Ceilidh in the City hosting East Coast kitchen party
The Chaisson Trio set to take the stage in Charlottetown tonight
This evening’s special Tuesday edition of the Ceilidh in the City will see the show taking a journey back to its traditional Maritime roots with special musical guests the Chaisson Trio.
When one thinks of traditional music on P.E.I. the Chaisson family name is certainly top of mind. In the beginning, The Chaisson Trio consisted of brothers Peter and Kevin Chaisson of Bear River and their cousin, Lemmie Chaisson, playing music together for over 40 years under various names, including The Chiassons, The Chaisson’s Orchestra and finally The Chaisson Trio.
With Lemmie’s death in 2013, it was time to pass the torch to his daughter, Louise MacKinnon, who became the singer/guitar player for The Chaisson Trio.
In 2015, another blow hit the group with the death of Peter, and after much consideration it was decided to bring in a new fiddler, and that is when Rannie MacLellan joined the group.
The Chaissons have been major contributors to promoting fiddle music on Prince Edward Island, and through their children this legacy continues.
Kevin grew up in a musical home where he learned to play the piano, along with the tunes his father, Joe Pete, taught him. They were mostly Scottish traditional tunes by fiddlers like Winston Scotty Fitzgerald, Buddy McMaster and others.
MacLellan also grew up in a musical home. His father was a fiddle player, and many of his relatives are Cape Breton musicians. MacLellan started playing the fiddle at age 12, after his mom showed him how to play a relatively simple tune. He just kept learning tunes from then on by himself.
Louise, the daughter of the late Lemmie and Judy Chaisson from Rollo Bay, also comes from a long line of musician/singers. She was brought up with lots of music in her home, exposed to a wide variety of music that her parents listened to over the years – from The Beatles and Hank Snow to The Everly Brothers and Patsy Cline. She started playing guitar at age 11 with her dad as her teacher.
The Chaisson Trio will be joining the weekly hosts of the Ceilidh in the City, Kendall Docherty, Peter Burke, Heartz Godkin and Brian Knox. The ceilidh will get underway at the Jack Blanchard Family Centre, 7 Pond St., Charlottetown, 7:30 p.m., with the doors open for general admission at 6:30 p.m.
There will be a 50/50 draw in support of the Ceilidh Gives Back Fund, which supports various Island charities and families in need. A canteen service will also be offered by the catering staff.
Reservations are accepted for those travelling in large groups or with special medical or mobility needs, by calling Knox at 902-5693327. Additional information is also available online at facebook. com/CeilidhInTheCity,