Across the Blue Ridge #125 - Prince Edward Island Fiddling, Old-Time & Bluegrass Music

Ken Perlman has documented, and as a result helped shepherd the survival – and revival – of a fiddling tradition on Prince Edward Island in the Canadian Maritimes.  That's quite an accomplishment for a New York City-born banjo and guitar picker who doesn't even play the fiddle.   But Perlman is no ordinary musician.  He's a folklorist, a teacher who runs banjo camps around the U.S., and a doggedly devoted advocate for the banjo and traditional music in general.  He's just released an album, Frails & Frolics, including settings of Prince Edward Island (PEI) fiddle tunes for banjo.  His exhaustive study of PEI fiddle music and cultural traditions unfolds in his acclaimed book, Couldn't Have A Wedding Without The Fiddler.  And he's played a big role in providing content for the website bowingdownhome.ca, focused on PEI fiddling, in conjunction with the Canadian Museum of History and the University of Prince Edward Island.

On this Across the Blue Ridge episode, Perlman explains how the PEI fiddling and dancing traditions nearly died out unnoticed due to modernization in many forms including TV, radio, paved roads and automobiles that competed for people's time and interest. And then, some local folks started searching for new ways to help keep fiddling and traditional dance relevant.

Today there's a vibrant music scene on the island – though Perlman notes in our interview that despite everyone's efforts, some of the old styles of fiddling have nevertheless been largely forgotten. 

This is a fascinating story of traditions, evolution, and human interaction, supported by lots of music.
Also on this week's show, some wonderful old-time and bluegrass songs and tunes from performers including Laurie Lewis, Tyler Hughes, Sam Gleaves, and ATBR host Paul Brown.

Playlist

1. Sally Ann
   Dreadful Snakes
   Snakes Alive!
   Rounder
    
2. Remember Me
   Bobby Hicks & Mark Kuykendall
   Forever & A Day
   Rebel
    
3. My Stone Mountain Home
   Sam Gleaves & Tyler Hughes
   Sam Gleaves & Tyler Hughes
   Community Music
    
4. Beyond The River Bend
   Laurie Lewis & Her Bluegrass Pals
   Laurie Lewis & Her Bluegrass Pals
   Rounder
    
5. Wink The Other Eye
   Foghorn String Band
   Weiser Sunrise
   Netwerk
    
6. Rochester Schottische
   Paul Brown & Company
   Red Dog
   Ryland Records
    
7. Break 1 - Fiddlin' Phil
   Peter Chaisson (Young)
   The Prince Edward Island Style of Fiddling
   Rounder
    
8. Bonniest Lass In A' The World/Emil Gaudet's Reel/Cheticamp Reel
   Ken Perlman
   Frails & Frolics
   Redbud
    
9. Londonderry Hornpipe & Southern Melody
   Peter Chaisson (Young)
   Island Archives, University of Prince Edward Island
   Island Archives, University of Prince Edward Island
    
10. Interview 1 - Ken Perlman
    Ken Perlman
    ATBR recording
     
11. Doucette's Reel
    Joseph Doucette
    Island Archives, University of Prince Edward Island
    Island Archives, University of Prince Edward Island
     
12. Interview 2 - Ken Perlman
    Ken Perlman
    ATBR recording
     
13. North Side Of The Grampians/Jack Webster's Reel/Souris Breakwater
    Ken Perlman
    Frails & Frolics
    Redbud
     
14. Break 2 - Where The North River Flows
    Ken Perlman
    Frails & Frolics
    Redbud
     
15. Souris Breakwater
    Jackie & Carl Webster
    The Prince Edward Island Style of Fiddling
    Rounder
     
16. Money Musk
    Joe Greene
    Joe Greene's Fiddle Album
    County
     
17. Interview 3 - Ken Perlman
    Ken Perlman
    ATBR recording
     
18. Island Boy
    Dennis Pitre
    The Prince Edward Island Style of Fiddling
    Rounder
     
19. Whiskey Before Breakfast
    Wayne Henderson & Clay Lunsford
    Thumb To Thumb
    Freedom Recording