J.J. Chaisson

Thus reads the slogan on J. J. Chaisson's jacket, pronounced "Chasin", a notification to the world that he has just become a captain in PEI's lobster and crab fishing fleet after having worked for several years on others.. On the drive back from Westfield yesterday, it struck me that this slogan, read as "Chaisson, a dream" would be
especially appropriate as a title for this note.

The Westfield, MA, concert on Saturday evening again drew a large and enthusiastic audience to hear a remarkable performance of traditional Scottish music, powerfully and beautifully played. Kevin Chaisson, J. J.'s uncle and a composer whose tunes appear on some of my CD's, supplied the rich keyboard accompaniment to J. J.'s driving fiddle (and, in two sets, guitar). He treated us to a performance of "Icing on the
Cake", a lovely waltz he wrote for his wedding a year ago in tribute to
his bride, Julia. The many slow airs, marches, strathspeys, reels, and jigs, nearly all of which were familiar to me from hearing them many times on Cape Breton, poured forth one after another weaving a beautiful tapestry of music, with pauses only to allow J. J. to wipe the sweat from his brows, for he gives his all when he plays.

J. J. is also wonderful with small children. I observed him playing with a group before the concert and several of them, one barely old enough to stand by herself, were seated just below the stage on the floor staring up with rapt attention or standing and dancing to the usic. He brought them into the concert, making visual contact with them throughout the concert and aving two of them up on stage with him.

Heartfelt thanks go to the Chaissons for making the drive south to share their music with us and to Meg and Dan Sullivan both for convincing them to do so and for mounting the concert, one in the "Music for Music" series whose proceeds go to support the music program at St. Mary's High School in Westfield. It was indeed a dream concert! - Cape Breton Music

1997 J.J. Chaisson - Class Act (self-published 2002) OK, ever since J.J.'s brilliant debut CD at age 14, we knew we were on to something special here. Well, J.J has hardly been sitting on his laurels these past 4 years. He has continued to grow as a fiddler (thought that in itself is a remarkable concept!), and has become an extremely good guitarist and mandolin player in the process. This album of instrumental tunes is aptly named, since J.J.'s playing is clearly a class act (Very highly recommended)
J.J.'s debut albut- In the Genes (1997 self-published) I described: "This is your first warning of what promises to be a major new fiddling talent. How many 14 year olds, that's right -- 14, can get to have J.P. Cormier as an accompanist on fiddle and piano. J.J. does not sound like a 14 year old; this is one fine album. This music is not something that J.J. learned out of a book. The album generously pictures J.J.'s two grandfathers, both noted fiddlers, and as the title says, it's 'in the Genes'". Righteous stuff! -Jim Scarff
- www.sfcelticmusic.com

"J.J. Chaisson is one of the top young fiddlers on the East Coast...." - Tom O'Keefe, Soundpark Studios - Soundpark Studios

The future of Maritimes music is secure in the hands of young bands like the Chaisson family and Celtic Tide.
With its self-produced debut album, Kindle, Celtic Tide takes its place among the up and coming artists of a music-rich culture of Prince Edward Island. The band's grasp of musical traditions is strong, and the musicians certainly don't flinch from employing traditional techniques throughout the recording. Neither are they worried about imposing their own sense of style and injecting a healthy dose of modern musical ideals into their sound.
J.J. Chaisson is the obvious leader of the band, providing strong fiddle lines in the instrumentals and pop-influenced vocals in the songs. Besides J.J., Celtic Tide is Darla Chaisson on piano, Brent Chaisson on drums, Kurt Chaisson on acoustic and electric guitars and Elmer Deagle on mandolin. They're joined on several tracks by guest musicians Remi Arsenault (bass, guitar), Ed Woodsworth (bass, electric guitar), Lisa Gallant (bodhran) and Jamie Foulds (keyboard, backing vocals).
The album is packed with cleverly arrangement tune sets, including "Carter MacKenzie's," "Bear River Hillbillies," "Shimmers" and "The Silver Spear." Certain elements, such as J.J.'s fiddle and Darla's piano, are pure tradition; bass, drum and occasional electric guitar lines add a modern touch which make the music more accessible to younger fans without discouraging the older. The set "Squiggley's" matches fiddle with electric guitar and some remix scratch for a track which could easily keep a dance floor hopping. Likewise, "Live Wire" goes for an industrial edge of rough metal, and yet the fiddle continues to shine overtop a ponderous harmonic rock foundation.
"Frozen Fingers," conversely, casts the spotlight on some frenetic yet flawless fingerwork on a pair of acoustic guitars. Deagle shows his chops on the mandolin in the intricate "Clelmo."
Kindle is dominated by excellent instrumental sets, but the songs show Celtic Tide's promise as a vocal band, too. The musicians know how to hold back, playing with plenty of gusto but never overpowering the singer. And, while I prefer the instrumental tracks over the vocals, the songs here are nothing to disdain.
My favorite of the songs is "Blainie's Laughing Eyes" by Mark MacPhee, a song to seagulls from a man seeking the body of a dear friend lost at sea. J.J. begins slow and a cappella, but then Lisa Gallant's bodhran kicks up the tempo for the final two verses. A bit of mouth music later and the band joins in for a fast-paced finale. Overall, an excellent track in all respects. "Mountain Top" and "My Scottish Blood," both also by MacPhee, are more rockin' in their presentation; the latter in particular blends traditional and modern elements with style.
The album title suggests a fire that's just beginning. I hope the same can be said of the band. With a beginning this good, we can expect great things from them in the future.
by Tom Knapp - Rambles Magazine

...I swear J.J. Chaisson must have six fingers, the way they blurred when he picked a fiddle tune out on his guitar. - the professor - Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival Fan site

The five first cousins who make up Celtic Tide treated their audience to a spirited mix of traditional jigs and reels.....that brought the temperature, in the already sweltering room, another few degrees." - Doug Gallant, The Guardian - The Guardian

When you talk with the members of Celtic Tide, you get the feeling that they are real, down-to-earth young people. And even when the subject turns to music-their business-the conversation remains light-hearted and laid back.....Celtic Tide received rave reviews at the East Coast Music Awards in Sydney this past February...
--Sally Cole
- The Guardian

The upcoming East Coast Music Association is going to be quite an exciting event for the Chaisson family of Rollo Bay....Celtic Tide has been creating a lot of hype in the region since its first performance at the 2000 ECMA showcases and since the release of their CD, Kindle.
- The Journal Pioneer