Music: {allcanada} Alta. fiddler goes unnoticed in L.A.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

{allcanada} Alta. fiddler goes unnoticed in L.A.

LOS ANGELES -- Alberta musician Calvin Vollrath has the reputation in Canada of being one of the most talented fiddlers alive and was even asked to write several tunes for the opening ceremony of the Vancouver Olympics. But here in the lala area of L.A., it's "Calvin who? Fiddle what?" -- at least for now.

Vollrath is being flown into Southern California next week as the headliner at a fiddle fest concert and workshop at the Julian Family Camp in San Diego from April 14-17.

"Being unknown here, he could be viewed as a tough sell," said American organizer Avery Ellisman, himself a fiddler who heard Vollrath play a few years ago, became a huge fan and was determined to widen his countrymen's knowledge of the Canadian icon and his music.

"I figure it's about time someone moved outside the so-called 'box' and brought someone who, while unknown in these parts, will WOW," said Ellisman. "Calvin's fiddling is extraordinary."

As for Vollrath, the 50-year-old musician says he spends most of the year touring and teaching in Canada and Northern States, but it's his first time playing to the Hollywood crowd.

He's not at all intimidated by it. On the contrary, what he's looking forward to is a chance to thaw his fingers in the sunshine after Alberta's harsh winter this year.

"We've had the most snow in over three decades and I'm cold, cold, cold," he joked.

Does he care that his music is being showcased in the heart of movie land and, hence, might influence the mighty film and television culture?

Vollrath says it's all part of the job.

"I look forward to teaching what I have to offer to anyone that is interested," says the no-nonsense artist.

For those who can't catch Vollrath in person, his new CD, a medley of tunes called Fiddle Nation, was released last week.

But Vollrath may have a bigger crowd than expected at his California gig: Ellisman reports he's already sold twice the number of tickets as expected.

"Fiddling may only be mildly popular in California, (but) with the likes of Calvin making the rounds down here, and me getting people to come see him, this is about to change," he said.

TUPPER WEARS IT WELL: Dartmouth, N.S., actor James Tupper was looking his usual rakish and ravishing self when he stepped out with girlfriend and baby mama Anne Heche to an HBO party March 24. The party was to promote the airing of the network's documentary, My Way, about Hollywood producer Jerry Weintraub, and Heche needed to go as she's in the HBO stable with her series, Hung.

Tupper, hair tousled just so and sporting the beginning of a beard, wore an Italian suit with an opened white shirt collar. I could also go on about how glamourous and beautiful Heche also looked, but this is a column about Canadians.

Although Tupper, the male lead of previous television hits such as Men in Trees and Mercy, hasn't yet nabbed a new series this year, he'll have a leading role in Jim Carrey's upcoming flick, Mr. Popper's Penguins.