Playing Contra Dance Music                            see also Jazz and the Musician’s Gallery

Over time I was enriched by playing with so many different fiddlers who each brought unique qualities and inspiration to my playing. The first real band that I was in was Fresh Fish. Kerry Elkin, Tom Hodgson and I had met in 1985 when we were hired as musicians for a tour of Europe with the Green Mountain Volunteers, a traditional dance performance group. Tom left the band after a short time, but he remains one of my favorite guitar players, and he really established some good textural values that helped to trademark the quality of our music.

A few years later I headed over to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where Fresh Fish, was going to be recording our first (and it turns out only) album. I usually like to keep early morning travel on the quiet side, but this morning I turned up the CD player and took a good infusion of the Rolling Stones and then Oscar Peterson. This sufficiently lubricated my creativity so that when we started recording, I could incorporate the rhythmic and arpeggiotic twists into my piano playing that gave our band an edge in teasing energy out of the dancers. I cite this as an example of the diverse influences that inform my playing of what is primarily a traditional music repertoire: Irish, French Canadian, and New England fiddle tunes.

As a child I was introduced to the classical repertoire and piano style through the rather stern encouragement of my mother, who had a degree in music and was, in fact, a very respectable organist. As I grew out of single digits I became aware of other kinds of music, and eventually learned to play the guitar by ear. This was a very different approach than I had learned from classical training, and it was fairly emancipating. (I will readily acknowledge that the time and discipline required to play classical piano is considerably greater. I have great respect for anyone who can roll with Rachmaninoff or chop on Chopin.).  Eventually I switched my keyboard orientation to playing by ear as well. 

My playing is remarkably free of virtuosity, yet it does have value. I endeavor to imbibe the nuances of my fellow players, and to enhance them with rhythms, harmonies, and countermelodies. I am primarily an accompanist, and my goal is to provide something perhaps akin to full-spectrum lighting.

Fresh Fish (right) played together for about a decade. We got to travel a lot, met some wonderful people, and played in a lot of interesting places, such as the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo, and music camps such as Ashokan and Buffalo Gap. Kerry always resisted reissuing the Fresh Fish recording, Turning of the Tide - he was a perfectionist, and always wanted to do better. A couple of years ago be became seriously impaired with MS. When he realized he would not play again, he allowed the recording to be reissued. More information about Kerry is available at www.kerryelkin.com

In 1989 Randy Miller learned about a collection of tunes included in the memiors of John Taggart, a fiddler (among other things) who had grown up in Sharon, New Hampshire in the 1860’s. The New Hampshire Fiddler’s Union was formed specifically for the purpose of recording a selection of those tunes. Following this we played several concert gigs in New England, and were also hired for the 10th Annual Shetland Folk Festival, which brought us into contact with many wonderful musicians from the British Isles. The recording, The Music of John Taggart, was just done on cassette. A reissue is under consideration.

Discography The Music of John Taggart The New Hampshire Fiddler’s Union Randy Miller - fiddle Rodney Miller - fiddle Skip Gorman - fiddle, Gordon Peery - piano and guitar. Turning of the Tide Fresh Fish Kerry Elkin - fiddle, Gordon Peery, piano, Danny Novick, fiddle, tenor banjo, mandolin, dumbek, congas Dirk Powell, bass, five-string banjo, electric guitar David Surette, guitar, mandolin, octave mandolin Ruthie Dornfeld, fiddle Studio Guest Appearances on: Roots of the Tree of Life: Kathy Miller Nat Hewitt: Nat Hewitt A Cowboy’s Wild Songs to His Herd: Skip Gorman A Greener Prairie: Skip Gorman Notable Tours / Performances The Green Mountain Volunteers (traditional New England dance performance group) Summer of 1985: Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia. The 10th Annual Shetland Folk Festival (with the New Hampshire Fiddler’s Union). Fresh Fish:      Events and Music Camps Ashokan Buffalo Gap Champlain Valley Folk Festival New England Folk Festival Old Songs Pinewoods