| Sep 15, 2005


Feature Article - September 15, 2005

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Feature Article

September 15, 2005

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Keep It Simple lives up to its name

by Jeff Green

The second Annual Keep it Simple event, a tribute to musician Bernie Jaffe of Tamworth, was a streamlined version of the first annual event. In the first year concerts were held concurrently in the Tamworth Library and the Legion Hall, keeping audience on edge, always wondering if they were missing some even better music at the other venue.

Whose_christmasThis time, performances at the Library took place first, followed by a square dance, and a series’ of performances at the Legion. The performers were a cross section of some of the best musicians from the country/folk scene in Toronto of the 1970’s, all friends of Bernie Jaffe. Musicans such as Catfish Willie, Max Mouse and Pineapple Frank Barth performed at the Legion, as did Russell DeCarle, Joan Besen and Keith Glass from Prairie Oyster. GordonStobbe and Kelly Trottier. Click image for larger view. Earlier on fiddlers Gordon Stobbe and Kelly Trottier played a set together. Stobbe, based in Halifax, and Trottier, who calls Kingston home, have been getting together to play and compose whenever they can over the past few years, and their performance, which include a wide range of material, from Ottawa Valley Fiddle music to Hungarian Bulgers, was a highlight of the day.

The entire event is a fundraiser for an annual fiddle camp, which took place the day before. In the first year, 17 people attended the camp, which was taught by Gordon Stobbe. This year 47 people attended, and Kelly Trottier and Sherryl Fitspatrick were the instructors.

“At this rate of exponential growth, we’ll have 254 people next year and over 2,000 in two years. We’ll turn this into a fiddle cult in Tamworth,” said Gord Stobbe

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