Dwayne Côté releases CD of his own tunes.
Another great dance at the Cedars Club in Sydney
Dwayne Côté is a powerful and highly respected player who can take a turn with Cape Breton fiddle tunes, classical or jazz with equal comfort.
He’s also a wonderful composer, a fact that I was aware of, but I never realized the depth and variety of his writing skills until I got my hands on his newest CD.
“Solo Volume 1” is a 14-cut recording that’s all his tunes, and almost all of it is solo fiddle, with a bit of piano here and there provided by his wife Lisa. It covers everything from slow airs to reels, all beautiful work.
The opening cut (John Wayne Landry’s “Farewell”) is an impressive and lovely tribute to Dwayne’s late cousin. I’ve seen this done on stage with a dancer, an inspired and emotional performance that made the tune even more memorable.
There’s another slower piece (“Lament for Oliver Roxburgh”) that could easily be done the same way.
There are a few tunes on this CD that jump out at me. I really like Alex and Minnie MacMaster’s “Magic Reel” and the twists and turns of Kevin Roach’s “Hornpipe.” The pair of pipe marches written for brothers Dr. Angus and Alan MacDonald are both dandies as well.
There’s so much good stuff on here, all stripped down to its basic elements. It’s just about Côté and his violin and his talent as a writer. This has been going round and round on my player since I got it. Why not get it and enjoy it yourself.
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Aaron Lewis has been onstage forever or so it seems. I’ve known him since he was a teenager and he was performing regularly at that time. He finished high school and hit the road with The Carlton Showband and hasn’t looked back.
He’s played with almost everybody
and recorded with everybody else and he’s been one of the go-to musicians for any band for any occasion for any style of music for years. He’s also been writing his own material and, in more recent years, getting a lot of airplay, locally, regionally and nationally.
With the talent he has and all that he’s done over the past 30plus years, the fact that Lewis is being inducted into the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame should come as no surprise.
He’s played everything from national and international tours to local funerals (and he’s still at it). He’s earned his spot.
Congratulations Aaron, well deserved!
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Ian MacDougall and Joel Chiasson played up a storm last Saturday night at the Cedars Club in Sydney.
MacDougall is such a powerful player, with great dance timing and a wonderful lift to his music.
There will be more great music on May 5 as Elmer Fraser celebrates 30 years of hosting dances with Mike Hall, Rodney MacDonald and Mac Morin providing the music.
This dance is by ticket only with tickets available at the Cedars Club and at Cape Breton Curiosity Shop.
The Saturday before I stopped at the Commoner and caught some music from Buddy MacDonald. The songs and the stories and the ability to work an audience, are all part of what makes him so popular.
And I want to touch base on Alvvays, the Toronto act with the Cape Breton connection.
They played California’s Coachella Festival last Saturday night, just a few slots before the main attraction, Beyonce. Their performance brought a great review from Variety, and lots of notice from other media as well.
And the 30th East Coast Music Awards event takes place in Halifax in a couple of weeks. The place with be hopping.
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The Cape Breton Chorale presents Gaia, a celebration in song for Earth Day on Sunday at the Church of Christ The King, Trinity Avenue, Sydney.
The Coast Radio will be holding its next fundraiser at the Highland Arts Theatre on Wednesday, May 2, featuring the music of Keith Mullins and Angelo Spinazzola.
There’s a special afternoon of Gaelic song and music on May 27 at the historic Malagawatch Church at Iona’s Highland Village. This features one of Gaelic Scotland’s favourite voices — Cathy Ann MacPhee, along with fiddler Shelly Campbell and Gaelic singer Joanne MacIntyre.