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Celtic duo's debut album brings past into present
Broder, a 21-year-old Camarillo native, returns to town later this month with Laval as part of a monthlong West Coast tour that began last week in Bellingham, Wash., and will end in San Diego in April. Broder and Laval will make a two-night stop, March 29 and 30, in Camarillo, where they will perform at Old World Elements. The concert is a homecoming for Broder, who last performed to a sold-out audience at Peace Lutheran Church. Laval said Broder is "coming full circle" with their upcoming performance. "That was the 'Goodbye Ashley' concert back in February of 2006, and this is the homecoming of Ashley a little over a year later," he said. The pair, who live in Ashville, N.C., has spent the past year putting the finishing touches on the selfproduced album they recorded in a small cabin tucked in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. The two met in Idaho during the 2005 National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest and Festival. Laval, the 2002 U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Championship, was there to perform his Scottishstyle fiddling. Broder was there to relax and jam with her friends. Her mom, however, unexpectedly entered the accomplished violinist in the competition so they would get a better rate on their camping space, much to her daughter's chagrin. Although Broder said she didn't do very well in competition, the summer trip did give her a chance to meet Laval and has since sparked a personal and professional relationship between them. "Our enjoyment with each other personally was intertwined with the music," Laval said. The two hit it off and Broder invited Laval, a classically trained violinist and graduate of the Victoria Conservatory of Music in Canada, to visit her later that year at her Camarillo home for an intimate concert. Laval admitted he had a few "jitters" on his way to the Broder family's home, but said that "from the moment I walked through the door, I was welcomed by all, and everything clicked as if it was written out in script." The concert was a success and the duo was formed. Broder, who plays the violin, cello and mandolin, mostly plays the mandolin on the new album while Laval accompanies her with the fiddle. Broder won the Western Open Master Picker Championship in 2003 and 2004. "I think what we recognized from that little concert in Camarillo is that we had all the commonality we needed, in terms of our ability, and also that we really had a great, immediate personal affection for . . . creating music together," Laval said. Broder admits she was "blasé" about Celtic music when she first heard the traditional folk songs, but after she and Laval began dissecting the 16th-century melodies, Broder said, she fell in love with the music. "I really didn't know that much about Celtic music before I met Jamie. He's really been my mentor in that department." Broder said. In contrast to traditional Irish and Scottish songs- in which the same tune is played repeatedly but with increasing speed- Broder and Laval's compositions maintain a constant tempo to create more complex arrangements. "Tunes are great, but I want something done with them. That's why we do what we do to make it interesting," Broder said. Making their home in the South seemed natural to the two musicians. "Celtic music spawned oldtime Appalachian music, which spawned bluegrass, and, of course, all of that stuff is absolutely huge out in this area- Carolina and Tennessee," Laval said. The duo said their musical style has continued to mature since they began recording their new album last year. "It's still in progress," Laval said. "It's always in progress," Broder said. Laval and Broder will perform at 7 p.m. Thurs., March 29 and 8 p.m. Fri., March 30 at Old World Elements, 4815 Calle Alto, Camarillo. For more information, call (805) 405-4413 or visit www.ashleybroder.com or www.jamielaval.com. |
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