Jim & Kim Lansford
JIM & KIM LANSFORD from Galena, Missouri
Friday, July 16, 8 pm
Leadway Bar & Gallery (5233 N. Damen)
Show up tonight and register at the door. Dues are $15 for this meeting.
The registration link at oldtownschool.org is no longer working.
And here’s Jim & Kim with a medley of tunes from the nineteenth century.
These are great!
Jim & Kim Lansford
from Galena, Missouri
Friday, July 16, 8 pm
Leadway Bar & Gallery (5233 N. Damen)
This is strong music. Not only because of the considerable talents of this duo, but because their tunes and songs are deeply rooted in rural American life and tradition. Great fiddling and heartful singing. Don’t miss this.
Click here to register.
Hear here . . .
Tuesday, June 8, 8pm at the Old Town School
Two bands from two traditions of old-time music – Finnish and American – the evening will be part workshop, part visit, and part jam session. Members of Steve Rosen’s Fiddle 3 and Paul Tyler’s Fiddle 4 will attend Fiddlepalooza in lieu of their regular class. All fiddlers, banjoists, mandolinists, guitarists, accordionists and friends of old-time music are welcome. Check back with this blog for some tunes to learn for the jam session.
Click here to register for Fiddlepalooza.
The Polka Chicks, from Helsinki, Suomi (Finland)
Their American tour features the duo of Kukka Lehto (fiddle & mandolin) and Teija Niku (accordions).
Polka Chicks, hear here . . .
The Mostly Mountain Boys, from Washington, DC (USA)
Paul Brown (you hear him on NPR newscasts) plays fiddle; Terri McMurray is on banjo; and John Schwab is the guitarist.
Hear Paul Brown at the U of Chicago folk festival, 2008
Battle of the Horseshoe
Lady of the Lake
Click one of the following links to listen to and learn some tunes from the Polka Chicks and from the Mostly Mountain Boys.
The Polka Chicks and the Mostly Mountain Boys will share the bill on June 9 at the Old Town School’s World Music Wednesdays. Click here for more info or to reserve tickets.
A free meeting – Sunday, June 6
time and location to be announced
Rudi Pietsch of the band Die Tanzgeiger (the Dance Fiddlers) from Vienna
Rudi Pietsch (on left)
Rudi, a fiddler and ethnomusicologist, is currently a visiting professor at the University of Chicago. The Old Town School has assisted his endeavors in Chicago, and in return, he wants to introduce us to a rich tradition of fiddling we know little about. Here are some samples from Die Tanzgeiger.
Upper Louisiana is Illinois. The first European-Americans to settle in our state were French. And when the British defeated the French in the Seven Years War, many of the French moved across the river to Missouri. French culture and traditional French folksongs and tunes have survived downstate for over two centuries. Prairie du Rocher, Illinois and Ste. Genevieve, Missouri still celebrate the coming of the New Year with La Guignole, a house-to-house visiting tradition similar to mumming in Newfoundland or old-style mardi gras in Cajun southwest Louisiana. A number of older fiddlers and singers from near Old Mines, Missouri kept the old songs alive for later generations.
La Guignolee played by Charlie Pasha (or Pashia) in 1976 for the landmark LP of field recordings, “I’m Old But I’m Awfully Tough: Traditional Music of the Ozark Region.”
(A 1950s recording of the full Prairie du Rocher singers can be found on Folksongs of Illinois #1.)
Another fine fiddler from Old Mines, Missouri was Joe Politte. The following are a couple of his unnamed breakdowns recorded 30 years ago. The first one, in D, has been frequently taught at Old Town School fiddle classes under the title “Bass in the Hollow.”
D breakdown played by Joe Politte
C breakdown played by Joe Politte
 Joe Politte |
 Dennis Stroughmatt |
Jury Baker played by Dennis Stroughmatt
Dennis Stroughmatt will be the featured guest at the next Fiddle Club of the World meeting on Sunday, March 28. A younger downstate fiddler and singer, Dennis learned directly from such traditional masters from Old Mines as Charlie Pashia and Roy Boyer. He leads two bands that cover a variety of French-American styles–L’Esprit Créole and Creole Stomp–but will appear as a soloist at the Fiddle Club of the World. That meeting is scheduled for 6:30p on March 28 at the Leadway Bar & Gallery (5233 N. Damen). Click here to register.
Paul Tyler, convener
LIZ KNOWLES – Feb. 19
A Celtic legend in her own right, Liz Knowles will visit the Fiddle Club fresh off a trip to China with Celtic Legends, the play for which she serves as music director. Liz’s impressive list of credits includes Riverdance, fiddling on Broadway in The Pirate Queen and the soundtrack for the movie Michael Collins. She has been a member of the John Whelan Band, Cherish the Ladies, and currently tours with the super-group, String Sisters. Her solo CD is The Celtic Fiddle.
Click here to register for an evening of Irish fiddling, old and new.
DENNIS STROUGHMATT – March 28
Part of Dennis Stroughmatt’s education was devoted to recording, observing, and learning many of the Creole French traditions still alive in “Upper Louisiana,” including the old fiddle tunes he learned from masters Roy Boyer and Charlie Pashia. He also developed a fluency in Illinois-Missouri Creole French, and acquired a wealth of stories and songs from elder story tellers and singers. His recorded works include The Gambler’s Fiddle and Cadet Rouselle, two CDs of old French Music from Upper Louisiana. He also performs with Dennis Stroughmatt & Creole Stomp.
Click here to register for a journey through the early music of the Illinois Country.
GENEVIEVE HARRISON KOESTER – April 18
Genevieve Koester’s command of old-time fiddling belies the fact that she’s been playing less than a half dozen years. She comes by it honestly as, in her words, “Both my parents play the fiddle – my mom is classically trained and my dad is a freak of nature (in a talented way).” While her mother Gaye has long led the group Mother Lode in Charleston, Illinois, Genevieve has joined with her father Garry Harrison in the New Mules, a string band dedicated to the old-time fiddle tunes and songs of downstate Illinois and beyond. Husband Smith Koester, also a member of the New Mules, will join Gena at the Fiddle Club of the World. The band’s new CD, Pride of America, is one of the best.
Click here to register for an evening of old-time tunes in a Midwestern key.
MATT BROWN – May 2
A multi-instrumentalist from West Chester, Pennsylvania, Matt Brown is one of the rising stars in the old-time music firmament. Though he’s just passed the quarter-century mark, he already has 3 albums to his credit, including the solo CD, The Falls of Richmond. On Lone Prairie, his debut CD, he was joined by veteran banjoist Paul Brown and guitarist Beverly Smith. Both CDs are from 5-String Productions, in which Matt is a partner. For his Fiddle Club appearance, he will partner with the Old Town School’s Steve Rosen.
Click here to register for a trip to southern climes.
All meetings scheduled for
Leadway Bar & Gallery
5233 N. Damen
Chicago, Illinois
Check back for links to tunes to learn for the jam sessions for each meeting.
Liz Knowles tunes
Dennis Stroughmatt tunes
Genevieve Koester tunes
Matt Brown tunes
-Paul Tyler, convener
Fiddle Club of the World (Chicago Chapter)
ARTO JÄRVELÄ – Sept. 25
Arto Järvelä is a world-class musician from Järvelä, a small village just across the Perho River from the slightly less smaller town of Kaustinen, seismic center of the Finnish Folk Music explosion of the last few decades. Arto’s grandfather Johannes led the Järvelän Pelimannit (Järvelä Village Fiddlers) through the 1970s. Since then, Arto has made a name for himself as a solo fiddler and as a member of many important folk bands, such as Pinnin Pojat, the Helsinki Mandolinners and Nordic Tree. He perhaps is best known for JPP (short for Järvelän Pikkupelimannit, or little village fiddlers band).
Arto will perform Finnish polskas, polkkas, sotiisis (schottisches) and more on fiddle and nyckleharpa (Swedish keyed-fiddle).
Arto Järvelä will play for the Fiddle Club of the World on
Friday, September 25, 2009 at 7:30pm
Leadway Bar & Gallery (5233 N. Damen)
Click here to register for Arto’s visit to the Fiddle Club of the World
Go here to download Arto’s jam session tunes.
PETE SUTHERLAND – Oct. 16
Pete Sutherland is a fiddler’s fiddle (also a master songwriter and multi-insturmentalist). A native of Vermont’s Champlain Valley, Pete sojourned in southern Indiana during the 1980s, where your Fiddle Club convener was lucky enough to live, dance and soak up tunes. Pete’s band credits include Arm & Hammer Stringband, Metamora and the Clayfoot Strutters.
Pete will be joined on his visit to the Fiddle Club by Jeremaiah McLane (piano & accordion) and Mark Roberts (flute & banjo). They are in town for a barn dance and workshops at the University of Chicago, where they will spin out more driving square dance and contra dance melodies to complete a great Fall weekend.
Pete Sutherland, with Jeremiah McLane & Mark Roberts
will play for the Fiddle Club of the World on
Friday, October 16, 2009 at 7:30pm
Leadway Bar & Gallery (5233 N. Damen)
NB: location may be changed to a larger venue
Click here to register for Pete’s visit to the Fiddle Club of the World
Go here to download Pete’s jam session tunes
RUTH BALL – Oct. 25
Ruth and her accompanist, Tom Cronin, are from Newcastle, England.
Unfortunately, the US Department of Homespun Inferiority might interfere with this meeting. Plans for a substitute guest artist are underway. Stay tuned for more details
(Click picture for a full view.)
KENNY STONE – Nov. 22
Chicagoland Bluegrass. Jam session tunes to be posted in October.
Kenny Stone of the Chicago Bluegrass Band
and a master folk artist for Traditional Arts Indiana
SEASON PASS for all four Fall 2009 Fiddle Club meetings is available through Sept. 25.
All meetings scheduled for
Leadway Bar & Gallery
5233 N. Damen
Chicago, Illinois
-Paul Tyler, convener
Fiddle Club of the World (Chicago Chapter)
It’s a go. Fiddlers of all stripes, banjoists and all old-time music lovers should not miss this opportunity to sit up close to listen to Dan and play a few tunes. Some tunes for the jam session will be posted later this week.
March 28 (Sat) 8:00
Dan Gellert
Old-Time doesn’t get any better than this!
Leadway Bar and Gallery (5233 N. Damen)
Sugar in the Gourd
From “Roustabout,” an LP documenting the 1976 Indiana Fiddlers Gathering (aka Battle Ground)
Black-Eyed Susie
From the 2006 Midwest Banjo Camp, with bones by Clif Ervin!
Follow this link to Dan’s website for more audio samples from his incredible new CD, “Waitin’ on the Break of Day.” You can buy it there, too.
To register, go here. Or you can browse through all the workshop listings at oldtownschool.org.
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.
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.
Click here to register for October 4 meeting.
To hear some Frank Ferrel tunes.
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.
To hear some Alan Jabbour tunes.
To hear some Ken Perlman tunes.
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.
November 30 (Sun) 6:30
Karen Solgard
The Enchanting Sound of Norse Fiddle
Leadway Bar and Gallery (5233 N. Damen)
 |
 (click for another view) |
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.
To hear some Norwegian tunes from Karen Solgard.
Click here to register for the November 30 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.
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’)
Or you can register by phone at 773.728.6000
The cost is $15.
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, click 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.