Calvin Vollrath

1. Wabamun Breakdown...................................................................... “The Reel Thing” 1982
Released on LP record & cassette and named after the small community approximately 70 kms west of Edmonton Alberta. It is the 1^st tune I composed and the 1^st tune I recorded on the 1^st album. We recorded this album at Project 70 Studio, an 8-track facility in Edmonton. It was produced by Ken Huculak and released on the label “New Creative Records”. I was playing on an old German copy of a Stradivarius that I called “Old Yeller” that I still own today.
Mike Elliott.............. Piano Duane Pasieka........... Drums
Erin Pasieka............ Bass Guitar Calvin Vollrath........... Rhythm Guitar
2. Prince George Jig................ “Red River Jig & Other Old Time Fiddle Favorites” 1983
Released on LP record & cassette, also recorded at Project 70 Studio and released on “New Creative Records”. I was still playing on Old Yeller. I named this tune for the wonderful friends I made in Prince George BC, after years of attending their annual fiddle contest.
Mike Elliott.............. Piano/Bass Duane Pasieka........... Drums
Bill Elliott................ Rhythm Guitar
3. Carrot River Stomp............................................................ “Fiddlin’ Again” 1984
Released on LP record & cassette. This album was recorded at Damon Studios in Edmonton, a 24-track facility and released on the “CalWes” label. I played on an Italian fiddle made by Joseph Dalaglio, which had a Barcus-Berry pickup built into the bridge. Carrot River, in Northeast Saskatchewan, held the biggest fiddle contest in Western Canada. I attended every year from 1977 till its end in 1986. The hospitality in that small town was second to none.
Mike Elliott.............. Piano Tim Lent..................... Drums
Andy Greatrix......... Bass Guitar Calvin Vollrath........... Rhythm Guitar
4. Emma Lake Polka................................................................. “New & Used” 1989
Released on cassette and my last recording on LP record. Recorded back at the Project 70 Studio but now under the name The Works, and upgraded to a 12-track facility. I played Old Yeller with a Barcus-Berry pickup built into the bridge. This is the first tune that John Arcand and I wrote together. It was written at the first fiddle camp in Canada, the 1988 Emma Lake Fiddle Camp, organized by the Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange Society (SCES).
Larry Guthrie.......... Piano Tim Lent..................... Drums
Les Vincent.............. Bass Guitar Ralph Ament.............. Rhythm Guitar
5. Cat Gut Boogie.................................................................. “Cat Gut Boogie” 1993
Only available on cassette. This album was recorded in Edmonton in Dennis Hansen’s living room, live to 2-track DAT (digital audio tape) and released on my own label “Triple J Records”. No multi tracking here. I’m still playing Old Yeller with the Barcus-Berry pickup. Some fiddle strings are made out of cat gut, they say, so why not a tune for the poor cat.
Trent Bruner........... Piano Derek Stremel............ Rhythm Guitar
6. Too Close for Comfort.............................................. “Too Close for Comfort” 1994
Only released on cassette, this album was recorded in my basement in Edmonton Alberta, live to 2-track DAT and released on “Triple J Records”. Recorded on Old Yeller with the Barcus-Berry pickup. This tune was composed with Richard Wood of PEI, who attended the Emma Lake Fiddle Camp in 1993.
Trent Bruner........... Piano Derek Stremel............ Rhythm Guitar
Ralph Ament........... Rhythm Guitar
7. Polson Polka.................................................................... “Red River Trails” 1995
Only released on cassette, this album was also recorded in my basement, in Edmonton, live to 2-track DAT and released on “Triple J Records”. I was still playing Old Yeller with the Barcus-Berry pickup. I was hired to judge the Montana State Fiddle Championship in Polson, Montana and I thought I’d write a tune for the fine folks there.
Trent Bruner........... Piano Derek Stremel............ Rhythm Guitar
8. Smokin’ Bow Reel............................... “Instrumentally Yours, Something Different” 1996
Released on my 1^st CD and also on cassette. This album was recorded at Midi City Studio in Edmonton, a 24-track facility on Hank Smith’s label “Bonnie Pearl Records”. I played on my newly acquired 1994 German Roth fiddle, which I sometimes call the “VollRoth”. While performing a concert at the Emma Lake Fiddle Camp, Tony Linnick of Flin Flon Manitoba noticed a cloud of rosin flying off the bow and requested I write a tune with this title.
Trent Bruner........... Piano Ralph Ament.............. Rhythm Guitar
Alphonse Delorey.... Spoons Derek Stremel............ Bass/Rhythm Guitars
9. Tamarack’r Down........................................................................ “Tamarack’r Down” 1997
Released on CD & cassette. This album was recorded at Crowtown Productions in Edmonton, a 24-track facility and played on the Roth. A good friend of mine, Bernie McClelland, would always holler out ‘Tamarack’r Down’ when he was in the crowd, an expression he acquired from his native Nova Scotia.
Trent Bruner........... Piano Derek Stremel............ Bass/Rhythm Guitars
Alphonse Delorey.... Spoons Calvin Vollrath........... Clogging
10. Gloria’s Waltz..................................................... “Jiggin’ at the OK Corral” 1998
This album was recorded in the dining room of my Edmonton condo which I called Dining Room Studio and released on “Triple J Records”. This was my first attempt at a multi-track recording studio, on two 8-channel Alesis ADAT recorders. I played on the Roth and released this album on CD and cassette. This waltz was written for Gloria Schoening, a dear fiddling friend of mine from Milaca, Minnesota.
Trent Bruner........... Piano Calvin Vollrath........... Bass/Rhythm Guitars
11. Running Shoe Jig........................................................................ “Thanks to Emma” 1998
Also recorded at Dining Room Studio in Edmonton and released on CD & cassette on the “Triple J Records” label. This tune was written during a composer’s workshop I was conducting at the Emma Lake Fiddle Camp.
Trent Bruner........... Piano Calvin Vollrath........... Bass/Rhythm Guitars
Alphonse Delorey.... Spoons
12. Whitecaps in the Ditch Rhapsody............................ “Bonjour comment ça va” 1999
Released on CD & cassette. This album was my first recording in St. Paul Alberta, in my new home and studio I named Astromonical Studio. Recorded on a Roland VS1680, a 16-track digital hard drive portable recording station, a wicked learning curve for me but I had lots of fun. While touring southern Manitoba after a huge rainstorm, we actually saw whitecaps in a ditch, so I gave this tune the same name.
Trent Bruner........... Piano Freddie Pelletier........ Lead Guitar
Calvin Vollrath........ Bass/Rhythm Guitars
13. Mo & Me...................................................................... “UFO Sessions 99” 1999
Released on CD & cassette. Recorded at Astromonical Studio and recorded on the Roth. When I was a teenager, I bought my 1^st guitar, an acoustic made by the Morris Guitar Company. That guitar, that I nicknamed ‘Mo’, went everywhere with me and we wrote a lot of tunes together.
Calvin Vollrath........ Bass/Rhythm Guitars, Fiddle Pickin’ & Spoons
14. Me, Gene & Roy....................................................... “Fiddillennium Vol I” 2000
Released on CD & cassette. Recorded at Astromonical Studio and played on the Roth. This tune is reminiscent of old cowboy music. Have you ever dreamed of being in an old western movie with Gene Autry and Roy Rodgers? I have.
Calvin Vollrath........ Bass/Lead/Rhythm Guitars
15. Skin Boy Rag..................................................................... “Steppin’ Out” 2000
Released on CD & cassette. Recorded at Astromonical Studio and played on the Roth. My brother Terry had a nickname when he was much younger, Skin Boy, so this tune was for him.
Calvin Vollrath........ Bass/Lead/Rhythm Guitars
16. La gigue Legault....................................................... “Autumn in Vermont” 2001
Released on CD & cassette. Recorded at Astromonical Studio and played on the Roth. I wrote this tune for the great piano player from Montreal, Benoit Legault.
Calvin Vollrath........ Lead/Rhythm Guitars Trent Bruner........... Piano & Keyboard Bass
17. The Jiggin’ 2-Step........................................................ “Fiddling My Way” 2001
Released on CD & cassette. Recorded at Astromonical Studio and played on the Roth. Randy ‘the fiddlin’ fireman’ Foster & I wrote this tune, late one night at the Emma Lake Fiddle Camp.
Calvin Vollrath........ Bass/Rhythm Guitars Trent Bruner........... Piano
18. Vic Garbutt’s Classic Country Waltz........................................ “Friendship” 2002
Released on CD & cassette. Recorded at Astromonical Studio and played on the Roth. Vic Garbutt runs a radio station in the Ottawa Valley and plays traditional country & fiddle music. His favorite waltz is ‘The Blue Skirt Waltz’ so I fashioned this waltz after that.
Calvin Vollrath........ Bass/Lead/Rhythm Guitars Trent Bruner........... Piano
19. A September Mourning.................................................... “Fiddle According to Cal” 2002
Released on CD & cassette. Recorded at Astromonical Studio and played on the Roth. September 11, 2001 was a tragic day in our world, when terrorists attacked the Twin Towers in New York NY and the Pentagon in Washington DC. This melody came to me as I listened to the news, driving down the highway that day, coming home from a show.
20. Turkey in the Raw.................................................... “New Fiddle Classics” 2003
Released on CD & cassette. Recorded at Astromonical Studio and played on the Roth. The 2^nd part of this tune has a certain feel that reminds me of “Turkey in the Straw”.
Trent Bruner........... Piano
Calvin Vollrath........ Bass/Rhythm Guitars & Electric Mandolin & Spoons
21. José McKay........................................................................... “Car-Tunes” 2004
Recorded at Astromonical Studio and played on the Roth. This is the first recording only released on CD, the end of the cassette era for me. Joe McKay was from Montana and attended the fiddle camp in Monarch Montana where I teach at annually. Prior to the 2003 camp, Joe past away suddenly, so Fred Buckley, camp coordinator and long time friend of Joe’s, requested I compose a tune in Joe’s memory and name it using his nickname.
Trent Bruner........... Piano Calvin Vollrath........... Bass/Rhythm Guitars & Spoons
22. Somewhere in Sweden............................................ “Just for the Swing of It” 2004
Recorded at Astromonical Studio and played on the Roth, this recording was also only released on CD. While on tour in Sweden, I composed this tune riding in the vehicle, somewhere in Sweden.
Freddie Pelletier..... Lead Guitar Richard Chernesky..... Lead Guitar
Calvin Vollrath........ Bass/Rhythm Guitars & Mandolin
23. Belt Creek Jig.................................................................. “Strings of Pearl” 2005
Recorded at Astromonical Studio and played on the Roth. This was recorded on a newly acquired Roland VS2480, a 24-track hard drive studio. I wrote this tune at a composer’s workshop I was conducting at the Montana Fiddle Camp and named it after the creek that runs near the camp site.
Paul Dacier ............ Piano
Calvin Vollrath........ Bass/Lead/Rhythm Guitars, Mandolin & Spoons
24. Don Guillemette Hoedown........................................................ “The Big C” 2006
Recorded at Astromonical Studio and played on the Roth. I wrote this tune for Don, whom I met at the fiddle contest in Pembroke Ontario, and heard jammin’ in the park. A wonderful player in the hoedown style.
Paul Dacier ............ Piano
Calvin Vollrath........ Bass/Rhythm Guitars, Mandolin & Electric Mandolin
25. Shane Cook Breakdown...................................................... “The Big C02” 2006
Recorded at Astromonical Studio on the Roth. Shane is an amazing fiddler from Ontario that has won almost every prestigious contest in Canada and the US National Championships in Weiser Idaho, the only Canadian to ever win the US title. What a terrific player he is.
Paul Dacier ............ Piano
Calvin Vollrath........ Bass/Lead/Rhythm Guitars & Mandolin
26. Shorty Freeman................................................................................. “Looking Back” 2007
Recorded at Astromonical Studio and played on the Roth fiddle. I wrote this for Trent (Shorty) Freeman of Vancouver Island. He’s just a teenager but already a terrific fiddler. He loves to improvise and is never scared of a good jam.
Calvin Vollrath........ Bass/Lead/Rhythm Guitars, Mandolin & 5-String Fiddle