Top Ten Fiddlers

[hyldemoer]

and another for Old Time's sake: Dirk Powell.

Dirk Powell on Cajun fiddle as well.
He's no slouch when it comes to Cajun accordion either.

That's a funny thing about hanging around Cajun musicians. They seem to be able to play anything available and make it look easy.

Every year there's a folk festival at U of C and one of the workshops at it is usually a panel of the fiddlers who are members of the bands playing in the evenings' concerts (and perhaps a guitarist from the band to accompany them).

The first year the Pine Leaf Boys played there they were told this but didn't grasp that it was an invitation to the group's designated fiddler to be on the panel.

All the guys in the band grabbed a fiddle (I think the drummer grabbed a guitar) and showed up for the panel.

[hyldemoer]

I forgot to mention a new book and 3 Cd set, Dear Old Illinois, came out that features down state Illinois fiddlers from the first half of the 20th century. All the recordings were done under noncommercial circumstances (in the fiddler's living rooms). A lot of the fiddlers were in their senior years when recorded and are no longer with us.

These weren't people schooled in Classical violin then later discovering fiddle.
Its an awesome example of not only the tunes but the fiddlers that made the community dance in the days before radio.

Might there be an Irish version of this done?

[AaronMalcomb]

Unless I missed it there's a conspicuous lack of Sean McGuire.

[The Sporting Pitchfork]

Without thinking about it too much, off the top of my head, I'd put..


Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh
Bruce Molsky
Kevin Burke
Ronan Martin (great under-hyped fiddler from Skye)
Bobby Casey
Paddy Glackin
Steve "Sammy" Lind (of local heroes The Foghorn Stringband)
Buddy MacMaster
Denis Murphy
Chris Stout

[Joseph E. Smith]

I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned James Kelly.

[alurker]

Dirk Powell on Cajun fiddle as well.
He's no slouch when it comes to Cajun accordion either.
fiddle.

Yep. I once saw a Cajun gig he did. It was fantastic. I also had the pleasure of seeing him pick a few Old Time tunes on a banjo one sunny afternoon. Memorable stuff.

[Martin Milner]

Or Liz Doherty or Jennifer Wrigley.

[alurker]

Unless I missed it there's a conspicuous lack of Sean McGuire.

Influential but would not make my top 10.

[squirrel]

Lately I listen scottish music mainly. There are very interesting young bands in Scotland and very talented young scottish fiddle players. A few names:

Aidan O'Rourke
Catriona MacDonald
Eilidh Shaw
Karen Steven
Lori Watson
Chris Stout

[oleorezinator]

tommy potts
andy mcgann
paddy reynolds
martin wynne
john kelly
johnny cronin
tony demarco
jerry holland

[AaronMalcomb]

There's also a distinct lack of Aly Bain.

[CHasR]

There's also a distinct lack of Aly Bain.

and Christian LeMaitre.
Caught a show more than a few years ago: Johnny Cunningham, Kevin Burke, Christian LeMaitre. Made me give up any pretense I had about playing the thing at all.

[oleorezinator]

and paddy killoran.

[KarenCook]

my top ten Irish fiddlers:

Sean Cleland
Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh
Peadar O'Loughlin
Maeve Donnelly
Liz Carroll
Kevin Crehan
Verona Ryan
Kevin Burke
Tommy Peoples
Martin Hayes

fiddlers from other musical genres:
Waylon Thibodeaux
Michael Doucet
Darrol Anger
Bruce Molsky
Jason Carter
Canray Fontenot