Heading to cape breton, nova scotia!

[Bernie Daniel]

I'm #heading up to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia this weekend for a couple of weeks to soak up maritime fiddling. #

I am hoping to catch the mandolin work of Elmer Deagle from PEI in a gig somewhere. #

Anyone know of any great instrument stores or other mandolin related contacts on the island? #

We do plan to take in a day of the Stan Rodger's folk festival. #

Sadly Stan was killed here in Cincinnati in June of 1983 or thereabouts. #He died in an on-board fire in the restroom of an Air Canada flight that made an emergency landing here. #He was the heart and soul of Canadian folk music and a tremendous loss.

[woodysny]

Can't help you with the mandolin question, but make sure to see Troy Macgillivary do his fiddlin' up there in Cape Breton. I saw him last year and he is out-of-sight both on fiddle and piano! Just about the best fiddler I have ever seen including Natalie Macmaster.

[Bernie Daniel]

woodysny: #Troy Macgillivary ...Just about the best fiddler I have ever seen including Natalie Macmaster.

Thanks for the come back.

Yes I am aware of Troy -- do you have his new CD that is dedicated to his mother? #It is fantastic. #I have worked up his "Piper" set for the mandolin -- it was a great introduction to the Cape Breton fiddle cuts -- triplets are the best you can do to simulate them on the mando.

He is my favorite CB fiddler as well -- I also like Kimberly Fraser (the two of them play togather a lot -- they both can play the fiddle or the piano back up.

[JGWoods]

Last I was there I had the feeling I was the only mandolin player around. Fiddle and piano a plenty, even in the hardware store in Inverness where they had a piano over on the side and some folks playing and singing in Gaelic.
I bought a bottle of Gelnnora from the distillery there- goes well with fiddle, or mandolin if you have the inclination.

[Bernie Daniel]

JGWoods: I bought a bottle of Gelnnora from the distillery there- goes well with fiddle, or mandolin if you have the inclination.

# #Oh yes! We stopped there too! We only carried out what we had inside however. #But that is a good suggestion we'll be there two weeks!

[Adam Tracksler]

Glenora is nice, check out Meat Cove -- the very tip of Cape Breton, its amazing.

[Adrian W.]

Actually, there are a surprising number of mandolin players around, ....not as many as fidllers of course, and there aren't too many pros. If the Barra MacNeils are playing, a couple of them play mandolin (and several are good fiddlers of course), and Boyd MacNeil is an excellent octave mandolin player. His OM was made by Otis Thomas, a superb luthier on the North Shore (www.fiddletree.com). Not much to see in the music stores, mando-wise. J.P Cormier mught be around....he's based in Cheticamp. Excellent mando,fiddle, and guitar player.

Just to be technical, Troy (and Kendra) MacG. are from Antigonish, the mainland, not Cape Breton. We don't hold it against them though, much. So many good Cape Breton fiddlers....some of my favorites are Buddy MacMaster (the king of all the fiddlers).....Ashley MacIsaac, when he's home, doesn't screw around, just plays and man can he play. Howie MacDonald, Shawn MacDonald (really good player, should be much better known), Glenn Graham, Jerry Holland, Wendy MacIsaac, Carl MacKenzie....Colin Grant is a young guy that can play. Plus, there are kids all over the place that can play......yep, pretty good place for fiddle.

[Bernie Daniel]

Adrian W.: yep, pretty good place for fiddle.

Yes thanks Adrian for all the information. You have my vote for understatement of the day.

I know about Antigonish! #We spent about 30 minutes there in a traffic jam -- never expected that in Nova Scotia! #It was all over one silly stop light it seemed.

But I had indeed forgotten that Antigonish was on the other side of the causeway. #Still like you say you can't hold that against Troy he's just the greatest fiddler -- so fast and so accurate too and he plays sooo far up the fingerboard with absolute solid pitch. #And such a wonderful person too it seems to me.

I did hear Buddy play -- I guess his playing is up and down now due to the effects of time. #But the night we heard him at St Anne's he was outstanding -- what he has lost due to speed and dexterity of age he seems to have comensated for by very clever fingering and bowing -- do you agree with that assessment?

Mike Compton explained to me (and demonstrated) once how Bill Monroe did that has he got older had had to deal with the effects of age on his hands.

So what to you think then about Jerry H.? (being from the USA and all!! ) BTW did he end up losing his leg to bone cancer? #I hope not.

Many of these fiddlers you listed are going to be teaching some big two week fiddle workshop near Magaree Valley so I hope they will be playing at night? #Maybe at the Red Boot Inn (or whatever it is called?)

Wonderful island you have. #We are thinking of looking at some property there this time.

[Adrian W.]

Was that just now you got stuck in traffic? I got stuck in roadwork for over half an hour outside Antigonish last week....not well organised.

As far as Buddy goes....fsast or slowed up, I'll take him. I just think he is one of the greats. I hope Jerry is doing okay....I've been trying to find out from time to time, but not turned up anything. He might be 'Murrican born and all, but he is well loved and respected here.

I'm not sure which fiddle workshop that is, but yeah, you might get some tunes at the Red Shoe Pub in Mabou. Or there is an inn in the Margaree that has bar/square dances at night...the Normaway Inn. There's a little pub in Cheticamp too that has music, the Doryman. You'll find music somewhere! Ever been here for Celtic Colours in the fall? Voted best cultural event in North America by the U.S bus tourism assoc. last year.....this year, the Cheiftains are headlining the opening concert.....we're there!! My daughters fiddle teacher, Shawn MacDonald, is also going to be the featured soloist in a new piece by Scott MacMilllan, so we'll be going to that one too.

Re: real estate....if you're thinking of it, might be time to pull the trigger....real estate prices are going up fast.

Hope you have a great visit! Ciad mile failte.