Glenn - Posted - 03/10/2010:  22:53:34

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Hey guys,

Wanted to give you the heads up on my latest musical project. Its based on the music and life of my friend's father, Erskine Morris, who was an old time fiddler from the Gaspé peninsula of Quebec. We have a bunch of recordings of his playing that we will be posting as well as anecdotes, pictures, and whatever else we can think of.

The site is:

gaspefiddle.blogspot.com/

He played some pretty incredible stuff, mostly just fiddle and clogging with his feet. Many of these are tunes that are almost certainly local to the Gaspé. Sadly, the culture that fostered this music is just about gone but myself and Erskine's son are working to preserve this music. All the music you you can stream or download from the blog.

Feel free to subscribe using GoogleReader or any other aggregator. We will be posting something once or twice a week. Comments on the blog are welcome!

Chuck Naill - Posted - 03/11/2010:  03:23:11

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Nice concept and attractive site. BTW, the sound files would not play.

harwilli55 - Posted - 03/11/2010:  04:25:21

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I first heard this kind of music about 20 years ago when I wasn't playing music. I think that group was from the Quebec called " Le Boutine Soriante" , not sure about the spelling. Fell in love with the powerful syncopation, drive, and in particular, the footboard work. A couple years ago, I got to see Vishten from PEI, and was wowed by their music also. Of course, many of here have been introduced to Buddy and Natalie McMaster's powerful fiddling.

I signed up to your blog and look forward to exploring, hearing, and learning more about the fiddle legacy in Quebec Province.

Harlan

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Edited by - harwilli55 on 03/11/2010 05:12:39

billkilpatrick - Posted - 03/11/2010:  05:00:23

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very curious but as chuck says, sound files wouldn't play. my hitch-hiking days are long gone but the maritime provences were the best - never got waaay up there to your neck of the woods, however.

Glenn - Posted - 03/11/2010:  06:22:23

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hmmm I think its a problem with Firefox. In GoogleChrome they play....Will get it sorted out.

Glenn - Posted - 03/11/2010:  06:41:10

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Guys,

I've added download links besides the tunes. You should be able to download them in Firefox. I think the streaming may require I use another app on the blog. Currently, I'm using the GoogleReader mp3 player. Any other suggestion for the player to stream? Hopefully, I'll have streaming working by the weekend.

bj - Posted - 03/11/2010:  18:32:36

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You might consider moving your blog to wordpress.com which gives you a whole lot more tools for stuff like this. Blogger is pretty awful. Even better, get your own hosting and install wordpress on your own hosting, which is pretty cheap these days. Better control of things that way. Blogspot and wordpress.com blogs have a way of disappearing for no apparent reason.

Yell by PM if you need a bit of guidance.

billkilpatrick - Posted - 03/12/2010:  06:13:06

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got to hear "reel de windsor mills" on accordian but not the fiddle tunes - i get a yellow exclaimation mark and a "playback time ran out" message for those.

sounds really good - and to my undiscerning ears - like cajun music from louisiana and texas.

elected to follow your blog - look forward to more.

- bil

Glenn - Posted - 03/12/2010:  08:01:20

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hmmm can try right click then save as over the Fat Molasses link.

Will spend some more time trying to iron out these problems. I've now removed the link to Windsor Mills and just left Fat Molasses. The problem seems to be if Fat Molasses takes too long to buffer, it skips to the next tune on the page. I posted Fat Molasses on my Fiddlehangout page as well

Feodosia - Posted - 03/12/2010:  08:32:05

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Wow, Im glad to spot this post ... I used to hang with the fiddlers of Douglastown and Im very familiar with Erskin's playing ... I have home recordings of Erskin too ..... he was a very exceptional fiddler indeed ...Im glad to see some preservation going on of the Douglastown fiddlers.... they were the real deal ...learned fiddle down unbroken family chains, their Grand Daddies and Great Grand Daddies fiddled and taught their sons... they had no electricity and no outside influences to their music...... my work computer won't let me hear the recordings on Blogspot ..
Ill have to wait 'till I get home.

ironworker - Posted - 03/12/2010:  14:29:10

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tech difficulties will all be ironed out, i'm sure.
glenn, i cannot thank enough for your work in preserving and distributing his playing,
and letting folks know that there was a Gaspe style. maybe it'll encourage folks from the
area to PLAY!!! this music is vital, and needs to stay current.
i will gladly follow your posts, and channel it to my friends.
during the mid '70's here in richmond, i played with a fiddler who had a fair background in the
Gaspe style, and learned a bit from him that still sticks with me.
can't wait to hear more!!

michael ford

Glenn - Posted - 03/12/2010:  16:03:42

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quote:

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Originally posted by ironworker

tech difficulties will all be ironed out, i'm sure.
glenn, i cannot thank enough for your work in preserving and distributing his playing,
and letting folks know that there was a Gaspe style. maybe it'll encourage folks from the
area to PLAY!!! this music is vital, and needs to stay current.
i will gladly follow your posts, and channel it to my friends.
during the mid '70's here in richmond, i played with a fiddler who had a fair background in the
Gaspe style, and learned a bit from him that still sticks with me.
can't wait to hear more!!

michael ford

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Great to hear the positive response so far.

As per tech difficulties, I'm considering dropping the streaming option and just having downloads instead of both. It seems that the embedded streaming players out there from google reader, odeo, and yahoo all have issues with certain browsers and I think this just makes things difficult in the end, especially for more novice computer users. The downloading option I feel is the most reliable way to get these tunes out there. I'm not looking to confuse or aggravate anyone in their search for great fiddle music!

Let me know your thoughts on this. I really appreciate everyone's input.

Glenn

Feodosia - Posted - 03/12/2010:  19:20:49

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I still can't hear or download any tunes on the blog page ... it says something about " Insufficient privileges " LOL

Glenn - Posted - 03/12/2010:  20:34:05

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quote:

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Originally posted by Feodosia

I still can't hear or download any tunes on the blog page ... it says something about " Insufficient privileges " LOL

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I think the problem is that I forgot to make the mp3s public. I am using a GoogleSites page to host the mp3s for the time being and by default, they are private.

Should be better now. Let me know how it works out for you.

Thanks

billkilpatrick - Posted - 03/13/2010:  04:29:29

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no problem with downloading tunes now - just fabulous. any chance of buying a cd of these tunes?

at the outset i was going to show my ignorance by saying there couldn't be that much difference in style between cape breton fiddling (say) and that of the gaspé peninsula - given their relative close proximity and a tendency to distinguish, rather than rationalize one traditional culture and another. i don't know how 18th/19th cent. fiddle music would compare between scotland and france but it stands to reason that any differences would be carried to the new world and developed there.

i must have spent about a month hitching through the maritime provinces - summer, 1970, if i remember correctly - but the trip made a lasting impression. from what i remember, it's logical to assume that some communities enjoyed - don't klnow if that's the right word - seperate existences, due to language and tradition.

any rate ... i'm ready to hear more - you sure got the toes tapping - thank you again.

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Edited by - billkilpatrick on 03/13/2010 04:30:58

Glenn - Posted - 03/13/2010:  05:45:04

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quote:

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Originally posted by Glenn

quote:

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Originally posted by Feodosia

I still can't hear or download any tunes on the blog page ... it says something about " Insufficient privileges " LOL

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I think the problem is that I forgot to make the mp3s public. I am using a GoogleSites page to host the mp3s for the time being and by default, they are private.

Should be better now. Let me know how it works out for you.

Thanks

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Yes I think just like Appalachia, its important to remember just how isolated these communities were. In fact, my friend tells me that linguistically/culturally one town would be almost 100% Irish, the next one 5 miles away English, the next French. However, I think in the context of fiddle music, cultures would always combine despite the cultural/linguistic isolation because fiddlers are interested in above all a good tune and, unlike some institutions, don't mind borrowing from their neighbours. That is why these tunes have a distinctly French-Canadian character, but English titles. Douglastown was essentially an Irish town so I guess there is an Irish influence though Irish people were settling there probably before the "irish" sound we know of today existed. Thus, I guess the style is probably just uniquely Gaspé, something that evolved there. When you talk to older Gaspesiens here in Montreal, they say that they can "hear" the Gaspé in these tunes. I'm in the process of learning about this stuff myself.

Maybe this will turn into a cd down the road. Essentially home-made, but we would like to do a nice set of liner notes like those great Rounder compilations from Mark Wilson and friends. Not sure how the budget for these things goes. But I figured that firstly, the most important thing is to get these tunes back into circulation, and I thought a blog would be able to reach the most people

Midwest_Fiddler - Posted - 03/13/2010:  13:19:54

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This is awesome! Thanks so much for making the tunes and stories available. I had no problem with downloads.
Chirps

Feodosia - Posted - 03/14/2010:  07:28:46

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Well, I searched all around and can't locate ALL of the Gaspe tapes I made 15-20 years ago ..... I did find some though .... I am digitizing some of the tunes now ....most are house parties and not the clearest of quality but I'll pick out some of the usable ones ..... Erskin Morris was a great Gaspe fiddler ...Gaspe was loaded with great fiddlers ....I have fiddle music of friends of Erskin's,people he shared his tunes with... here are a couple of residents of Douglastown , an Irish village in the Gaspe that no longer exists ... this is Cyril DeVouge fiddling with Bridgette Drody backing him up on guitar .... Cryil was in his 70's and had a hearing aid in each ear when he recorded this ...wow, I can't imagine what he sounded like in his prime !!

Recordings like these should dispell the idea that only southern fiddling had vibrant energy and that northern music was somehow stiff and starchy , LOL

fiddlehangout.com/myhangout/me...archived=

Glenn - Posted - 03/14/2010:  07:53:49

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quote:

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Originally posted by Feodosia


Recordings like these should dispell the idea that only southern fiddling had vibrant energy and that northern music was somehow stiff and starchy , LOL

fiddlehangout.com/myhangout/me...archived=

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Amen! Great playing there!

ironworker - Posted - 03/14/2010:  09:13:43

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glenn, you've set some wheels in motion- thanks again.
jimmy, i can't wait to hear your tapes,but i'll have to postpone till tonight-
time to get to the gig.

michael ford

Feodosia - Posted - 03/14/2010:  11:12:05

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Well, I pulled out my recorder on this awful rainy weekend and recorded myself playing two of Erskin Morris's tunes .... I haven't played these tunes in many years , and they require a huge amount of skill and practise to do them right .... I don't sound nearly as good as Erskin but I took a shot at them ... I can't get the foot percussion going and have no one to play Gaspe tunes with , so I pulled out my banjos to accompany myself .... I hope my postings help convey the feeling of the wonderful oldtime Gaspe music .

fiddlehangout.com/myhangout/me...archived=


fiddlehangout.com/myhangout/me...archived=

harwilli55 - Posted - 03/14/2010:  15:05:47

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This is fantastic stuff and I am absolutely thrilled that you two, Glenn & Jimmy, are bringing us windows into this historic style, time, and place of traditional music. The music and the musicians as well as the tunes are great !! So, now I have a whole new world to explore and grasp. Cannot thank you enough for taking the time and energy you are putting into bringing this to the larger community !!!

Harlan