Louis Beaudoin, 1976. Ann Meur photo.

Tunes are drawn from original and traditional sources. Six of the 18 tunes played on the CD are from the repertoire of Vermont Franco-American fiddler Louis Beaudoin. These include “Blackberry Quadrille,” “Son of a Bear,” La grondeuse,” “La grande gigue simple,” “Dad’s Reel” and “Fireside Reel.”

Other tunes are taken from Québécois and Franco sources, including “Galope Joe Bouchard,” “Valse joyeuse,” “Hommage à Père Bruneau,” “Les accordéonistes, “Les femmes,” “Two-Step D’Armand” and “Reel Beatrice.”

Originals include CT fiddler Daniel Boucher’s “Circular Reel,” Russ Barenberg’s “Magic Foot,” and Marcel Messervier’s “Les accordéonistes.” Besides composing “Raven’s Wing” with Max, Donna also wrote “Reunion Gigue,’ “Little Birds” and the final (and only) song,“A Place Called Beautiful.”

Martha Pellerin

The song’s lyric was written from the words of Martha Pellerin in her last week before dying of ovarian cancer at age 37 in 1998. Taking her husband’s hand, Martha said, “I’ve seen it. I’m going to a place called Beautiful. They’re waiting for me. My mother’s here to take me there, and I’ll be here for you when it’s your turn.” Taking her words of hope, Donna has created a message of comfort for the bereaved, fully supported here by the spaciously evocative piano of the late Denis Fréchette.

This song is being sold separately online as a fundraiser to help raise money to develop a reliable test for ovarian cancer, a silent killer that is often too far advanced for positive treatment by the time it is discovered.

Please go to PlaceCalledBeautiful.org to download this one song. All monies from the download here and elsewhere online of ‘A Place Called Beautiful’ are donated to OvarianCancerResearch.org

Donna, also a breast cancer survivor, encourages all women at risk to get regular mammograms, the most widely used test for breast cancer.

————————-

CD NOTES . . .

Dedication: Begun five years ago in Québec at Dénis Fréchette’s Studio Chemin No. 4, this CD is dedicated to Denis, who passed away in 2008. A mainstay of the Québécois folk and jazz music scenes, he is very much missed. The last track is a duet with just my voice and Dénis’ piano. It is a sad irony is that the lyric for “A Place Called Beautiful” was shaped from the words of my friend, Martha Pellerin, in her last week of life. Denis’ spacious piano speaks a poignant au revoir for not only Martha, but himself as well.

After his death, I decided to finish the CD we had begun together. Pascal Gemme magically appeared at the same time as the perfect concierge to bring the project to completion. Thanks to him and co-producer Max Cohen and especially the magic ears and hands of Mark Busic, this CD has become what Denis envisioned and perhaps even more. Pascal pulled the best traditional musicians out of his producer hat, asking me who I wanted to play with. They came to the sessions to play my favorite French tunes with tape rolling. Very little was arranged and almost everything was recorded live. What more could anyone ask for?

Many thanks: Pascal Gemme, Max Cohen, Rusty Annis, Mark Busic, Rachel Aucoin, Sabin Jacques, André Brunet, Stuart Kenney, Matthew Kenney, Marie-Soleil Pilette, Dana Whittle, Kristin Whittle, Claude Méthé, Éric Beaudry, Russ Barenberg, Daniel Boucher, Graham Townsend, Lorenzo Picard, Marcel Messervier, Martha Pellerin’s family, Liz Marcotte, Pam Gonyer, George Upton, Gerry Hinds, James Hinds, Tante Thérèse, JoAnn Aubé, Liza Constable, André Marchand, France Beaudoin, the late Louis and Julie Beaudoin and their wonderful family, Molly Hébert-Wilson, Jim Hinds, Mary Lou James and Mom, who kept the music alive and passed it on to me.

——————————————

Donna’s tune notes . . .

NOTE: Mixes for fiddle and fiddle/accordéon duets are panned at 20 and 80, medium left and right. To hear more of one channel or the other, adjust the balance on your system.

1. Blackberry Quadrille / Galope de Joseph Bouchard – both D/G(toutes deux en ré/sol) -Galops have long, 16 bar phrases repeated instead of 8 bars, making them twice as long as an average reel. The first is from Louis Beaudoin (this is his name for a tune called Polka Carnaval in Québec). The second was learned 25 years ago from an Éritage LP. Here Pascal Gemme and I play these in unison (except where we don’t!) with Pascal’s feet and Max Cohen’s guitar.

2. Raven’s Wing Dm/D (ré mineur/ré) (© Donna Hébert & Max Cohen) - My father passed away in early March 2008 while our band was visiting the Grand Canyon. We were stalked by ravens all day until, at sunset, one landed among us. It looked straight at me and gestured, croaking; after a few minutes it flew off. Within moments, the call came through that my father had passed. Max and I wrote the tune and only then did I discover that my father’s bomber unit in World War II was called the Ravens. The whole story with photos of the canyon (and the raven!) are online atfiddlingdemystified.com/blog/. When I heard the last mix from Canada, I wept with joy. Mark had captured the feel of the day, the canyon, the wonder, perfectly. Max’s guitar is the raven’s wings. My violin and viola are the spirit breaking free.

3. Magic Foot A (la) (© Russ Barenberg) / Son of a Bear A (la) – Russ Barenberg’s great four-part fiddle tune in A major is a true Francophile gem that lays down the perfect groove to lead into Louis Beaudoin’s family tune in A major. Louis and his father called this one ‘Son of a bear” to keep from swearing in front of the children. The third position shift probably explains the name. I am joined by Max Cohen on guitar, Pascal Gemme’s feet throughout the medley and André Brunet’s fiddle on the second tune. Muscleman André wrestled this tune and a few others to win the Canadian Grand Master Fiddling title in 2008.

4. La grondeuse D (ré) / La grande gigue simple D (ré)- both these lovely crooked tunes in D major are from the repertoire and in the style of Louis Beaudoin. André Brunet and I play these as a fiddle duet with his locomotive footwork setting the pace. Note that Louis only plays two parts to his setting of La grondeuse. André left his fiddle in standard tuning but I’ve tuned my G string up to A.

5. La valse joyeuse D (ré) – I learned this Willie Ringuette tune from Jean Carignan’s first Philo recording in the 1970s and used it effectively as a contest waltz for 10 years. Now, it’s a supreme pleasure to play this aptly-named waltz with Sabin Jacques and Rachel Aucoin for the sheer joy of it!

6. Reel du Père Bruneau D(ré) (© Lorenzo Picard) / Reel des accordéonistes D(ré) (© Marcel Messervier) / Les femmes G (sol) - These three are among my favorite accordion and fiddle tunes. The last Joe Bouchard tune always makes me laugh. When Sabin Jacques and Rachel Aucoin offered their home for a recording session, these tunes immediately came to mind.

7. Circular Reel Am (la mineur) (© Daniel Boucher) / Dad’s Reel A(la) – Fiddler Daniel Boucher writes tunes on a daily basis and this is just one of his many great compositions. Pascal Gemme and I play fiddles with Max Cohen on guitar, with Pascal’s feet running through both tunes. The second tune is the Louis Beaudoin setting of “Reel des éboulements/Avalanche Reel).

8. Réunion Gigue Dm (ré mineur) (© 2005 Donna Hébert) – Written to commemorate twelve years performing with Josée Vachon in Chanterelle, this tune caught Pascal’s attention at the last minute when we were in search of a jig. Rachel’s tour-de-force piano and Pascal’s viola bring this tune to a new level, inviting you to dance to its crooked beauty. Or perhaps even to write a dance to it!

9. Fireside Reel G (sol) / Two-Step D’Armand D/G(ré/sol) (© Graham Townsend) / Reel Béatrice Am (la mineur) - Three of my all-time favorite tunes, here with Liza Constable’s jazz guitar and Stuart Kenney’s acoustic bass. Pascal Gemme also left his footprints on this track, which was originally recorded in 2004. The first tune is from Louis Beaudoin, the second learned from Graham in the early 1970s at Louis’ house. Beatrice was first learned crooked from Omer Marcoux and Gerry Robichaud, then straighter from Québécois sources. This setting is the one most often known in New England and outside Québec.

10. Little Birds G (sol) (© 2007 Donna Hébert) – I wrote this waltz-clog when my little bird, Molly, went off to New York University to fly with her own wings. It’s a sweet little waltz, but fierce, like her. Max Cohen plays guitar and the original choreography and step-dancing were created by Marie-Soleil Pilette, director of Sans Temps Dance Company in Montréal. The feet are mixed right up front on purpose so you can hear the dancing!

11. A Place Called Beautiful D (© Donna Hébert) - I’m really glad I sang this in 2004 with Denis Fréchette. His piano is transcendantly beautiful and his playing is a poignant farewell. In 1998, my friend Martha Pellerin died of advanced ovarian cancer. In August she was performing; by November she was gone. Martha’s death at 37 stunned the Franco community, where she was an performer and advocate for Franco history, culture and music. The week she died, she told her family: “I’m going to a place called Beautiful. They’re waiting for me there.” That story and her words inspired this song (the only chanson on the CD). Friends have found the words reassuring, giving comfort to those who have lost someone close. In Martha’s memory, this tune is sold with all sales monies donated to Ovarian Cancer Research. Let’s help researchers find a screening test for ovarian cancer and stop this silent killer! For more information about our efforts, go to PlaceCalledBeautiful.org.

———————————————————

ABOUT THE MUSICIANS . . .

Rachel Aucoin (piano, tracks 5, 6, 8). Rachel and Donna first met at Groove Camp in 2004 and are particularly happy to work together again. With two Master’s degrees in piano performance and pedagogy and a large teaching practice, Rachel’s formidable skills transform Québécois folk music, taking it to an even higher level. In demand as the groovemistress of contra and concert group Tidal Wave (two other Tidal Wave band members are also featured on this CD), she is also the sensitive accompanist for Franco singer Michèle Choinière. Her tour-de-force piano work on “In Full Bloom” includes La Valse Joyeuse, the Pére Bruneau medley and Donna’s original “Reunion Gigue”, where she drives these tunes to their peak. Recently moved to the Québec City area from Montréal, she and husband Sabin Jacques (see below) are settling in and will doubtless form a community of outstanding music around their nucleus.

Sabin Jacques (diatonic accordion tracks 5, 6). Since Sabin Jacques began playing the accordion at age 14, his reputation has grown non-stop. Deeply influenced by such musicians as Philippe Bruneau, Marcel Messervier and Alfred Montmarquette, his signature technique as a left-handed player makes him a standout. Profoundly attached to his traditional roots, his teaching is practical, uplifting and always inspiring. On this recording, his incandescent playing on La Valse Joyeuse and the Pére Bruneau medley lights up both tracks. This CD and many previous ones highlight his stunning dexterity and musicianship while confirming his status as one of Quebec’s leading master accordionists.

André Brunet (fiddle tracks 3, 4; feet track 4). André Brunet is a legend in his thirties, already retired from a ten-year stint as the lead fiddler in Québec megagroup La Bottine Souriante. In addition to playing in Celtic Fiddle Festival with Christian LeMaitre and Kevin Burke, he’s now criss-crossing the planet as one of Québec’s great violin players, known for his vast repertoire and unmatched “swing.” On this CD, his locomotive feet drive “La grondeuse/La grande gigue simple,” where he sat down with Donna and played the tunes for about 20 minutes to learn Donna’s versions of these tunes before they recorded together. His effervescent energy comes through every note! He also adds his championship licks to “Son of a Bear.”

Max Cohen (guitar tracks 1, 2, 3, 7, 10; arranging, digital editing, engineering, co-producer). Max Cohen, a consummate guitarist in many genres, is a willing convert to French-Canadian songs, tunes and rhythms, adding his harmonically rich guitar accompaniments to five tracks here. He also co-wrote “Raven’s Wing” with Donna Hébert. In addition to playing in duo and trio ensembles with Donna, he performs with Groovemama and the Beaudoin Legacy and tours and records with folk music legend Priscilla Herdman. Max has recently produced CDs for Celtic fiddler Katherine First and singer-songwriter Richard Berman. Now he’s working on his new solo guitar CD, a followup to his remastered solo guitar CD, Saltwater Color in 2007. The 1993 release received lofty praise. Guitar For The Practicing Musician raved, calling Max one of the “most musically complete players we have seen.” Max teaches yearly with Groovemama at the Philadelphia Folk Festival and the Old Songs Festival in Altamont, NY.

Pascal Gemme (fiddle tracks 1, 7, 8; feet tracks 1, 3, 6, 7, 9; viola track 8; arrangements, producer). Pascal Gemme is the musical director of Québec folk group Genticorum. Superlatively talented as a singer, composer, fiddler and master of podorhythmie, he is also a fantastic producer, arranger and facilitator. After meeting at several festivals in 2008, Pascal and Donna decided to collaborate on this project, which soon became focused on Donna’s Franco and French-Canadian fiddling repertoire. Very knowledgeable, kind and technically thorough, Pascal was a strong maple tree to lean on throughout the process, from start to finish. His easy manner and confidence inspired good times in the studio. This is such a joyful recording in large part because of him!

Donna Hébert, in full bloom

Donna Hébert (fiddle tracks 1-10, viola track 2, vocal track 11) - A 2008 Massachusetts Artists’ Fellow in the Folk Arts, Donna Hébert is a true master fiddler. Since 2001, she has worked with eight apprentices through the NEA’s Master-Apprenticeship in the Folk Arts program. Learning style and repertoire in the 1970s from fiddlers like Louis Beaudoin, Allan Block, Graham Townsend, Gerry Robichaud and many others, Donna founded seminal ’70s contradance band Yankee Ingenuity and INDIE award-winning women’s band Rude Girls. Now Donna performs and teaches with Franco-American cultural trio Chanterelle, in it’s 16th year, and triple-fiddle group Groovemama. With daughter Molly Hebert-Wilson, Max Cohen and Katherine First, she performs and teaches in Celtic group Mist Covered Mountains. She also teaches Fiddling Demystified workshops and coaches The Great Groove Band at the Old Songs and Philadelphia Folk Festivals. With fiddler George Wilson, she works with The Beaudoin Legacy, recently named to the NEA’s American Masterpiece Roster. With them she is documenting, presenting and preserving the music of VT’s Beaudoin family. Her 2009 CD release “In full bloom / En pleine floraison” shows Hébert at the top of her form, a true master of her Franco-American fiddling genre. “Donna’s best CD – un vrai délice!” says longtime friend Benoit Bourque of La Bottine Souriante.

Stuart Kenney (acoustic bass, track 7, producing track 11)

One of the most in-demand upright bass players on the US contradance circuit, Stuart Kenney began playing upright bass at age 18. The inclusion of French Canadian music into the living tradition of New England contradance music caught his attention early on. In 1999, Stuart’s path crossed with Sabin Jacques and Rachel Aucoin at Augusta Heritage Traditional Dance and Music week. Later, these three formed the contradance group Tidal Wave. Although Stuart’s music has brought him coast to coast and beyond with many bands, his musical home is at the Guiding Star Grange in Greenfield, MA, where he plays for and hosts the TopHill Music and Dance Series.

Marie Soleil-Pilette (original choreography, step-dancing, track 10) Marie-Soleil Pilette is a choreographer, traditional step and contemporary dancer. She spent years specializing in the traditional stepdance of Québec and currently dances with the Rapetipetam band while soloing in various projects and contexts throughout North America and Europe. Founder of Sans Temps dance company, she has choreographed several original pieces that integrate Québec stepdancing and percussive dance to contemporary dance. For “In Full Bloom,” she choreographed a new waltz-clog to Donna’s original “Little Birds” waltz.