Area fiddler JJ Guy has a new disc fans will want to seek out.
Following the success of their first collaboration disc, 鈥楾win Fiddles鈥� which garnered a Western Canadian Music Award Nomination, Gordon Stobbe and JJ Guy have released their second album simply titled, 鈥楾win Fiddles 2鈥�.
Following the success of Twin Fiddles 1 which received the WCMA nomination, Twin Fiddles 2 鈥渃ontinues a quilt work of original tunes鈥� which capture the pair鈥檚 鈥淐anadian home land and its many hidden corners of wonder,鈥� said Guy.
The material for the new disk came together during a focused time of collaboration.
鈥淭he writing process took place over eight days in Gordon Stobbe鈥檚 studio in Nova Scotia,鈥� said Guy. 鈥淭he eight days of writing were attempting to capture the spirit of the places or the people each tune was written for.
鈥淓ach tune was inspired by the travels we have made while traveling together across Canada, in a musically melodic way, each tune tells a story 鈥�
鈥淚 draw my inspiration from a large range of places, but my inspiration comes from creating new music.鈥�
On a broader musical plain Guy said he draws from a number of influences.
鈥淢y early influences were other 铿乨dlers that I grew up listening to, such as Don Messer, Graham Townsend, Ward Allen, Kenny Baker, etc,鈥� he said.
Guy, originally from a small farm between Invermay and Lintlaw going to high school in Invermay, began playing at an early age.
鈥淚 started playing music when I was seven-years-old,鈥� he noted. 鈥淢y 铿乺st instrument was the 铿乨dle and I learned to play guitar a few years later. I got my start in music from my sister who played 铿乨dle before I did, my great uncle was also an early in铿倁ence in my playing. I played in a family band with my two sisters growing up and later played in a country band called Highway 49.鈥�
The award winning fiddler competed in and won many fiddling competitions around the prairies including the Saskatchewan Junior & Novice Fiddling Championship.
It was a case of learning on-the-go.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have a musical degree of any kind but I have learned a lot just by studying music on my own and getting advice from my peers, you might say persistence pays off,鈥� he offered. 鈥淎 big chunk of my music education has come from performance and time spent with my instrument.鈥�
Today he draws from more than old-timer fiddle.
鈥淗owever my in铿倁ence now include a broad range of artists and genres.
鈥淚t influences me to write tunes outside of the box a bit.鈥�
After the tunes were written it took about three months to complete the recording and mastering.
As for a personal favourite, Guy said that is a hard choice to make.
鈥淚 cannot say that I have a personal favourite, I equally enjoy playing and listening to each tune,鈥� he offered. 鈥淓ach tune draws on a certain memory on the person or place on which the tune was written for, which makes each song special for me.鈥�
Much of the winter months JJ works teaching fiddle to youth in Manitoba through the Frontier School Division, and often can be found giving workshops for The Kole Crook Fiddle Association in the NWT, details his website. He has been featured at festivals, concerts and fiddle camps all across Canada from New Brunswick to British Columbia and all stops in between. This extensive work schedule allows him to meet many fans, consequently, this has made him an attraction on the Canadian fiddle circuit!
His previous fiddle albums, Nothing But Blue Skies (2005), Cadillac (2007), Fiddler (2009) and Old Time Dance (2011) Traveler鈥檚 Jig (2014) are full of lively traditional and original fiddle music
The new album is available at my website,
