Larry M Edwards
Musician

News You Can Use January 18, 2022

Manitoulin Thunder Included in
The Cascadia Book of Fiddle Tunes

The collection of modern compositions from the Cascadia region of
North America will be released January 22, 2022.

Cascadia Book of Fiddle Tunes

The fiddle tune Manitoulin Thunder, composed by Larry Edwards, is included in The Cascadia Book of Fiddle Tunes, to be released January 22, 2022, at the Bellingham Folk Festival in Bellingham, Washington.

Celine Parton, along with Joseph Tish, began this project as a challenge to learn and compile some contemporary tunes from musicians of the Cascadia area. She set a goal of 50 tunes. She ended up with 70. Musicians from Washington, Oregon, California, and British Columbia contributed to this project.

"Joey and I dreamt this project up at the very beginning of quarantine and two years later it has come to fruition," Parton wrote in the recent announcement.

Links to recordings of some of the tunes are available at The Cascadia Book of Fiddle Tunes YouTube Channel, including Manitoulin Thunder.

The book costs $20 + shipping and may be ordered from Celine via PayPal or Venmo. Contact Celine via her Facebook page. Profits from the book will be compiled into a scholarship fund for the Fiddle Tunes Workshop, a week-long festival in Port Townsend, Wash.

"I feel honored to have my tune included this collection of contemporary tunes, and I would be grateful to those who add the tune in their reportoires," Edwards said.

The Pandemic Sessions: New Tunes in the Old-time Style

The tune is featured in a compilation of his compositions, The Pandemic Sessions: New Tunes in the Old-time Style (mostly), released last year.

He composed the tune during a fierce thunder­storm at Manitoulin Island (Canada) as a guest of bass player Dr. Ivan Harwood. He had taken refuge in a small cabin as a hellacious storm thundered across Lake Huron — rain peppered the windows and tree branches thudded the roof, a comforting fire in the wood stove.