Shane Ken Cook[1] is a Canadian violinist.[2] He is a long-time member of the celtic fusion ensemble Bowfire,[3] and is a past Canadian Grand Master fiddler and U.S. National Fiddle Champion. His musical career has taken him to tour across Canada, the United States, Mexico, Germany, England, China and Taiwan.[4]
Shane Cook | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Known for | Fiddle |
| Honours | Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Champion, Canadian Open Fiddle Champion, U.S. National Old Time Fiddle Champion, Grand North American Champion |
| Website | https://www.shanecook.com |
Life edit
Cook was born in Dorchester, Ontario[5] As the oldest son of Ken and Shirley Cook. Shane Cook holds an Honours degree in music from the University of Western Ontario (now known as Western University) in London, Ontario.[6] He and his wife Jillian have one son, Charlie.[5]
Career edit
Cook won the Championship Class at the Maritime Fiddle Festival in 1997.[7] In 1999, he won the U.S. National Fiddle Championship in Weiser, Idaho, at the age of 17.[3][5] He won the Canadian Open Old Time Fiddle Championship held in Shelburne, ON in 2001, 2003 and 2005.[8][9] as well as three Canadian Grand Masters championships in 2000, 2002 and 2003.[10][11]
As a founding member, Cook toured for over 15 years with "Bowfire," a high-energy violin ensemble that combined string masters of classical, Celtic, bluegrass, jazz and rock violin.[12] The group toured from June 2000[13][circular reference] to Fall 2015.[14] Step dancing was also a feature with this performance troupe.[15][3]
In 2008, Cook's album Where Here Meets There, with Nova Scotia fiddler and pianist Troy MacGillivray, was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award[16] and won an East Coast Music Award (ECMAs) for Roots/Traditional Group Recording of the Year.[17]
In 2013, Cook joined the Alison Lupton Band, an Ontario folk group.[18]
In 2014, Cook released an album titled Head to Head with Ontario pianist, guitarist and Juno-winning member of the East Pointers, Jake Charron.[19][20] The album was nominated for Group of the Year at the 2015 Canadian Folk Music Awards.[21]
Since 2016, Cook has performed in a four member group called "The Woodchippers," a group with various musicians and step dancers who grew up in Ontario’s traditional fiddle and step dance world.[5][22] Joining Cook as The Woodchippers are:[23]
- Joe Phillips (The Art of Time Ensemble) on double bass, guitar and vocals
- Emily Flack (Leahy) on piano, vocals and dance
- Kyle Waymouth (Five-time Canadian National Step Dance Champion) on guitar, tenor banjo, and dance.
In 2021, this group released an album, titled "Shane Cook and the Woodchippers: Be Here for a While."[24]
Since 2018, Cook has played in the Claire Lynch Band, led by three-time Grammy nominee and International Bluegrass Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year, Claire Lynch. [25]
Discography edit
- Shane Cook – Cookin’ on the Fiddle (1994)
- Shane Cook with Kyle Cook and James Bickle – Heritage Fiddles (1996)
- Sundry (2001)
- Shane Cook (Self-Titled - 2005)
- Shane Cook and Troy McGillivray – When Here Meets There (2008)
- Shane Cook and Jake Charron – Head to Head (2014)
- Shane Cook and The Woodchippers - Be Here for a While (2021)
References edit
- ^ "LITTLE CONTORTIONIST". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- ^ The Devil's Box. Tennessee Folklore Society. 1997. pp. 17–16.
- ^ a b c "Aiken welcomes Bowfire". Aiken Standard, via Newspaper Archives. January 11, 2008 - Page 22
- ^ Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Camp Instructors'event-wizard.com
- ^ a b c d "Fiddle champ brings world view home to London". Dec 15, 2016 by Sean Meyer, Our London
- ^ Bio for Shane Cook'
- ^ "Maritime Fiddle Festival, Championship Class Past Winners". Retrieved 16 November 2023.
- ^ Valley Fiddle Camp Instructors 2008'
- ^ 'Shelburne Fiddle Champion Results
- ^ "Historic Saugeen Métis Rendezvous". Shoreline Beacon, August 11, 2016
- ^ "Canadian Grand Masters Past Top Three Champions", cgmfa-acgmv.ca
- ^ 'Bowfire is not a Typical Violin Concert, park record.com'
- ^ title= 'Article on Bowfire, the Ensemble'
- ^ 'Giging with Bowfire'
- ^ "Bowfire fiddles up a storm". Hays Daily News, via Newspaper Archives. March 17, 2011 - Page 3
- ^ "Late fiddler Oliver Schroer leads Canadian Folk Music nominations". CBC Arts News, October 8, 2008
- ^ 'East Coast Music Award Archive, 2009'
- ^ "Reaney's pick: The Allison Lupton Band". By James Stewart Reaney, The London Free Press, November 25, 2015
- ^ "Fiddler Shane Cook, friends, likenesses and Kyles launch CD". By James Stewart Reaney, The London Free Press, November 6, 2014
- ^ ["P.E.I.'s The East Pointers celebrate winning a Juno Award". The Guardian, April 2, 2017 |title= P.E.I.'s The East Pointers celebrate winning a Juno Award']
- ^ 'Canadian Folk Music Awards Results, 2015.'
- ^ Cook and the Woodchippers Facebook Artist Page'
- ^ 'Shane Cook and the Woodchippers-Band Members'
- ^ "Release of Be Here for a While"
- ^ 'Claire Lynch Band set for Park Performance, Sherwood Park News.'
- ^ Cook Discography, Odyssey.on.ca'
- ^ Cook Discography, shanecook.com'