Laura Risk: Scottish and Québécois fiddling.

"She can tear up a fast reel like 'North Highlands,' slow it down for an air such as 'The Bonnie House of Airly,' lay down fancy dance licks on a jig the likes of 'The Big Meeting,' go contemplative as on 'Duncan Lamont,' or breathe new life into an overdone tune like 'Snug in a Blanket.' What is particularly memorable about her playing is the amount of space she leaves between notes." - R. Weir, Sing Out! (review of 2000 Miles)

Douglastown: Music and Song from the Gaspé Coast

I co-produced this CD for the village of Douglastown, Quebec, on the Gaspé coast. It is a portrait of the unique musical culture of Douglastown, from the early 20th century to the 1980s, and comes with a bilingual 56-page booklet. 46 tracks in total: lots of fiddlers, plus songs, accordion, harmonica, guitar, pump organ, stepdancing, spoken anecdotes, etc. Available for purchase and download via the Douglastown Community Centre or CDBaby. More info about Douglastown via the Community Centre website, and the blog of Glenn Patterson (co-producer of the CD) and Brian Morris.

Triptych

Laura on fiddle, Paddy League on guitar, voice and bodhran, and Kieran Jordan on percussive dance. With a mix of songs and tunes from the Irish, Scottish and French-Canadian traditions, plus some originals, this CD showcases the fluid, improvisational energy of the trio. Available for purchase and download at the CD Baby. For more about Triptych, see www.triptychtrad.com.

Rise Ye Lazy Fellow
Nansai Og Ni Obarlain
O'Donnell's Hornpipe / Thomond Bridge
The Guinea Hen / Galician March
The House on the Hill
The Girl from the Big House / Lady Washington
Mo Bhron Ar an Bhfarraige
Dickie Rogers' Pedestal Clog
The Plains of Abraham / The Pickpocket
Pay As You Go / Porst an Righ
Moving On Song
Antoine's

Les Joueurs de Bon Accord: Music for Scottish Country Dancing

The debut album from Laura's Scottish Country Dance band, Les Joueurs de Bon Accord, with Nicholas Williams on piano and Éric Breton on percussion. Recorded in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Montreal branch of the RSCDS and featuring many original compositions by Laura and Nicholas.
The CD is available for purchase and download at CDBaby. Dance instructions are in the book Montreal Moments, published by the RSCDS Montreal Branch. For more info, visit the Les Joueurs de Bon Accord website.

Mrs. Frances MacCullough (R32 x 8)
MacDonald of the Isles, Five Couples (S32 x 5)
Charlie's Birthday (J32 x 8)
Montréal Rendezvous (R32 x 8)
Mòran Taing (S32 x 8)
Montréal Anniversary Jig (J32 x 4, double chord)
Happy to Meet You Charlie (S32 x 4, double chord)
Cruit Mo Chridh (R32 x 8)
Yet Another Birthday (S32 x 3)
Lydia's Dance (R40 x 8)
Gabriel and Diana (waltz)

2000 Miles

Laura teams up with some of Québec's hottest trad and jazz musicians: Éric Beaudry (La Bottine Souriante, De Temps Antan) on guitar, Rachel Aucoin (Raz-de-Marée) on piano, Éric Breton (Perdu l'Nord) on percussion, and Michel Donato (Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson) on bass. The repertoire, however, is pure Scottish: driving Highland reels, melancholy Gaelic airs, and elegant Northeast strathspeys. Available for purchase and download at CDBaby.

North Highland Reel #18 / North Highland Reel #21 / The Nine Pint Coggie / Sandy King
Fairly Shot of Her / The Lost Hat / Fairly Shot of Her / Snug in a Blanket
'Smairg a chiùrradh spiocaire (The Miser) / Miss Gordon of Glastirum's Reel
Mr. Abel Banks
The Bonnie House of Airly
Dubh an Tomaidh (The Dark Night of Tomie)
Tha buaidh air an uisge-bheath (The efficacy of whisky)
Master Francis Sitwell / Lady Ann Wharton Duff's Strathspey / The Big Meeting
Skye Air / Another St. Kilda Song and Dance / Am Botal dubh 's an t-slige chreachann (The Dram Shell)
Mo Chuachag Laghach (My Kindly Sweetheart) / The Glen Where the Deer Is / Feadan glan a' Phiobair (The Pipe Slang)
Duncan Lamont
Tha tairm ann sa Ghleann (The Sound of War from the Glen)
Mr. Martin's Compliments to Dr. Keith MacDonald / Mrs. Gordon of Knockespoch
Tha m'aigne fo ghruaim (This Gloom upon my Soul)

The Merry Making

The dance music of Scotland, Cape Breton, Québec, New England and Ireland, with Susie Petrov, piano, Dennis Cahill, guitar, Christopher Layer, flutes, whistle, and bagpipes, Brian Melick, percussion. Available at www.am azon.com

Galope de Jonquière / Mrs. Mary MacDonald
Lord Moira / The Merry Making
The Sailor's Wife / Cullen House
Marc's Waltz
Ross's Reel #4 / Sharp's Hornpipe / Marquis of Queensbury
Clan Ranald
Hiawatha / Gramin / Sailor's Hornpipe
Northern March / The 8th Argyll's Farewell
John McAlpin
Gorthleck's Highland Plaid / Mrs. McPherson of Cluny
Walter Douglas M.B.E. / Reel du Verre-Bouteille
December Reel
Reel du Quêteux Tremblay / The Farmer's Daughter
Air Charles St-Hilaire
My Maryanne
Sunday River

A Roof for the Rain

With Ken Kolodner, hammered dulcimer, Keith Murphy, guitar, Joseph Sobol, guitar and cittern. Available at www.kenkolodner.com

➤A Roof for the Rain/ Donacha Lynch's (excerpt)

Greenfire

With Ken Kolodner, hammered dulcimer, with Robin Bullock, guitar, piano, cittern.
Available at www.kenkolodner.com

Walking Stones

With Ken Kolodner, hammered dulcimer, with Robin Bullock, guitar, piano, cittern.
Available at www.kenkolodner.com

Journey Begun

Laura Risk and Athena Tergis, fiddles, Steve Baughman, guitar, Peter Maund, percussion, Pat Klobas, bass, Alasdair Fraser, fiddle. Produced by Alasdair Fraser. Available from www.culburnie.com

Spine

With Cordelia's Dad: Tim Eriksen, vocals, guitar, Cath Oss, vocals, lap dulcimer, accordion, Peter Irvine, vocals, percussion, Laura Risk, fiddle.
Available at CDBaby.

Host of the Air: Contemporary Music for Scottish Country Dancing

With Susie Petrov, accordion, James Gray, piano. Currently unavailable.

The Glengarry Collection: The Highland Fiddle Music of Aonghas Grant VOLUME 2

This is the second and final volume of a collection featuring the music and stories of renowned Scottish Highland fiddler Aonghas Grant.
"The book contains 188 additional slow airs, marches, strathspeys, reels, jigs and hornpipes. Accompanying stories, history and photographs provide additional background to the tunes. This collection focuses on the core of Grant's music - Highland fiddling, and its connections to pipe tunes and Gaelic songs. Some of these tunes have never been published before, while others are only available in out-of-print books and pipe settings. The collection also includes a number of tunes composed by Grant, and ones composed in his honor. The tunes are fully chorded in a style representative of Grant's band experience. Transcriptions of his bowings, grace notes and stories provide insight into his playing style. Accompanying photos richly illustrate Grant's music, including images of musicians, family, and scenes from his various careers. The accompanying video includes recordings of Grant's impromptu and passionate performances, featuring 81 selections."
Available at Mel Bay. For more about Aonghas Grant, see his website.

The Glengarry Collection: The Highland Fiddle Music of Aonghas Grant

"The Glengarry Collection contains 164 Slow Airs, Marches, Strathspeys, Reels, Jigs and Hornpipes with Stories, History and Photographs. It focuses on the core of Aonghas' music: Highland fiddling, with its links to pipe tunes and Gaelic songs. Some of these tunes have never been published before, while others are available only in out-of-print books or in pipe settings, and the collection also includes a number of tunes composed by Aonghas himself, and tunes composed in honor of Aonghas. The tunes are fully chorded in a style appropriate to Aonghas' band experience. All these are richly illustrated by transcriptions of Aonghas' bowings, grace-notes, stories, and photos of scenes and people from Aonghas' varied life careers, including old family photos. Finally, there is an accompanying DVD with videos of Aonghas' impromptu and passionate performances of 61 of the tunes in the collection."
Available at Mel Bay. For more about Aonghas Grant, see his website.

Teaching CDs

Tunes 2001: 65 tunes from Laura Risk

Two CDs containing 65 well-known tunes from Scotland, Cape Breton, Ireland, Québec and New England. Every tune is played fast and then slow. A great way to get better at learning by ear! Available for purchase and download at CDBaby.

➤Smith's a Gallant Fireman (the A part, played fast and then slow)

Tunes 2003: 82 more tunes from Laura Risk

Learn new repertoire by ear! The tunes are mostly Scottish, plus a few Cape Breton and Quebecois tunes: reels, jigs, strathspeys, marches, airs, and waltzes. As on Tunes 2001, I play every tune fast and then slow. 2-disc set. Available for purchase and download at CDBaby.

➤Dunse Dings A' (the A part, played fast and then slow)

Download the PDF liner notes to Tunes 2001

Looking for more information about these CDs? Want to know which tunes are on which CD? Not sure which one to buy first? Click here!

Celtic Dialogue

***Top 10 CDs of 1999*** -- The Boston Globe
With Jacqueline Schwab, piano. A musical exploration of the classical/traditional crossover in 18th-century Scotland. Laura and Jacqueline's unusual approach to this rarely-heard repertoire combines scholarly research with modern improvisations informed by a traditional sensibility. Featured on the soundtrack to Ken Burns' PBS series The National Parks: America's Best Idea.
Available at www.amazon.com