Solon McDade
Encyclopedia
Solon McDade is a Canadian musician
and composer
.
He began playing the cello
at age 4 and by the time he was 9 he was playing the violin
, double bass
and doing shows with his family in The McDade Family Band on the washtub bass
. By the age of sixteen he was already a veteran of the Canadian folk festival circuit and had performed at such events as The Commonwealth Games opening ceremony (1982), The Toronto CNE (1984) and Expo ’86.
Before turning eighteen Solon had toured Canada with blues legend Luther “Guitar Jr.” Johnson as well as performed with other blues greats Billy Boy Arnold
, Wildchild Butler and Michael Coleman. Solon McDade is a graduate of McGill University
’s Jazz Performance program, Grant MacEwan College
’s Jazz Program and has participated in the Summer Jazz
Workshop at the Banff Center for the Arts.
Throughout his time at school Solon continued to maintain a busy work schedule, which included North America
n and Europe
an tours with Bill Bourne
and Shannon Johnson, Maria Dunn
, Terry McDade and The Susie Arioli
Swing Band. Along with his performing career Solon has been recorded on a number of albums, four of which have been nominated for Juno Awards and 9 for Aria Awards. The McDades
' release Bloom won the 2007 Juno Award
for best roots/traditional album by a group.
He is a co-leader of the group The McDades
along with his siblings Shannon Johnson and Jeremiah McDade
.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
He began playing the cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
at age 4 and by the time he was 9 he was playing the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
and doing shows with his family in The McDade Family Band on the washtub bass
Washtub bass
The washtub bass, or "gutbucket", is a stringed instrument used in American folk music that uses a metal washtub as a resonator. Although it is possible for a washtub bass to have four or more strings and tuning pegs, traditional washtub basses have a single string whose pitch is adjusted by...
. By the age of sixteen he was already a veteran of the Canadian folk festival circuit and had performed at such events as The Commonwealth Games opening ceremony (1982), The Toronto CNE (1984) and Expo ’86.
Before turning eighteen Solon had toured Canada with blues legend Luther “Guitar Jr.” Johnson as well as performed with other blues greats Billy Boy Arnold
Billy Boy Arnold
Billy Boy Arnold is an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter.-Biography:...
, Wildchild Butler and Michael Coleman. Solon McDade is a graduate of McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
’s Jazz Performance program, Grant MacEwan College
Grant MacEwan College
Grant MacEwan University is a post-secondary educational institution located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1971 as "Grant MacEwan Community College,” the institution got its start by offering primarily one and two-year certificate and diploma programs. In 1988 it received approval to...
’s Jazz Program and has participated in the Summer Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
Workshop at the Banff Center for the Arts.
Throughout his time at school Solon continued to maintain a busy work schedule, which included North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an tours with Bill Bourne
Bill Bourne
Bill Bourne is a Canadian musician and songwriter, who frequently collaborates with a variety of artists, including Alan MacLeod, Shannon Johnson, Lester Quitzau, Madagascar Slim, Aysha Wills, Eivør Pálsdóttir, Wyckham Porteous and Jasmine 'Jas' Ohlhauser.Raised in a musical family in rural...
and Shannon Johnson, Maria Dunn
Maria Dunn (musician)
Maria Dunn is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She has been described as "an arrestingly powerful singer-songwriter who writes great historical and social commentary." Her music blends Celtic folk with North American bluegrass and country influences.-Early life:...
, Terry McDade and The Susie Arioli
Susie Arioli
- Biography :Arioli had been singing in jazz clubs in Montreal when she met guitar player Jordan Officer at a jam led by Stephen Barry. Together they started the Susie Arioli Band. Their first big opportunity came in 1998 when after a successful outdoor show they were asked by the Montreal...
Swing Band. Along with his performing career Solon has been recorded on a number of albums, four of which have been nominated for Juno Awards and 9 for Aria Awards. The McDades
The McDades
The McDades are a Canadian band made up of siblings Shannon Johnson , Solon McDade , Jeremiah McDade and their musical friends....
' release Bloom won the 2007 Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
for best roots/traditional album by a group.
He is a co-leader of the group The McDades
The McDades
The McDades are a Canadian band made up of siblings Shannon Johnson , Solon McDade , Jeremiah McDade and their musical friends....
along with his siblings Shannon Johnson and Jeremiah McDade
Jeremiah McDade
Jeremiah McDade is a Canadian musician.McDade is a talented multi-instrumentalist and composer, playing Irish whistle, saxophone, fiddle and flute...
.
Selected discography
- Susie ArioliSusie Arioli- Biography :Arioli had been singing in jazz clubs in Montreal when she met guitar player Jordan Officer at a jam led by Stephen Barry. Together they started the Susie Arioli Band. Their first big opportunity came in 1998 when after a successful outdoor show they were asked by the Montreal...
Swing Band, Pennies From Heaven featuring Ralph Sutton (Juno AwardJuno AwardThe Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
Nomination) - Bill BourneBill BourneBill Bourne is a Canadian musician and songwriter, who frequently collaborates with a variety of artists, including Alan MacLeod, Shannon Johnson, Lester Quitzau, Madagascar Slim, Aysha Wills, Eivør Pálsdóttir, Wyckham Porteous and Jasmine 'Jas' Ohlhauser.Raised in a musical family in rural...
, Farmer, Philanthropist and Musician - Bourne & Johnson, Victory Train (Juno AwardJuno AwardThe Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
Nomination) - Maria Dunn, For a Song (Juno AwardJuno AwardThe Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
Nomination) - Maria Dunn, We Were Good People
- Maria Dunn, From Where I Stand
- Maria Dunn, The Pedler
- Bob Jahrig, Treetops
- Terry McDade, Harpe Danse
- Terry McDade with The McDadesThe McDadesThe McDades are a Canadian band made up of siblings Shannon Johnson , Solon McDade , Jeremiah McDade and their musical friends....
, Midwinter - Terry McDade with The McDadesThe McDadesThe McDades are a Canadian band made up of siblings Shannon Johnson , Solon McDade , Jeremiah McDade and their musical friends....
, Noel - The McDades, Bloom ('07 Juno AwardJuno AwardThe Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
Winner) - The McDades. For Reel
- Jon McCaslin Quintet, McCallum’s Island
- David Wilkie with The McDadesThe McDadesThe McDades are a Canadian band made up of siblings Shannon Johnson , Solon McDade , Jeremiah McDade and their musical friends....
, Cowboy Celtic