Through 25 years and thousands of shows together in bands such as The Foggy Hogtown Boys, and The Lonesome Ace Stringband, John Showman and Chris Coole have developed a deep and instinctual musical bond. Their music lurks in a truly unique space that is somewhere on the outskirts of old-time, bluegrass, and folk. The songs of John Hartford, Hank Williams, Dock Boggs, and The Band share space with the fiddle tunes of Eck Robertson, and Ed Haley. The duo’s original songs and tunes take in all these vistas and paint something both personal and timely.
They have performed across North America and Europe at festivals such as Merlefest, Rockygrass, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Mariposa, Wintergrass, Gooikroots, and The John Hartford Memorial Festival. In 2022, the duo released two albums: Afield, a collection of old-time fiddle tunes, and Much Further Out than Inevitable – A Tribute to Some Music of John Hartford.
Showman has made his mark as “one of the very best and most influential fiddle players in Canada.” (CIUT 89.5 FM). Over a 20-year career spanning 4,500 shows across North America and Europe, he’s become well-known as an exciting and innovative live musician and in demand as a session player, a sideman and teacher.
From his start as a professional in Montreal in 1996, playing five nights a week in Irish pubs and folk clubs across eastern Canada, Showman fell in love with the sound of traditional fiddle playing, absorbing the playing of such greats as Tommy Peoples, Kevin Burke, Frankie Gavin, Vassar Clements, Eck Robertson and many others. Through careful study of written transcriptions and old recordings and a relentless pursuit of accurate reproduction, he built his repertoire of tunes, chops, styles, and technique, and developed a sound and approach that is unique, one that can relate to many genres of music.
He is the 2011 Appalachian Old-Time Fiddle Champion, the first foreign-born man to ever win the contest; and his albums have been nominated for Juno Awards and won multiple Canadian Folk Music Awards.
Since falling in love with the sound of folk and early country music at the age of 17, one could loosely divide Coole’s 30-year career as a full-time musician into three eras – 10 years as a Toronto street and subway busker; 10 years playing bluegrass residencies around Toronto’s bar scene; and 10 years touring internationally. Throughout this musical journey, he has perhaps become best known as being one of the leading purveyors of the modern clawhammer-style banjo. He has developed a highly personal style that is often described as instantly recognizable.
Coole wrote his first song at the age of 7 - a 6/8 dirge about Wayne Gretzky. Since that auspicious and uniquely Canadian beginning, he has continued to hone his craft, and to date, has recorded more than 50 original songs and instrumentals. Apart from appearing on his own projects, his songs have been covered and recorded by artists such as Eli West, Jenny Whiteley, The Grasscals, and The Sweet Lowdown.
A sought-after teacher of banjo, guitar, and songwriting at workshops and festivals throughout Canada, the U.S., and Europe, these days he spends most of his time playing banjo with John Showman and The Lonesome Ace Stringband.
The Folk in Fredonia Music Series is sponsored by the Gilman Family
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