I wonder if someone showed him how to play like that or if he just picked it up by ear. It's a beautiful-souding violin he's playing, too, and great acoustics in the hall---not often you get to hear Irish fiddle tunes in that kind of environment---which is a shame, because the tunes deserve them.
Oh, he knows what he's doing. I saw him play with Celtic Fiddle Festival last year and he did just fine alongside Kevin Burke and the others. And he played this month at the Baltimore (Ireland) Fiddle Fair. So his classical training has been thoroughly infiltrated by hanging around and playing with very fine fiddlers. . .and he can still play classical pieces, too.
He's amazing and he's a very funny guy too. See his website www.gillesapap.com and you'll see what I mean. The 'bad reviews' section was a first to me !
So nice... I've had the great fortune to play with Gilles a number of times -- we played in an ad-hoc "Old Timey" band once together for a wedding. The rule was that we couldn't play any of the tunes we had practiced That falls under the category of how to keep the guitarist (me in this case)
Aside from being a great player, maybe one of the greatest on the planet right now, he is just plain fun to be around, humble, and a tad odd. His home in CA is a shack in the middle of the hills ouside of Santa Barbara about an hour north. No internet, no TV. Just joyous solitude.
I believe he learned to "fiddle" primarily by ear, from the great Santa Barbara fiddler Jim Wimmer. He also plays Indian classical music. After seeing the documentary on his trips to India and seeing him play there, I have no doubt about his ability to play by ear!
Gilles was featured in Strings Mag. about two years ago.
It was my first notice of him. Seems to be a "born" fiddler.
Last year, a top notch classical player mentioned him
in a most admirable way before introing a piece by him.
Look forward to hearing him perform in a nice hall.
Gilles Apap (Fiddler)
Gilles Apap (Fiddler)
I've just listened to a video in YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFSIQwn5HvQ) by this fiddler (or violinist, whatever...) Gilles Apap.
What do you think?? I like his sound and I think he's doing it right when playing irish music
# Posted on May 29th 2007 by Matt_Celta
Re: Gilles Apap (Fiddler)
I wonder if someone showed him how to play like that or if he just picked it up by ear. It's a beautiful-souding violin he's playing, too, and great acoustics in the hall---not often you get to hear Irish fiddle tunes in that kind of environment---which is a shame, because the tunes deserve them.
# Posted on May 29th 2007 by kennedy
Re: Gilles Apap (Fiddler)
Oh, he knows what he's doing. I saw him play with Celtic Fiddle Festival last year and he did just fine alongside Kevin Burke and the others. And he played this month at the Baltimore (Ireland) Fiddle Fair. So his classical training has been thoroughly infiltrated by hanging around and playing with very fine fiddlers. . .and he can still play classical pieces, too.
# Posted on May 29th 2007 by snertzy
Re: Gilles Apap (Fiddler)
He's amazing and he's a very funny guy too. See his website www.gillesapap.com and you'll see what I mean. The 'bad reviews' section was a first to me !
# Posted on May 29th 2007 by Henk Bos
Re: Gilles Apap (Fiddler)
So nice... I've had the great fortune to play with Gilles a number of times -- we played in an ad-hoc "Old Timey" band once together for a wedding. The rule was that we couldn't play any of the tunes we had practiced
That falls under the category of how to keep the guitarist (me in this case)
Aside from being a great player, maybe one of the greatest on the planet right now, he is just plain fun to be around, humble, and a tad odd. His home in CA is a shack in the middle of the hills ouside of Santa Barbara about an hour north. No internet, no TV. Just joyous solitude.
--Eliot
# Posted on May 29th 2007 by Eliot
Finishing that sentence..
That falls under the category of how to keep the guitarist (me in this case) "alert".
# Posted on May 29th 2007 by Eliot
Re: Gilles Apap (Fiddler)
I believe he learned to "fiddle" primarily by ear, from the great Santa Barbara fiddler Jim Wimmer. He also plays Indian classical music. After seeing the documentary on his trips to India and seeing him play there, I have no doubt about his ability to play by ear!
# Posted on May 29th 2007 by Munichg
Re: Gilles Apap (Fiddler)
Gilles was featured in Strings Mag. about two years ago.
It was my first notice of him. Seems to be a "born" fiddler.
Last year, a top notch classical player mentioned him
in a most admirable way before introing a piece by him.
Look forward to hearing him perform in a nice hall.
# Posted on June 1st 2007 by hauke