The Last Gaspé
Irish/Celtic Dance
Tunes
One
of the dance bands featured at the 25th annual
Door County Folk Festival, "The Last
Gaspé", will make its Sunset Concert Cruise
debut on Thursday, July 8th. The Last Gaspé, a
New England-style contra dance band based in
Madison, WI, plays Canadian, Irish/Celtic and
American fiddle music that swings. The band
blends traditional forms with contemporary
innovations to create an infectious, exciting
sound. Many of the band's arranged fiddle tunes
remind the listener of Natalie McMasters' style
of fiddling.
The band includes John Kraniak on guitar, Amy
McFarland on piano, Maria Terres on fiddle, and
Kevin Clark on bass. Founded in 1987, they have
played for dances and folk festivals throughout
the U.S. The musicians come from very different
backgrounds, ranging from self-taught to
conservatory trained. They all share a love of
dancing, so while they aim to be more
innovative, they respect tradition and strive
for danceability throughout their music. Their
wide-ranging musical influences range from Count
Basie to Michael Coleman to the Grateful Dead.
Some of these influences show up in their
approach to melody and some in their treatment
of rhythm. While they don't play jazz, they take
a jazz approach to playing, stressing
improvisation, musical interplay and a solid
ensemble sound. Play some Last Gaspé sample
tunes here above.
The Last Gaspé will provide live music
throughout the 25th annual Door County Folk
Festival (
www.dcff.net ) for dance workshops, parties
and also will be part of the Door County Folk
Festival concert on Saturday, July 10;
details here
Sound Samples:
1) Two Rivers Waltz -MP3 Sample (107kb)
2) Reel Medley - MP3 Sample (110kb)
3) Jig Medley - MP3 Sample (141kb)