Although most often associated with the British Isles, bagpipes have been played throughout Europe for centuries. In France, the bagpipe, or cornemuse, remains an important instrument in French traditional music. In this recording, two of France’s most recognized bagpipe musicians, Jean Blanchard and Eric Montbel, offer adaptations of the traditional music from the Berry, Bourbonnais, and Basse-Auvergne regions of central France. Both Blanchard and Montbel play musettes tuned to different musical keys, with Montbel playing the chabrette and Blanchard adding violin on several tracks. The informative liner notes are written by the performing artists.

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This album is part of the UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music. More than 125 albums are being released by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings to make the series publicly available, including a dozen never-released albums of musical traditions from around the globe.

Track Listing