Welcome to my fifteenth post and to my new friends from Turkey, Romania, Brazil and New Zealand, the site has had over 7,500 hits to date, just unbelievable! I thought I would be a bit indulgent this newsletter and do a ‘desert island discs’ type, fun type thingy!!!
Many times when I play the fiddle at a gig I get asked the question from members of an audience after the show the usual “what’s the difference between a fiddle and a violin”? The next more interesting question is “who’s your favourite player”? This is a difficult one; I always favoured melodies rather than flashy technical playing, although my good friend Ric Sanders of Fairport Convention said in front of a packed audience at a Worcester venue that I was the fastest fiddle player in the Midlands!! (I suppose I tried to be in my early day’s lol). Well Ric my sixty five years have slowed me down a lot and I love melody even more.
It all started I suppose with Dave Swarbrick (Swarb), he was my late teen influence along with Robin Williamson of The Incredible String Band. It was time to step up to the mark just a few years later when I found my band supporting Swarb and his band Fairport Convention at university gigs.
Me playing fiddle to a Fairport crowd!. Aagghhh!!!
Somewhere along the way, (1996 possibly) I was very fortunate to attend as a birthday present from my wife Elizabeth a master class by Irish fiddle virtuoso Martin Hayes. I suppose his attitude towards the fiddle is, in his own words “organic”. It didn’t from that point matter anymore to me to be a technical wizard as long as the melody was the main point. Which is why my choice is as follows, not only for melody, but for not being afraid to cross borders and to break new ground.:
My Personal Top 10 Fiddlers
Nigel Kennedy
What’s not to like? I adore the melodies of Nigel’s own compositions more than the ‘Four Seasons’ type gig of which he’s more commonly known. I’ve been playing a couple of his compositions for some time now from my favourite Kennedy album ‘Kafka’. Here’s a track from Nigel’s collaboration with Klezmer band ‘Kroke’, ‘Time 4 Time’ , very catchy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuqqtkC2kIA Nigel lived in Malvern, Worcestershire for many years, although now resident in Poland. It was Malvern that I witnessed one of the best gigs I have ever attended, Nigel Kennedy at Malvern Youth Centre of all places, just incredible!
Peter Knight
I have always loved Peter’s playing from his early years in Steeleye Span with Martin Carthy, but our paths crossed many years later when my wife was running an entertainments agency, Peter along with the incredibly talented Felicity Buirski joined her roster of artists, which also incidentally had Dave Swarbrick on the books, funny old world! Peter sent his new album ‘The Gemini Cadenza’, we played it and literally cried at its sheer beauty… Peter by the way is one of the nicest guys you could ever wish to meet! Here’s a beautiful tune from Peter ‘From a Lullaby Kiss’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euxfllfoFTk
Nicola Benedetti
Nicola was born in West Kilbride, North Ayreshire to an Italian father and a Scottish mother. She started learning to play the violin at the age of four, Nicola has said “when I’m playing the violin, its part of me, we are one thing” It certainly shows, just listen to her playing the beautiful ‘Schindler’s List’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iLplzcCmxI
Eileen Ivers
I’ve played a few tunes from Eileen’s albums over the last few years especially ‘DNA Bourrees’ from her Wild Blue album when I was in the band Rare Breed. One time player with the original Riverdance ensemble, Eileen’s spontaneity, fluency and technical ability is second to none. Here’s Eileen ‘On the Fiddle’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot4F2VOJJKQ
Frankie Gavin
One time fiddle supreme with De Dannan, Frankie puts that fire into Irish music – can’t get much better! Here’s Frankie scorching ‘The Foxhunters Reel ‘ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1EU4ipTkRg
Martin Hayes
Martin has this incredible quality of taking a tune, easing into in then letting go, it’s extraordinary. Along with Dennis Cahill’s sympathetic playing there’s no stopping him! Martin’s from County Clare and he was all Ireland fiddle champion six times. Dennis is from Chicago although he was born to parents from County Kerry, it’s in the blood! If you’ve not heard them before here’s a medley (stick with it as Martin and Dennis expertly builds the tune, and build and builds and builds)! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkxtRbQ_0ZE
Barry Dransfield
Since first seeing Barry with his brother Robin at the Jug O’ Punch folk club in 1970, then through The Albion Band ‘Morris On’ period and solo, Barry for me has always been that perfect ‘English fiddle player’. Barry incidentally played the part of the blind fiddler in film ‘The Bounty’ (1984) with Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins. Here he is with his brother, the song ‘Lord of all I Behold’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skE3tgJpO7c
Mark O’Connor
Mark is an American bluegrass, jazz, classical and country fiddle player. How come he fits all these categories? Well, he toured with Stefan Grapelli and Chet Atkins, holds two Grammy awards, composes classical pieces performing with the Brooklyn Philharmonic, need I say more? Here’s a tune which I have played many times, personally I hate it but audiences love it, it’s ‘The Orange Blossom Special’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ICDIb9b4Kw
Johnny Cunningham
I first saw the late Scottish fiddler Johnny Cunningham in Birmingham in 1972/3 with his band Silly Wizard, he was slim, long blonde hair, and pure charisma, he summed up everything good about Scottish music, he took it by the scruff of the neck and has played a huge role in spreading Celtic music around the world, sadly he passed away in 2003 age just 46. Hear Johnny with his 1985 band ‘Relativity’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GAybcrtTSQ
Dave Swarbrick 1941 – 2016
I had been to see Dave Swarbrick many years ago firstly with the Ian Campbell Folk group and more importantly for me when he was in a duo with Martin Carthy at Pete and Chris Coe’s club The Drovers Arms in Birmingham. The interplay between the two musicians was extraordinary and something that I had never witnessed at such close quarters. When he joined Fairport Convention, little did I realise that just a few short years later my own band would be supporting the guys at universities up and down the country, they were great days. Many years later again did I realise when Swarb had hurt his hand that I would play fiddle for him at a gig in Oxfordshire. Here’s a track from Dave Swarbrick’s earlier years with Martin Carthy ‘Byker Hill’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3dJHy7mDck
There you go, my personal top ten, of course I’ve left many great players out, Alison Kraus, Yehudi Menuhin, Stefan Grapelli, Doug Kershaw, the list goes on, but I stick to my list, the reason being there timeless understanding of what a good tune is all about, and you know what tunes do, as the old TV advert once said, they help you breathe more easily!
Much love to fiddlers everywhere.
Keith
Keith Jones Music 