 30 (Sun) 6:30
Karen Solgard
The Enchanting Sound of Norse Fiddle
Leadway Bar and Gallery (5233 N. Damen)
The Hardanger fiddler or hardingfele, the national instrument of Norway, is a richly decorated fiddle with four extra strings running beneath the fingerboard. They vibrate sympathetically along with the bowed strings and give a haunting depth to the fingered melodies. These enchanting and ancient tunes can also be played on a standard fiddle. Karen Torkelson Solgård is a fiddler, sinter and story-teller whose personal mission is teach American audience about the national music of her forebearers. Ms. Solgard comes to us from Minneapolis.
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To hear some Norwegian tunes from Karen Solgard.
(coming soon)
Click here to register for the November 30 meeting.
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Filed under: Meeting Schedule by Paul | September 11, 2008 | Comments (0)
In the Field: Bluff Country Gathering
Each year BobnGail (aka Bob Bovee & Gail Heil) put on one of the friendliest and funnest old-time music events anywhere–the Bluff Country Gathering–in one of the prettiest and welcomingest small towns you’ll find: Lanesboro, Minnesota. Held the weekend before Memorial Day weekend, the Gathering is four days of workshops, concerts, jamming parties, great food, easy laughter, enduring friendships and an old-time square dance. Once you’ve been, you’ll want to come back every year, so keep these links ready to register for the 2009 Gathering once it’s announced next winter.
The 2008 Gathering boasted a stellar lineup of fiddlers, banjoists and other old-time musicianers. Because I canoed the Root River from Lanesboro to Whalan with my kids and our friend, bowmaker Lee Guthrie, I missed a highlight of this years gathering. Fortunately, Lynn Garren had a recorder going for the fiddle showcase on Saturday afternoon. It featured six of the finest exponents of traditional American fiddling from my generation and the next. Tom Sauber, Brad Leftwich and Alice Gerrard (of Tom, Brad & Alice), Mac Traynham, Chirps Smith and Stephanie Coleman. All have respectfully studied with elder (more or less) masters, and all have found their own comfortable places within the deep streams of tradition.
Tom, Brad & Alice (six tunes)
Mac, Chirps & Stephanie (six more tunes to be posted soon)
Lynn generously shared sound files of the showcase with the Fiddle Club (read Lynn’s take), recorded on a Zoom H2 from the audience in the rustic Sons of Norway Lodge on May 17, 2008.
All the tunes posted here are used with the gracious permission of the artists. Please download responsibly.
The artists have CDs and other product available. Follow the links on the tune pages for more information.
Paul Tyler, convener
Filed under: Musings by Paul | August 12, 2008 | Comments (0)
Bluff Country Tunes 1: Tom, Brad & Alice
Click purple links to download or to listen to these .mp3s.
Click here for tips and troubleshooting on how to get at these .mp3s.
Recordings used by permission of the artists. Click on their names or photos for links to their websites or info on their CDs &c.
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or Brad Leftwich or Arkansas Holler or Richmond or or or |
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Recorded by Lynn Garren at the Bluff Country Gathering in Lanesboro, Minnesota on May 17, 2008.
Return to Bluff Country Gathering post and link to more recordings.
Filed under: Tunes by Paul | August 11, 2008 | Comments (0)
Huapango Nights
Our special meeting on July 20 featured a presentation and workshop on Son Huasteco, the traditional music of the Huasteco region of Mexico. Son Huasteco includes three types: danzas, sones de carnival and huapangos. The first two are associated with the fiestas and ceremonies of the indigeous people. Some have singing, others are instrumentals. Huapangos are played for social dancing (fandangos) among the mestizos, and feature both sung verses and instrumental solos. Our featured guest, Felipe Valle demonstrated the improvisation and ornamentation used by Son Huasteco fiddlers.
El Caballito, a carnival song.
Felipe Valle (click to enlarge)
Felipe was joined by Juan Rivera of Sones de Mexico, and Irekani Ferreyra and Anabel Tapia of Tarima Son. (By the way, Tarima Son won first place in the Fiddle Band division of the Midwest Fiddle Championship at the Chicago Folk & Roots festival earlier in July.) Juan and Irekani both played fiddle with Anabel on jarana. Felipe often plays with a haupanguera strapped to his back, so he can quickly change between strumming the chords and bowing the fiddle. The deep voice of the huapanguera is prominent in this sample of the conjunto sound of Son Huasteco.
La Polla Pinta, a huapango
Anabel, Felipe, Irekani & Juan
The typical line-up for a Son Huasteco trio is fiddle, jarana huasteca and huapanguera. The jarana, an 8 eight-string instrument with 5 courses (a bigger version of the ukulele), is also common in Son Jarocho and other regional styles of Mexican folk music. Here, the jarana section was augmented by the late-arriving Juan Dies of Sones de Mexico.
La Xochipitzahuatl, a danza
Felipe & Juan Rivera
Fiddle Club members had a chance to learn and play four or five pieces from the Son Huasteco tradition.
Juan & Paul
Thanks to Debi Lewis and Pete Janotta for the photos.
Go here for tips and troubleshooting on how to get at these .mp3s.
An announcement of the Fall 2008 season of the Fiddle Club will be forthcoming in the next month. Stay tuned.
Paul Tyler, convener
Filed under: Reports by Paul | August 6, 2008 | Comments (0)
Just Added, a July Meeting
Our featured guest artist is Felipe Valle, “El Huracán Huasteco,” in town for July from Mexico City. Felipe is a young master of Son Huasteco, a regional style of folk music from the area north of Veracruz. The favored rhythm of Son Huasteco, called ‘huapango,’ is well-suited for zapateado, (Mexican step-dancing or clogging). Son Huasteco features virtuosic and flamboyant fiddling, alternating with improvised vocals with a distinctive yodel.
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Sunday, July 20, 6:30-9:30 Leadway Bar and Gallery 5233 N. Damen, Chicago Go here To register for the meeting (aka ‘pay your dues’) The cost is $15. |
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Accompanying Felipe will be his long-time friend and musical compadre Juan Rivera, fiddler and multi-instrumentalist with Sones de Mexico.
To hear some tunes from Felipe and Juan, go here.
| The Fiddle Club of the World (Chicago Chapter) welcomes players of all instruments and listeners who want to sit up close to masters of traditional dance music. |
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Filed under: Meeting Schedule by Paul | July 8, 2008 | Comments (0)
Tunes from Felipe Valle & Juan Rivera
| Click blue link to download or to listen to these .mp3s. or Click here for tips and troubleshooting on how to get at these .mp3s. El Caballito More to come. Check back in a few days. Felipe Valle & Juan Rivera are the featured guests for the Fiddle Club of the World’s meeting on Sunday, July 20 at the Leadway Bar & Gallery (5233 N. Damen). Go here to register. |
Filed under: Tunes by Paul | July 7, 2008 | Comments (2)
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