Fiddle Club meetings for Fall 2009

Posted on September 18, 2009 by Paul Tyler

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).

Nyckelharpa
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

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)

Preview of Fiddle Club’s Upcoming Season(s)

Posted on August 15, 2009 by Paul Tyler

Announcing meetings scheduled for Fall 2009

Three are set in cement. The fourth requires some more phone calls.
An announcement will be made here soon of how you can register for these meetings, with a provision to subscribe to all four at a bargain price.

Tunes for learning will be posted here in the coming weeks.

We have . . .

Arto Järvelä from Kaustinen, Finland
Friday, September 25

Jarvelan Antin polska

Arto Järvelä (click to enlarge)

Pete Sutherland from Montpelier, Vermont
with Jeremiah McLane (piano & accordion)
and Mark Roberts (banjo & flute)
Friday, October 16

Lady of the Lake #s 1-3

Icy Mountain-Blind Steer in a Mud Hole

Ruth Ball and Tom Cronin from Newcastle, England
Sunday, October 25

Dunstanburgh Rant

I’m now thinking bluegrass for late November or early December

Coming in 2010

Irish, possibly in January

Genevieve Harrison (old-time) in perhaps February

Dennis Stroughmatt (Illinois-Louisiana French tunes)
Sunday, March 28

Watch this website for announcement of time and place for each meeting.

Paul Tyler, convener
Fiddle Club of the World (Chicago Chapter)

Tunes from Frank Ferrel

Posted on October 3, 2008 by Paul Tyler

Here are some tunes played by Frank Ferrel, a Yankee fiddler from Maine.

Mrs. Hogan’s Birthday

Connemara Stockings

Beans & Humors of Maine

Tripping to the Well & Galway Belle

These tunes are from Frank’s earlier CDs, “Boston Fiddle” (Rounder) and “Fiddledance.” You should buy them (see Great Meadows Music).

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.

Guest Artists for Fall 2008

Posted on September 11, 2008 by Paul Tyler

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.