Join us for an evening of Celtic Music played by some of the best in the region. There will be a concert from 8pm to 10pm, with a jam to follow, so bring your instruments and get in on the fun.
JIIG
JIIG came into being in 2004 when singer, songwriter and concertina player Ian Robb decided to record a long overdue “solo” album, and realised he didn’t have to look very far in his home town of Ottawa for some really top-notch help. The solo album quickly evolved into a group project, and the pre-existing trio of James Stephens, Ian Clark and Greg T. Brown, then known acronymously as JIG, took on a fourth member and a second “I”.
The music of JIIG centres around Ian R’s masterful singing of traditional or traditional-sounding, mostly English songs, and is balanced by some stellar instrumental sets showcasing the various stylistic influences and uncommon musicianship of James, Ian C and Greg, all leading lights of the vibrant Ottawa Celtic scene . The band finds its tunes in the Québec, Ontario, Newfoundland, Appalachian, Scottish, Irish and English repertoires, or among James and Greg’s own compositions, and produces a sound that is at once rich and rhythmic, eloquent and edgy. The band's first (and only) recording project, simply entitled "JIIG" received two Canadian Folk Music Award nominations in 2005, and Ian R. won the CFMA for "Best singer, Traditional"
James Stephens
Perhaps best-known as a record producer (Finest Kind, Pierre Schryer, Glen Road, Genticorum, The Brian Pickell Band and countless other artists in the folk/acoustic genre; winner of the 2003 Porcupine Award as “Producer of the Year”), James is one of Canada’s most versatile and inventive fiddle players, mastering a multitude of styles from Cape Breton to Bluegrass, Québecois to Appalachian Old Time, Irish to Ottawa Valley. James works his way through 4 and 5 string fiddles, mandolin and bass in the course of a JIIG performance. He has played with a Who’s Who of Canadian folk roots music, from Fat Man Waving to Lynn Miles to Finest Kind, and had a previous life in classical music. In recent years, James has made many trips to Smithers BC to teach and compose for the Valley Youth Fiddlers’ project, and is also one of the organisers of the Gatineau Hills Fiddle Festival, in his home community of Chelsea, QC.
Ian Robb
A founder member of the Estelle Klein Achievement Award-winning Friends of Fiddler’s Green, and a third of the internationally acclaimed vocal harmony trio Finest Kind, Ian, who describes himself as “a singer and writer of old songs” is one of North America’s most respected singers of English traditional song, with a singing career spanning more than 50 years. He bought his first English concertina in the 1970s, and over the decades has gradually developed his own distinctively chordal style of song self-accompaniment. Ian has been a long-time builder and advocate of the folk music scene; he co-founded the Old Sod Folk Music Society of Ottawa, served several years as a regular columnist for Come for to Sing and Sing Out! Magazines, and has been a board member of the Canadian Folk Music Society and Canadian Vice-President of Local 1000, the travelling musicians’ union. More recently Ian has toured and recorded with the English duo Jess and Richard Arrowsmith as The Arrowsmith:Robb Trio, and his last recording was a duo project with JIIG’s James Stephens. Ian’s recordings go back to 1976, and total well over a dozen solo and band projects.
Ian Clark
A solid grounding in swing guitar has given Ian a seemingly unlimited chord vocabulary and a great sense of groove that he exploits fully in his playing with JIIG. Though brought up in Scotland, his passion for “Celtic” playing only developed when he discovered Ottawa’s session scene, and he soon became a favourite among that city’s many great players, adding a mastery of DADGAD tuning to his already broad palate. Ian has played with Canadian fiddle great Pierre Schryer, and Ian and Pierre’s live duo CD “Heat of the Moment” is a classic showcase of uninhibited and inventive duet playing. He has also performed in the last few years with the Friends of Fiddler’s Green, has played and recorded with Finest Kind, among others. and is a member of The Ottawa rockabilly and swing band, The Dimestore Playboys.
Greg T. Brown
Fiddle and accordion alumnus of many bands including Matapat, Tüq and Glen Road,. Greg is originally from Newfoundland, and cut his musical teeth on the tunes of Rufus Guinchard and Emile Benoit under the guidance of current Newfoundland fiddle great Christina Smith. Since moving to the National Capital region and for a while, Montreal, he has added a variety of styles to his tune repertoire, most notably from the Irish and Québecois traditions. He has also added accordion, anglo concertina, tenor banjo and guitar to his arsenal. Greg is in demand around Ottawa’s music scene as a fine live sound engineer, and in recent years he has made countless trips north to Nunuvut, to teach fiddle and accordion and work his magic at the mixing board.
Red Bird is an intimate, 80 capacity music venue with excellent sound and sight lines from every seat.
We are licensed and have a selection of locally crafted beers and ciders plus a small but fine selections of wine and spirits.
We also carry a selection of non-alcoholic beverages such as locally made sodas and non-alcoholic beers, and a small menu of snack foods such as pressed sandwiches, hot dogs, soft pretzels and pastries.
Unless otherwise noted, all shows are all ages. Everyone must have a ticket, regardless of age.
Doors open one hour ahead of the performance time.
Parking is available at the south end of our building and on side streets (please be respectful of parking restrictions).
Regrettably, our space is not accessible. There are six gradual and wide steps to our front door with railings on each side. Once inside, everything is on one floor including an accessible washroom.
Event end times will vary depending on the artist.
There is no phone number for the venue. Please email bookings@redbirdlive.ca or reach out via social media with inquiries.
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