Evan Stewart

Violinist Sarah Frank of The Bombadils (Interview)

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Also in this edition, music by:Mary Jane Lamond and Wendy MacIsaac,Grace, Hewat & Polwart – ‘disappearance set, Best Bluegrass Clog Dancing Video,MacKelmore & Ryan Lewis- “Irish Celebration”,Celtic Woman – Orinoco Flow,Clannad – I Will Find You, Connie Dover – Peggy and Her Gallant Soldier, Ma Zadig A Ma Mamm( Brittany) traditional Breton folk song,  Mary Jane Lamond – Bòg A’Lochain, Cheers – Bard, She Moved Through The Fair by Celtic Twist/Holland and Palmley and presenting 67 Music!

Canadian violinist Sarah Frank  of  The Bombadils discusses creativity, singing and recording more this 2013!.”

Two album releases, live performances  and collaborations:  Sarah Frank is becoming one of Canada’s bright young star in the  folk scene. The prestigious McGill University school of music brought her, Luke Fraser Anh Phung, Evan Stewart and former member Noam Bierstone to form The Bombadils. I have watched their growth as a band since the release of their first album. Now the Bombadils are reaching out to new territories. Some of them made collaborations with other musicians(along with a solo project between Sarah and Luke Fraser) while still being true to their roots and going strong with their distinctive style of music.

Sarah Frank  is the four-piece ensemble’s violinist and vocalist. She has this sweet silky voice that sounds effortless even in the midst of playing a fast tune with her instrument. The Bombadils have traveled and played in different places all over Canada. The video diaries they created about their tour in the east coast were memorable. They played music and clowned around while on a VIA train ride. They are great and witty entertainers. After accomplishing interviews with one half of the band already, I’d say you better keep them on the radar. Because something is always going on. To hear them live is really worth it. And having The Bombadils music is to have something to keep you company when you long for a sound that’s inspiring, comforting and beautiful. Sarah Frank is our artist of the week.

CMF:What inspired you to pick the violin up as your main instrument?

Sarah Frank:When I was four years old, my parents asked me if I wanted to play violin or cello. I didn’t know what a cello was, and the word violin sounded familiar, so I said violin.

There were five of you in the band, unfortunately Noam left for France! How will the band be able to fit the new arrangement of four people in future recordings?

We’re sad that Noam left! We decided that he can’t be replaced. So now we have the challenge of finding percussion within our own instruments. Evan and I are incorporating more “chopping” (dropping the bow against the strings as percussion), and Anh is beat-boxing from time to time. Traditional bluegrass has been our main inspiration for finding a way to create percussion without a drummer.

Who are your earliest musical influences?  If we raid your record collection, what can we find there?

To be honest, I was really bad at listening to music when I was younger! But I listened to the Suzuki method violin recordings, as well as the music my dad had playing in the kitchen (Leonard Cohen, KD Lang, Neil Young, Dire Straights, Bob Dylan, Glenn Gould… lots more) and CBC radio. In the last few days I’ve been listening to The Monroe Brothers, random Youtube videos of Stuart Duncan, Meaghan Smith, Rose Cousins, and my friend, Rachel Baiman in her duo, 10 String Symphony.

Tell us about the Bombadils blog (http://thebombadils.tumblr.com/)now that we are seeing more updates plus more videos from you!

We’ve been meaning to make a blog and upload more videos for a while now, but it was put on hold while we were finishing up our studies at McGill University. We’ve all graduated now, so we’re happy to have more time to put into making videos and blog posts.

I love Hint! I see that it is the first time Luke’s mandolin playing is showcased on a video but you mentioned that he has played it before on various tracks. I also realize that Evan has this elegant style in composing music. Anh makes lush sound with her flute. What do you think of the whole band in terms of progressing musically?

I love the music that Anh, Luke, and Evan make! I also love playing with them because they know how to laugh and not to take themselves too seriously. I think this all brings positive energy to rehearsal and to the stage, and helps us remember that, even if the music isn’t perfect, (which it never is!) it’s appreciating how music brings people together that’s most important.

I think we have readers who are also independent musicians and band members and with this thought, would you care to share how Fill Your Boots came to be?Can you tell us the amount of work, time and also the financing aspects that shaped the album up to its release?

“Fill Your Boots!” was a lot of fun and took a lot of time, and it was all worth it. We were really lucky to have our friend, Duncan Ferguson, as our recording engineer and co-producer. The album served as a school project for him so we had access to the studios there, although the accessibility was limited to overnight. We often started recording at 11 P.M. and stopped around 4 in the morning. It took some getting used to, and we definitely got silly at times, but it all worked out. As far as the financial aspect of things, we used a website called Indiegogo to raise funds ahead of time. People were really supportive and pre-ordered CDs, t-shirts, and other goodies. http://www.indiegogo.com/the-bombadils

You have this certain style of singing which reminds me of how a flute sounds like. How did you achieve your technique and how do you maintain your voice through gigs after gigs.

I’m not someone who naturally knows how to project or sing with good technique, but I’ve always loved singing and really wanted to make that a regular part of the music I make. So when I was in high school I starting saving up money for voice lessons, and that’s still what I do. My teacher right now, in Montreal, is Jonathan Patterson, and I think he is the best ever. He really made me realize that the voice is an instrument to be learned like any other, and that different timbre, tone, and volume can be created if you practice just like you would practice another musical instrument.

What’s waiting for The Bombadils this 2013?

In February we are touring Alberta, and we’re looking forward especially to opening for Lennie Gallant at the Calgary Folk Club. We’re planning on touring the east coast of Canada again, and in the fall, we’d really like to make a big loop that will bring us through the eastern States. We’d also like to record more this year!

It seems this Canadian artist has a bright future! Check more of her and The Bombadils here:

Additional video:

Recorded at MMR studio at McGill University in Montreal.
Please visit http://www.audiolens.ca/site/ for more information.
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Band Members: Sarah Frank, Evan Stewart, Noam Bierstone, Luke Fraser, and Anh Phung
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Producer: Duncan Ferguson
Sound Engineers: Duncan Ferguson, Benjamin Smith
Video Editing: Denis Martin
Camera: Denis Martin, Phil Gosselin, and Pouya Hamidi

  Gallery

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Another online Celtic music site worth checking: 67 Music!
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This site is run by my friend Steve Behrens and it is one of the top notch sites in terms of promoting Celtic music. The site is also very easy to navigate and offers a variety of things that will keep you browsing for hours.
 What is 67 Music about:67 Music is a music media and promotions company exclusive to Celtic Music.  Our primary goal is to bring global attention and recognition to Celtic music in all it’s forms, and to the artists who make it.  We seek also to bring together organizations and companies into a tight knit Celtic community, inform fans of new events and releases, and maintain the grand heritage.
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Celtic music shuffle.
I will make it a habit to post diverse music as much as possible. This is a diverse musical culture we have embracing everything in a global scope.

Mary Jane Lamond and Wendy MacIsaac – “Seinn”

There is something about Mary Jane Lamond’s singing that’s intriguing and addicting!

Latest release from Mary Jane Lamond and Wendy MacIsaac, “Seinn”, available at http://maryjaneandwendy.com/.

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Grace, Hewat & Polwart – ‘disappearance set’

Three amazing artists share the stage to render one of the most beautiful songs to come out of the Orkney Folk Festival. Each has something special to offer vocally and instrumentally.

Annie Grace, Corrina Hewat and Karine Polwart at the 2008 Orkney Folk Festival. This is the medley of songs they named the ‘disappearance set’, teasingly nicknamed by Martin Simpson their ‘separation anxiety set’. I like how the power surges around 4:54.

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  Best Bluegrass Clog Dancing Video Ever Made

Aside from the fact that it is in black and white, it conveys an old world authenticity.  The music is amazing. It is by filmmaker David Hoffman. You can get this video from amazon and also from www.thehoffmancollection.com

About: Visit http://www.createspace.com/204609 to get this entire program.Each scene in this classic bluegrass documentary present incredible mountain music and dancing. Bluegrass Roots lets you experience the real people and music that dominated the southern mountains 50 years ago. It presents the most extraordinary singers, players and dancers the BlueGrass Mountains had to offer. Most of the songs are classics, including Mountain Dew. This scene was filmed at Bascom Lunsford’s home in his living room. When the film aired on TV, TV Guide gave it a full-page review because most Americans had never seen Bluegrass and Country music.
David Hoffman – filmmaker

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MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS – “Irish Celebration” (Official Music Video)

This video has already received 4.4million views in youtube. It is rap and contains explicit expression.

PRODUCED BY – Ryan Lewis
VIOLIN – Andrew Joslyn
TRUMPET – Owuor Arunga
ADDITIONAL VOCALS – Tim Haggerty, Noah Goldberg

DIRECTOR: Stephan Gray
DP – Ryan Purcell
B CAMERA – Stephan Gray
C Camera – Ryan Lewis
AC – William Brody & Conor Hair
GAFFER – Tred Baylis
KEY GRIP – Blue Boy
HAIR/MAKEUP – Shawn Shelton
PRODUCER – Bret Seeger
EDIT – Stephan Gray

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Celtic Woman – Orinoco Flow

This is a great performance . I admire the production everyone has put up to keep this together. This is a song composed and performed originally by Enya and it reach the top of the UK and US charts in 1989.

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Clannad – I Will Find You (Official video)

Wow it took me decades to find an official video to the song taken from the first ever Clannad album I got.

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Connie Dover – Peggy and Her Gallant Soldier

If Ever I Return is an amazing album filled with artfully crafted songs and timeless melodies. Connie Dover is a gem to be listened to for generations. What attracted me to this song is the tempo and also the love story between Peggy and her lover soldier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqZqyGgwwnY

You can get her recordings here: http://www.conniedover.com/recordings.shtml

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MA ZADIG A MA MAMM ( BRITTANY) traditional Breton folk song

Wow I am glad I stumbled upon this amazing song from Brittany!

Brittany,vocals, frame drums, Breton, Celtic folk songs, traditional
Celtic folk music, Adam Reid, Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, Wales, SANDRA REID – VOICE

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Mary Jane Lamond – Bòg A’Lochain

This is the 6th track  from her album Suas E!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgttB42VLas&feature=youtu.be

Lyrics and translations here: http://www.maryjanelamond.com/lyrics/suas/6.htm

Listen to more of Suas E! Here: http://www.myspace.com/maryjanelamond/music/albums/suas-e-16152627

You can view her entire catalog via Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Jane-Lamond/e/B000APADAM

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She Moved Through The Fair by Celtic Twist/Holland and Palmley

Info: Celtic Twist’s unique take on this timeless classic. Arranged and performed by Phil Holland and Dave Palmley of Celtic Twist. From their album Twist in the Tale available by writing via the contact form on the website.http://hollandandpalmley.wix.com/celtictwist

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 Cheers – Bard (Official Music Video 2012)

They project high energy live shows and amazing musicianship.Members are from the Czech Republic which is now a place with growing Celtic scene headed by bands like Poitin and also the band from this video Cheers!

Celtic Folk-Punk
http://bandzone.cz/cheers
Režie: Pája Junek + motivy z filmu Stakonický dudák (Karel Steklý, 1955)
http://www.junekfilm.cz

Bands and Artists to Watch Out For 2011!

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Music was my refuge.  I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.  ~Maya Angelou, Gather Together in My Name

Truly to sing, that is a different breath.  ~Rainer Maria Rilke


There’s music in the sighing of a reed;
There’s music in the gushing of a rill;
There’s music in all things, if men had ears:
Their earth is but an echo of the spheres.
~Lord Byron

Forget the gods and goddesses of pop charts. Here is where the musical action is. I think you are missing  a lot if you think that bright young talents are only those you see on Seventeen Magazines and Rolling Stones(the latter lost my respect after featuring Britney Spears on the cover and calling it rock). Real musicians go to Music production courses. Not that it is really a requirement. But at the end of the day, it is really music that matters. It is a sickness that has no cure.

It is however great to know that the guys I am listening to don’t spend hours in the mirror trying to make sure the hair looks nice and the clothes they wear look hip in the camera. OK, it is important to look good but at least not as an obsession. No pitch shifter for you, or music moguls trying to scout for talents and later on eat them. I am sure you have heard the latest news right? People who get into the music are blessed-only the business itself can suck. And if you are not strong enough, then you will wind up on a cover of a magazine as a ‘has been’ or worse.

My friend Jimmy and I spend hours upon hours chatting about music . And we always come out with something new because we challenge one another in terms of finding new music out there. As a true musician, he spreads the word through his sessions. And as a true music lover, I spread the art through this medium. And it works! Yay! I have another friend Christi who adds her insight about music . And Irish-American herself, she is always knows what bands  are interesting. So the three of us work together to throw  ideas and it is a teamwork that has started in March and continues to do so.

In all relationships there are always challenges. But finding a common ground will always keep one afloat and sane. In my case it is always about music. After all, a heartbeat is one of the best music there is. And I am attracted to that. So when all else fail, listen to music. And you will know that everything will be ok.

Let me introduced you to the bands that caught my attention with their playing. And yes they are young!

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left to right: Luke Fraser,Evan Peter Hodgson Stewart, Noam Bierstone, Sarah Frank and Anh Phung . Photo by Marshall Gayman

left to right: Luke Fraser,Evan Peter Hodgson Stewart, Noam Bierstone, Sarah Frank and Anh Phung . Photo by Marshall Gayman

The Bombadils are a five-piece Celtic band based out of Montreal, Quebec. With a combination of Irish drinking-song entertainment and danceable instrumental sets, The Bombadils have impressed loyal pub-goers as well as some of the top musicians in Canada.

I stumbled upon one of their youtube videos and I was hooked! Unique blend of influences and remarkable stage presence.

Sarah Frank: fiddle, vocals is armed with a mad playing style that can reach the frenzy and then come down to a a nuance.
Luke Fraser: guitar, mandolin, vocals is one amazing vocalist that probably got a bit of blessing from uncle Glen Phillips of Toad The Wet Sprocket. You should see him strum and you know you are in for some electrifying performance.
Anh Phung: flute, vocals keeps that perky and chirpy side of the music .
Kit Soden: (Former member) guitar, vocals, the rhythm man .
Evan Stewart: bass is the grooves guy.
Noam Bierstone: percussion adds the crunch and slam to the tapestry of sound these guys create.http://www.reverbnation.com/thebombadils and  http://www.thebombadils.com/  

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Tyler Carson is a violin player for life. He has been performing professionally since 11 years old. He started out busking and managed to take it from there, via the free business cards that he handed out, to performances around the world including Japan, Thailand, Cayman Islands, New Zealand and even some big TV shows including the Jerry Lewis Telethon in Hollywood (performed just after Savion Glover and just before Jason Alexander). He was also a soloist with the 50 piece Victoria Symphony Orchestra on several occasions starting at the age of 13. He  played a lot of different styles and loved it, but that said, it has given him quite the challenge as a grown artist. Here is a proof why he is the devil of the violin. http://www.myspace.com/tylercarson

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Jeremy Kittel is rapidly earning a reputation as one of the nation’s most creative young musicians. Classically trained, he grew up in the Irish, folk and jazz music scenes of Ann Arbor and Detroit. As a youth he often traveled to Ireland and Scotland to further his studies of traditional music. In addition to performing with his own band and as a soloist with orchestras, Jeremy tours worldwide as the newest member of the Grammy-winning Turtle Island Quartet. You should check this performance out and you will know what I mean. http://jeremykittel.com/

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Ciorras left to right: Dermot Sheedy,Tadhg Ó Meachair,Stephen Rooney,Robert Harvey,Ciara Cunningham, Tommy Fitzharris, Tara Breen, James Mahon

Ciorras left to right: Dermot Sheedy,Tadhg Ó Meachair,Stephen Rooney,Robert Harvey,Ciara Cunningham, Tommy Fitzharris, Tara Breen, James Mahon

Ciorras (info from the official website) were formed as a band in 2010 when the individual members were among a large number of young musicians who featured in the hit TG4 series, Lorg Lunny. As part of his journey around the country searching for young musical talent, these 8 young musicians were invited by maestro Dónal Lunny to create a new band with a fresh, new unique sound in traditional music. Thus Ciorras was born, a young and innovative band centered around Dónal’s new percussion instrument ‘The Greadán’, creating a sound that is a hybrid of both new and old traditions.

This exciting new band have a diverse repertoire of newly composed tunes sitting comfortable alongside the more traditional repertoire and a selection of lesser-known songs. With an impressive assortment of instruments between them including fiddle, concertina, pipes, piano accordion, keyboards, percussion, low-whistles, voice and no less than 4 exceptional flute players, the possibilities are endless as demonstrated in their choice of repertoire woven among imaginative and original arrangements and played with an energy and enthusiasm that showcases the phenomenal playing ability and musicality of these outstanding young musicians. http://www.ciorras.com/

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Fiona

Fiona Kelleher-Folk Roots call her “A gifted vocalist” . This is what I noticed when I heard her song ” I Will Put My Ship in Order”. I guess for those who are ‘recovering’ from a truly bad personal experience, this song can be a source of healing. There is nuance, intelligence and yet power in her voice. It is like hearing the tinkling of a wineglass behind the fogging window of a cozy bar.  http://www.fionakelleher.com

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Toby Shaer from England leads a band called Under The Ice: an eclectic blend of funk, Jazz and Celtic music weave seamlessly you wont recognize at first listen which one starts and which one ends. This is interesting for a young band. Especially when a  lot of young people right now are into the more popular forms of music. This is a plus. He has another project called Boy Cries Wolf and you can hear them here: http://www.reverbnation.com/boycrieswolfuk

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