Cowichan Theatre presents Ashley MacIsaac

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Thursday, November 1st, 2012
7:30 PM

Ashley MacIsaac was just days into recording his first album in five years when tragedy struck: his prized fiddle, a German Student make - the same instrument he picked up at age eight, the same one he played throughout his teens, had used on all his recordings, the same one he thrilled audiences with across the globe, the fiddle he knew inside and out - broke apart, right in his hands.

"I literally wore it out," Ashley wistfully recalls. "The wood had gotten so thin, it just couldn't be saved. It was gone." He pauses, then says firmly, "But then I remembered, 'It's not the truck, it's the driver,' and I was ready to press onward."

A suitable replacement was found - oddly enough, an exact replica of his German Student make - and an emboldened Ashley charged through the rest of the recording process like a man reborn. The result is Ashley MacIsaac, the Cape Breton wonder's debut on Decca, a panoramic musical journey that features Ashley's strongest playing to date, and also sees the famed instrumentalist singing on six(!) cuts.

When the subject of vocals came up for the latest album, all producers Roger Greenwalt and Kevin Killen needed was one listen to Ashley's voice and they were sold. "It's a cool voice," Greenwalt enthuses. "It's really there in 'Captain America,' and in 'Lay Me Down,' where he's like a real blues belter.'"

Ashley readily accepts the comparison. "Learning to sing, I always went for the blues. In fact, if I had to front a band as a singer, it'd definitely be a blues band. It's such a true, forceful way to sing." He pauses, then adds with a snicker, "You want to know the real reason I'm singing? I got pissed off seeing George Clooney selling bluegrass to millions of people, and I figured it was about time that somebody really cute got in there."

Whether Ashley ever threatens George Clooney's matinee-idol status remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Ashley MacIsaac is a stunning testament of a singularly talented artist at the top of his game.