Ashley has just completed a new collection of tunes with Barbara MacDonald Magone called Beautiful Lake Ainslie, a collection of traditional tracks performed with piano and fiddle, recorded in Windsor at Polaris Studios.

Much has been said about the antics of the enfant terrible of the fiddle, but only because he has had international success and notoriety from an early age and grew up under the spotlight as one of the most dynamic fiddlers from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. MacIsaac constantly pushed the traditional styles of Celtic music as he grew up and incorporated rock, pop, and everything imaginable in between.

A renowned fiddle player, piano player and step dancer, Ashley MacIsaac has performed in the opening ceremonies at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics to a worldwide audience and with artists such as Phillip Glass and The Chieftains.  Ashley also played with The White Stripes for their “Under Great White Northern Lights” Canadian tour which was turned in to a documentary. So impressed by Ashley’s electric performance and love of bending genres, Jack White has invited him to co-write and perform with him on a country blues song for Jack’s new label based in Nashville.

ABRAMS BROTHERS

Born into a four generation touring bluegrass family, brothers  John Abrams  (vocals, guitar, mandolin, keyboard, percussion) and James Abrams (vocals, violin) and their cousin Elijah Abrams (bass) have been on stage  in the family business since they were 7 and 10. From this musical weaning, they have forged a sound considered to be “Abrams Brothers Music” in Canada. It’s a sound that lives somewhere between Americana, country and roots music.

Together as The Abrams Brothers for over 10 years, the band became the youngest Canadians to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. In 2005, they were named Emerging Artist of the Year at the Canadian Bluegrass Music Awards. Over the past few years, The Abrams Brothers have been a constant on the Canadian festival circuit and have shared the same stage with Feist, John Hammond and Dean Brody.

Drawing from their vast influences including the Louvin Brothers, Tony Rice, The Beach Boys and Neil Young, The Abrams Brothers seamlessly fuse bluegrass with country and folk-rock. Lyrically, the album draws heavily upon the landscapes of the Canadian wilderness, and merges these images with themes of love, loneliness and restless ambition.