May 2, 2008

Duo's passion transforms Celtic music tradition

By Paul Freeman / Entertainment Writer

Emotion bursts forth from every note played by Celtic music virtuosos Jamie Laval (fiddle) and Ashley Broder (mandolin, cello, violin).

"This music is packed with melancholy and expression," says Laval. "It illustrates the centuries of people pouring their hearts into the music and expresses their lifestyle and hardships. I find it a really passionate kind of music."

Emotion bonds the duo to audiences. "They appreciate when we really get inside the tunes and play with a lot of heart," Laval said. "If we really pour ourselves into the emotion of the tune, and the tune sounds more impassioned, then the audience gets more involved and we can sense that they have this building emotion and sense of excitement. That then transfers into our experience and we give even more."

The duo, Independent Music Award finalists, met at a wee-hours jam session during the world's largest fiddle contest in Weiser, Idaho. Laval, originally from Seattle, and Broder, from Ventura County, had a lot in common in terms of music philosophies. The two classically trained musicians decided to see where Celtic and roots music would take them.

"We both find it inspiring to craft an arrangement, not just play the same old tune around and around. We seek to find the emotional quality and actually draw it out of the tune," Laval said.

"Knowing ahead of time that we were both disposed in that direction, we knew it was going to result in a really good duo. We did have to put in several months of intense work to figure out how to approach the music with no backup. It's an unconventional instrumentation - two melody instruments."

They developed what they call "duostration." "If we had an orchestra, we'd be orchestrating our music, but we don't. We only have a duo. So we duostrate it," Laval chuckled. "We're still exploring all kinds of new ideas and new textures that we can bring to the music just with two instruments."

Laval said the duo has had to "supersede the conventional treatment of the music," where one person plays the melody and the other plays backup. "Neither one of us is actually a backup player. So we've devised a way of sort of backing up the person by trading melodic figures back and forth. We spin all sorts of different musical strains in and out of the melody. So it sounds like it's being accompanied even though there isn't a formal accompaniment."

Laval attended music conservatory with the ambition of becoming a symphony violinist. But Celtic music grabbed his attention. He won the 2002 U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Championship.

"I eventually realized that fiddle music was a better emotional and psychological fit for what I wanted to do," he said. "I've always been more attracted to persistent, kind of ostinato rhythm, as in the case of the Celtic dance rhythms. That's always appealed to me more than flashy pyrotechnics that you might get in violin concertos and so forth. I appreciate a persistent, undulating groove."

Laval also appreciates the ability to re-envision the music. "Even though what we play is very old material, we've reinterpreted it. That's not only allowed, but celebrated in Celtic music. That wouldn't be the case in classical music. So this was a better outlet for me, expression-wise."

Laval and Broder are conscious of both preserving the music and moving it forward. "That's an interesting line that we balance. We're perpetually evaluating the two sides - wanting to be faithful to the old traditions and really bring out the heart and the spirit, but then on the other side, infusing something fresh and new into it. It's a gentle teetering between the two. I think we've done a fairly good job not getting too far astray in either of those two directions."

The approach was warmly received during appearances in Scotland. "That was a great surprise," Laval said. "I had wondered how my music would go over with the Scots. I was hoping to be respected for moving forward with the traditional Scottish music. To my delight, they really ate it up. I discovered that Scottish people themselves are largely interested in allowing ways for their traditional music to move into the present millennium."

Laval, who once performed for the queen of England, has found enthusiastic audiences wherever he's played. "It's heartwarming how universal the music is. We've never hit an area where people didn't gobble up the stuff," he said.

"The Bay Area has been great for us. There's a thriving traditional Irish scene and, thanks to Alasdair Fraser, there's now a booming traditional Scottish fiddle scene. There are plenty of folk music enthusiasts there. It's a wonderful area to return to."

A year ago, Laval and Broder moved to Asheville, N.C., a musical region filled with greenery and strategically located for touring.

With their current album "Zephyr in the Confetti Factory" garnering universal acclaim, the duo is halfway through recording their next album.

Also in future plans is a trip to Brittany, France, to study different fiddle techniques. "At any one time, a performance will indicate the present state of development, but that's in constant flux. We keep sponging in new ideas, new influences."