Celtic Fiddle Festival: Encore [Live]

Celtic Fiddle Festival: Encore [Live]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The Celtic Fiddle Festival is composed of virtuoso fiddlers Kevin Burke (Ireland), Johnny Cunningham (Scotland), and Christian LeMaitre (Brittany). With guitarist Soig Siberil, this trio is an international fiddle festival unto itself. Recorded live on tour in the U.K. in 1997, Encore is the sequel to the group's splendid 1993 debut album. The musicians are showcased individually, with Burke (a cofounder of the Bothy Band, now a member of the Irish all-star band Patrick Street) delivering silky reels and slipjigs, Cunningham (a cofounder of Silly Wizard) playing precise strathspeys and lovely airs, and LeMaitre focusing on the comparatively exotic Celtic melodies of northwest France. But it's when they all come together, as on a medley of "Farewell to Ireland" and "Foxhunter's Reel," that the sparks really start to fly. --Rick Mitchell

Tracks:

Ward's Favourite/The Morning Star/The Star Of Munster/Laington's Reel
La Jolie Bateliere/Rondes De Loudeac
Hector The Hero
Mrs. Kenny's/Gowden Locks/Sweeney's Buttermilk/I Haven't Heard From Johnny Yet/Les Ridees Du...
Up In The Air/Across The Black River/All In Good Time
Marche Et Gavottes Pourlet
Johnny's Big Set
Teolena/Marche De Roskonval/Sandizan
Ton Bale Pier Baudouin/Dans Fisel
Farewell To Ireland/Foxhunter's Reel
Two Andros/Andro Psg
The Dark Island

Amazon.com

The Celtic Fiddle Festival is composed of virtuoso fiddlers Kevin Burke (Ireland), Johnny Cunningham (Scotland), and Christian LeMaitre (Brittany). With guitarist Soig Siberil, this trio is an international fiddle festival unto itself. Recorded live on tour in the U.K. in 1997, Encore is the sequel to the group's splendid 1993 debut album. The musicians are showcased individually, with Burke (a cofounder of the Bothy Band, now a member of the Irish all-star band Patrick Street) delivering silky reels and slipjigs, Cunningham (a cofounder of Silly Wizard) playing precise strathspeys and lovely airs, and LeMaitre focusing on the comparatively exotic Celtic melodies of northwest France. But it's when they all come together, as on a medley of "Farewell to Ireland" and "Foxhunter's Reel," that the sparks really start to fly. --Rick Mitchell

Customer Reviews:

Great talent........2002-05-23

Three of the best fiddle players in the world (to bad Peter Knight does not play with them). If you want to hear talent buy it.

If you LIKE Celtic music, you will Love Encore!.......2002-05-10

The three musicians, and the incredible force of the celtic spirit brought to life in this CD are the epitome of what is best in this genre: lively music, excellent musicianship, wonderful personalities and the haunting airs of all the Celtic nations with the marvelous variety of international traditional Celtic tunes. I would reccommend this group and any of their music to all celtophiles, and would also suggest it is worth a King's ransom to see the Celtic Fiddle Festival live onstage and THEN buy their music. Johnny is hilarious, yet a master fiddler.
LeMaitre and Burke are so well known and so diverse and enchanting, what can be said other than buy it and try it!

The original Celtic Fiddles continue to dazzle........1998-07-27

These three fiddlers represent different fiddling traditions, but they share a passion for their music and a good deal of showmanship and humor. This is all evident on the 'Encore' CD of the Celtic Fiddle Festival. My preference is for Irish fiddling, so I shall concentrate on the work of Kevin Burke. Mr. Burke's individual style is highly informed by several local Irish styles, but his sound is unique. He slides effortlessly from the very popular jig 'Ward's Favorite' into a set of signature reels, familiar to those who have delighted in his concerts over the years - although one never tires of them. Later, he offers some of his own compositions, jigs alternately lively and atmospheric: 'Up In The Air', 'Across the Black River' and'All In Good Time'. Last, the set pairing the familiar reels 'Farewell to Erin' and 'The Foxhunter' begins in slow hornpipe tempo and metamorphoses into the reel - daring, but captivating. Mr. Burke's contributions shine. Johnny Cunningham ! is the ultimate Scottish fiddler/showman. Missing from the recording is his trademark deprecating humor, but his fiddling comes through intact. He offers a lovely 'Hector the Hero', a staple of the Scottish and Cape Breton traditions. Later, his whirlwind reel set includes a splendid new composition, 'Hurricane Bob'. I find Christian LeMaitre's sets on this CD to be quite fine, but they replicate some of the material in the earlier concerts and CD. He is a master of the Breton tradition, however, and his technique is always thrilling.

A glorious collaboration of three singular talents........1998-04-25

Three of celtic music's best fiddlers meet and meld their unique talents on this wonderful new live album. Kevin Burke of Ireland, Christian LeMaitre from Brittany, and Scotland's Johnny Cunningham perform a selection of lovely slow airs, mind boggling fast tunes, and nearly everything else in between. Each artist is given a chance to play a solo set of their particular regional favorites, then join together in other tunes showing an intricate yet clean combination of styles. The talented guitar work of Soig Siberil adds to the music without detracting from that of the fiddles. A truly great album from some of the best fiddlers to be heard today.

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