Daniel Lapp | Kiérah | Kathleen Nisbet | Trent Freeman

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THE FIDDLE AND THE DRIVEN BOW
– by journalist Tony Montague.

The most popular instrument of the past century is undoubtedly the guitar, in its many variants and hybrids. But before that, and for at least the previous 250 years in western society it was the fiddle. Relatively small and lightweight, strong and versatile, it was perfect for taking to dances and other gatherings. The Driven Bow: A BC Fiddle Night brings together four of BC’s leading players - Daniel Lapp, Kiérah, Kathleen Nisbet, and Trent Freeman – to share their passion for the instrument, once regarded as the devil’s own for its ability to induce states of rapture and abandon. Trent has a more personal and contemporary interpretation.

“I think it’s the devil’s instrument because it causes me an existential crisis every day I practice!” he says, just back in town after a tour of Australia and New Zealand with The Fretless. “It feels like there’s just too much going on. I’m curious too - since it’s so prevalent in so many genres and cultures - if it’s considered evil in any way in different parts of the world, or has been in the past, and not just because of the Church’s attitude. Since it’s so provocative and emotive, and similar to the human voice in a way - people talk about the violin having a voice of its own, as if it’s a sentient being itself - I’ve also wondered if that aspect has anything to do with the authorities seeing some kind of embodiment of evil in it.”

The four fiddlers will be generating fire and brimstone from a spectrum of traditions, and their own compositions. Daniel Lapp covers a wide range of genres and styles, and has been working for many years on a project to collect tunes written in B.C. Kierah is rooted in the Scottish and Irish traditions, and also composes her own tunes in that vein. Trent, as displayed on The Fretless’s album from last year Live At The Art Farm, is reinvigorating Irish music with imaginative arrangements of the old tunes and the new. And Kathleen Nisbet, who leads the group Viper Central, is a master of American old-time, Canadian old-time, country, western swing, and Metis styles.

“The Metis tradition is of European tunes influenced by Canadian aboriginal players, and also very driven by the Metis jiggers,” says Trent. “What I find super interesting about the style is that these fiddle tunes – which you recognize as Scottish, Irish, and Quebecois - have a ‘crooked’ element to them in their timing, though not crooked enough that it gets in the way of the dance. Like in Quebec they also have foot percussion to propel the rhythm. Kathleen is a powerhouse of the Vancouver music scene, and has been playing a lot of dances for the Metis jiggers around the Lower Mainland.

Trent also points out the distinctions between old-time fiddling north and south of the 49^th parallel. “The Canadian is a different branch in the evolution of the music of the Scots-Irish settlers… One thing I find very different about it compared with American old-time is that it came into its own through performance, and on TV and radio. The fiddler was prominent onstage being recorded, being televised, so the style developed as flashier, more showy, and cleaner. The articulation has more bounce, to project the tunes. Whereas American old-time is more of a community culture - playing tunes for each other, not necessarily in a performance setting.”

Trent, Daniel, Kierah, and Kathleen promise a tour of fiddling genres and styles to soothe savage hearts and put fire in the devil’s dancing hoofs.

DANIEL LAPP
Born in Prince George, Daniel was the youngest son in a family where music was a natural part of life. With his mother, grandfather, five uncles all playing fiddle and a bevy of accordion playing aunts, family get-togethers always included good music. In the years since, Daniel has become the best-known and most influential fiddlers in British Columbia, if not in all of Canada.They’ve taken him from coast to coast to coast in Canada, as well as Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, Finland and Germany. He has performed with symphony orchestras and at global events like the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, EXPO 2000 in Germany and the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games opening ceremonies. He’s played on over 100 albums, working and touring with artists including Spirit of the West, Rickie Lee Jones, Barney Bentall, Mae Moore, Beth Orton and Kathryn Tickell. A passionate love of music is clear in all of Daniel’s work, but never clearer than when you hear him play.

Vancouver is home for Canada's musical gem, Kiérah. A dynamic and bold Celtic fiddle player, Kiérah presents powerful music inspired by her Irish/Scottish heritage. In an ever changing music scene, she showcases an infusion of pop and world rhythms taking Celtic music into a new direction. She possesses a remarkable ability to completely captivate and engage the audience, playing straight from her heart. Kiérah’s first two albums received nominations by the Canadian Folk Music Awards in 2008 and 2010. Kiérah’s third album – Stonemason’s Daughter won a 2013 Canadian Folk Music Award for Young Performer of the Year  Recently featured in Irish Music Magazine, Living Tradition Magazine and on CelticRadio.net, her most recent release Strong Bow is receiving rave reviews. It has received nominations by the Toronto Independent Music Awards and the Australian Celtic Music Awards.

Kathleen Nisbet is a fiddle player and singer from Vancouver, BC Canada. Classically trained at the Vancouver Academy of Music, She returned to her Métis roots, pursuing more traditional fiddle music. Since then she has worked with artists in a variety of genres. A collaborator and regular accompanist with V'ni Dansi, Métis traditional dance, she has also composed music for independant modern dance. Theatre credits include A Christmas Carol with Pacific Theatre and Salmon Row with Mortal Coil. Kathleen is an active member of Vancouver's thriving bluegrass and folk scene, performing and touring regularly with her band Viper Central. She has also recently toured and performed with Petunia & The Vipers, Carolyn Mark, Rich Hope and His Blue Rich Rangers, CR Avery and The Fugitives, and has made guest appearances with Fred Eaglesmith, Art Bergmann, The Belle Game, and The Vicious Cycles to name a few. She works regularly as a studio musician and has numerous recording credits. She has taught at Saint James Music Academy for the past several years where downtown eastside kids are provided free music lessons.

TRENT FREEMAN
Trent Freeman grew up immersed in a range of regional fiddle styles that stretched from B.C. to Quebec. Though he was something of a child prodigy — having started violin lessons at age five — it wasn’t until he moved to bluegrass in his late teens that Freeman found his calling. An artistic breakthrough helped Comox-bred Freeman develop an affinity for improv and jazz — myriad influences that have come to light in The Fretless, an award-winning roots quartet he formed with his former classmates from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. In addition to his fruitful career with the Fretless, Freeman also tours and records as a solo artist. In typical fashion, both gigs have taken off: The Fretless has won at the Canadian Folk Music Awards and Western Canadian Music Awards, while Freeman, as a solo performer, earned a Canadian Folk Music Award.

ADRIAN DOLAN
Adrian Dolan is multi-instrumentalist, producer, and arranger, based on Canada’s west coast. Classically trained on piano, violin and viola, Adrian also began pursuing traditional music on fiddle and accordion in his early teens, and audio production shortly thereafter. For 16 years, he has been a fixture in roots outfit The Bills. Their explorations of global folk styles and inventive original music have earned them two Juno Award nominations and two Western Canadian Music Awards, including Entertainer of the Year. Adrian can also be seen performing and touring with Winnipeg songwriter Ruth Moody, founding member of the acclaimed trio The Wailin Jennys.

ROBIN LAYNE
Robin grew up in Victoria and had the good fortune of being mentored by renowned percussionist and educator Sal Ferreras at UVic as a teenager, studying classical percussion with a major focus on marimba. Robin soon fell in love with the rhythms of salsa and Latin percussion and followed this passion to the LA Music Academy where he studied jazz, latin and pop percussion before moving to Vancouver. Since 2008 Robin has become a regular fixture on the B.C. festival circuit, collaborating with a wide spectrum of folk and world artists. His recent touring engagements have led him to Europe, Mexico, China, the U.S. and Canada. He has followed his love of world music to Cuba, Guinea, Mali, and Mexico studying under master drummers and marimbists of those respective traditions. In his spare time, he is the senior percussion instructor at the Sarah McLachlan School of Music and the Artistic Director of the World Rhythms for Youth Society.

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