Do-si-do on the go

>> Fine-tune your fiddling and squeeze in
some square dancing with Stobbe,
Trottier and Simm

KEEPING IT REEL: Trottier, Simm and Stobbe

by JOHNSON CUMMINS

Greg Simm, guitarist of the trio Stobbe, Trottier and Simm, is one of the busiest musicians you’re likely to meet. Dividing his time between directing the Ships Company Theatre in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, and being an in-demand producer, Simm has very little free time on his hands. What brings him to Montreal this week is a gig with two of the best fiddle players in Canada, Kelli Trottier and Gordon Stobbe. “Our scheduling can be somewhat of a nightmare,” explains Simm, “but that’s what really makes our coming together that much more special.”

The meeting of fiddle styles between Stobbe and Trottier can send off sparks, but can hardly be called local. Trottier, born an hour away from Montreal, comes from a background of traditional Scottish reels, while former Prairie boy Stobbe is more varied, at times reminiscent of Quebec fiddle legend Joseph Allard.

“The Québécois style is really interesting melodically and rhythmically, and even the form is different,” says Simm, “and for me, it’s a whole new splash of sound that’s really inspiring. As far as style goes though, we kind of make it up as we go along. If we want to play an Eastern European-inspired piece of fiddle music, we will play that, or if we want to play swing fiddle music, we will.”

For their Montreal show, the trio start the day off with a two-hour fiddle workshop where local players can learn from the best. Stobbe, who spends four months of the year teaching workshops in Western Canada, has been heralded as one of the best in his field, while Trottier’s other gig with Bowfire is one of Canada’s most successful roots-music exports.

After the workshop, a square dancing class is offered before the trio cap off the night with a performance. “The square dance class has really been fun. Gordon learned a lot of his square dance calls directly from a fellow on the West Coast, and the steps are really easy to learn. We get all kinds of people for that, from little kids to people in their 80s. It’s definitely educational, but it’s also just a lot of fun.”

At la Sala Rossa on Sunday,
Feb. 17, 8:30 p.m., $20 ($15/students);
Fiddle workshop at 2 p.m., $25,
call (514) 524-9225 to register