6. Kevin BurkeIf The Cap Fits
Playing the pipes is something that really focusses my mind you’re fully in the sound. I can definitely hear that in Kevin’s fiddle playing, which is one of the reasons I love it. It’s so effortless. I heard this when I was about 17, and it had a big influence just before I recorded [debut album] The Reeling. In education you’re always taught by a person who plays your instrument, but I think there’s so much to learn from other players. Obviously with the pipes there’s a constant sound, there’s no dynamic, there’s not really articulation, so you have to think about how you can give the impression of dynamics and articulation when you can’t do it physically with the instrument. A big thing with the pipes is the ornamentation, which can have a big influence. It’s quite subtle, it’s technically a very small movement, but for the listener it makes a good impression. The pipes can be quite restrictive in the fact that it’s either on or off, the range is quite small, you need to make the most of the things that are unique. The main thing for me with Kevin was the effortless groove, the phrasing, the way that it flows. And to some extent you do have to be a bit technical to get that across.
