In association with Bluesfest and Blues in the Schools, we are happy to announce a very special workshop with one of the great blues piano players of our time, David Maxwell. David has amassed an enormous resume throughout the years playing piano with some of the greatest and well known musicians in the blues. He has played on tours with Freddie King, Bonnie Raitt, James Cotton, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Hubert Sumlin, Jimmy Rodgers, Charley Musselwhite, Johnny Adams and Ronnie Earl; and gigs with Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Levon Helm, Jimmy Witherspoon, Lowell Fulsom, Junior Wells and many others.

David has been involved in well over fifty recording sessions and can be found playing keyboards on many blues albums that have been released over the last 25 years. David backed up Keith Richards and Eric Clapton for Hubert Sumlin's CD, "About Them Shoes" released in 2005. David's music was used in the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" and in the TV series "Touched By An Angel". He has performed on "Late Night With Conan O' Brien" and is on several videos playing with Freddie King in the early 70's. (Rounder). David's first CD as a leader "Maximum Blues Piano"(1997, Tonecool) received high critical acclaim. His new album, "Max Attack" (2005 95North Records), features guests James Cotton, Kim Wilson, Ronnie Earl, Duke Robillard, Hubert Sumlin and Pinetop Perkins.

Join David for an informal examination of Blues piano styles, accompaniment, and improv here at the Ottawa Folklore Centre, 1111 Bank st. 730-2887. Why would you not take this workshop???

$15 members, $20 non. All proceeds go to Blues in the Schools.

How do we listen to a highland bagpiper? This invaluable life skill will serve you well whether you make it out to the highland games, attend a bagpipe infused wedding service, or flick on the old tele' and accidentally catch some of the Edinburough Tattoo.

Solo Pipes: We're looking for a good, clear, and well intonated sound. The Drones (the three sticks that go over the left shoulder) are adjustable in length (ie. pitch) and should be made to sound resonant with the chanter. The Chanter is the melody-producing part of the pipe which is actually "played" by both of the piper's hands. It should have a bright, continuous sound that doesn't start, stop, or break once the pipes are going. (These little stops are called "chokes" and often result in a deduction of points during competition). A good performance should appear effortless, be choke free, and might include a brief moment of drone tuning...assuming the Father of the Bride allows the piper time!

Band Piping: Should carry all of the aforementioned goodness described above and also place an added emphasis on unison between all the players. A good band will show up all neat and tidy looking, behave like a well tartaned machine, and sound like one big bagpipe and drum.

So there you have it. Make sure to craft a social setting that will put you, bagpipers, and some folks you hope to impress together and astound all with your bold sense of Scottish sound. And... Don't forget about the Glengarry Highland Games on August 1 and 2nd. Head to : http://www.glengarryhighlandgames.com/ for more info!

Ross "The Tartan Spartan"

Come support and enjoy the musical stylings of some of the Ottawa Valley's greatest talent at the 12th Annual Almonte Celtfest. Sit back, relax and be inspired by the great traditions and contemporary stylings of Celtic music, song and dance. Now extended over four days from Thursday July 10 to Sunday July 13, Celtfest has something for everyone. On Sunday July 13 audiences can take in the show on the main stage with traditional acts such as Hadrian's Wall, the Riverthieves and more or enjoy the various performers on the new Alt Celt Stage where the music is rich in dynamics yet strung together with Celtic flare. Musicians are invited to also take part in an all afternoon jam session at the O'Connell Acoustic Session Tent. This terrific continuous session aims to celebrate and take pleasure in the great traditional music of the Valley and its Celtic origins. The highly energetic fusion of talented musicians will go straight to your feet. Some music just wasn't meant to be listened to sitting down, and at the O'Connell Acoustic Session Tent they play that music. A lot.

Practice makes perfect and musicians are invited to attend the Celtic Music Workshops being offered in the air-conditioned comfort of the Almonte Old Town Hall on Saturday July 12 from 1:00-4:00 pm. With instructors such as Terri-Lynne Mahusky, a renowned and highly sought after fiddler from Renfrew, Kyle Felhaver, the sizzling fiddle champion from the Ottawa Valley and Matt Pepin, the imaginative and accomplished fiddler from Northern Ontario, and an instructor at the Ottawa Folklore Centre, musicians at any skill level will benefit. Students will also get a chance to learn or master the techniques of the bodhran drum from Alistair Dennett, a previous member of the great alt country band, Prairie Oyster and expert on the drum, as well as discover the Celtic mandolin with Bruce Barton. Workshops on the Celtic flute and tin whistle are planned, and students can take a spin at Celtic dancing with Clare Dwyer.

Tickets for the workshops are $10.00, with the extended fiddle workshop valued at $20.00 and can be purchased at The Miller's Tale (613-256-9090), Couples Corner (613-256-1171) & The MusicWorks (613-256-7464). For more information and a complete list of performers please visit their website at www.almonteceltfest.com or contact the Mississippi Mills Chamber of Commerce at (613) 256-7886.

See you there!

Morgan Monroe's solid top, tiny traveller with gigbag. Sounds good. Looks good. Perfect for the cottage, campfires and backpacking.

Come in and try one out!

As you probably know, I am a big fan of practicing scales. There's a few reasons for this but a couple are grabbing me as important today. One obvious one is that it tones the left hand in particular, strengthening it for long performances and rehearsals. Can't say enough about being in shape for long shows (remember to do lots of pushups too!). Another is that you get to understand scales on a bodily level, so that when you go to improvise, there's not a lot of separation between you and the music. You are one with the scale, grasshopper. Now try and grab the space in between the notes!

One thing to consider when you set out to go crazy on scales is to give your hands and arms time to pull together again in between the workouts. Supposedly, we tear the subtle tissue after hard sessions and, much like a good workout, we need to give it time to strengthen again before going at it again. My advice is to take every second day off from hard practice. You can always write and/or experiment with freaky chord forms on those days.

Always something to do! Don't forget that summer is also for having fun playing music with friends, on stage and in the garden (my strat sounds pretty darn good by the tomatoes!) I wish you all a great summer playing music. Don't take it all too seriously! Just play.

Alan

Margaret-Jane Campbell paints in acrylic and also work in mixed media. Her subject varies from abstract portraits to mixed media tableaux, some of which comment on society's impressions of the mentally ill. In both cases, she uses bright colors and sharp contrasts to support her statements. The canvas is either completely white, or full of colors which speak to the naked eye.

"Bonhomme Mysterieux", which is of a man with electrodes going from the bottom of the canvas to his brain, was exhibited for the month of May 2004 at the National Art Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. MJ has exhibited not only in Ottawa, but also in Toronto at the Show Gallery, and at the Gladstone Hotel.

Visit the School Downstairs!

In this set of two one hour sessions, Kurt Walther will walk the student through a wealth of instantly applicable concepts. Starting with the basis of chord construction and progression in major and minor keys, Kurt will delve into such topics as the use of chord substitutions, extended or Jazz chords, techniques for the composition of strong melodies and the use of alternate bass notes to change the emotive quality of a progression.

2 weeks, $ 34 members ($50 non) July 16+23, 7-8pm

Call us now to register at 730-2887.

Wow! TJ Wheeler is taking 12 kids from our joint association program with Blues in the Schools, as well as some prime OFC student regulars, to perform twice at Bluesfest on Sunday, July 13. Check them out at the Blacksheep stage, and later during TJ's set at the Barney Dansen stage.

OFC Students are awesome!!!!

That's right folks! Zeek is a highly respected Sax player in Ottawa and beyond. He has been performing for over 35 years , mainly with Blues and R+B bands, and has been nominated many a time for Horn Player of the Year by the Maple Blues awards. We're very lucky to have such a talented player teaching here at OFC. You can catch him at this years' Ottawa Bluesfest playing with The Tony D. band.

Zeek will be taking students starting mid September 08. Also joining Zeek in the new term will be Mark Sullivan, a classically trained trumpet teacher.

Bring on the horns!!!

SPECIAL OFFER: Buy "All the Diamonds" for $24.95 and add "Rumours of Glory " for $10 plus GST & Shipping.

Deal of the day for Cockburn lovers.

We at the Ottawa Folklore Centre have just received the newest model of Cole Clark Ukulele: The JACK TENOR. A tenor ukulele with a solid bunya top, solid blackwood back and sides and the patented Cole Clark face brace pickup. All Cole Clark ukuleles comprise the unique 'Carved to fit' Soundboard & Backs, as well as the 'Spanish' or 'Integral Neck', that is, the neck forms a part of the construction as with the 'Fat Lady range of acoustic guitars.

This is a wonderful higher-level ukulele for the avid enthusiast or professional musician; ready for live performance.

The first solo album by country legend Emmylou Harris is a remarkable start to the singer's prolific career. This beautiful collection of country songs introduced her unique voice, which has since been recorded on over 30 solo albums-not to mention her many guest appearances with artists like Gram Parsons. Although the album only contains one original piece ("Boulder to Birmingham," co-written by Bill Danoff), it features beautiful songs by many popular writers: Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Merle Haggard, Shel Silverstein, and Dolly Parton (Harris' future band mate in the group Trio).

The songs range for kickin' country, as in the opening track "Bluebird Wine," to beautiful ballads: "Too Far Gone," "Boulder to Birmingham," "Before Believing." This reissue also includes two bonus tracks that were not on the original vinyl release: "Hank and Lefty" and "California Cottonfields." Another feature of this reprint is the hefty CD insert which gives a detailed background on the artist and on the making of this ground-breaking record.

Harris' voice is perfect on this album: sweet, powerful, and dynamic. Whether you are a singer, a songwriter, or a classic country music lover, this album is a masterpiece that shouldn't be passed by.

OTHER RECOMMENDED NEW ARRIVAL: Corb Lund -Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier (Stony Plain/2007). Focusing on the stories and themes of historical conflicts, Lund drew from history books and famous authors-such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez-to craft this record. If not already, Corb Lund will certainly become an iconic figure in Canadian country music.

Your ear on what to hear, Mer