Some of the best arranged by instrument or voice

This list is not comprehensive. It originally started as a sort of a personal "top ten" list for each category but really all of these are so talented that there may be very little difference between some separated by several places. Also some are continually improving, so don't use this list as a hard and fast indication of ranking. They are just lists of some good players I have heard live and/or on recording. There is some overlap between this page and the Musical Artists page. I will probably divide this into subpages for each instrument eventually.

Note that you too can contribute your own ranked lists to me and I will list your lists on separate page(s) linked to from this one or in parallel with this page, and will list you in the list of contributors. Also note that some I have not heard yet but have heard are good I may list at the bottom of lists below but that does not mean I consider them not as good as some listed higher, just that I have not heard them yet. Generally I give elders a slight bias, I guess women a slight bias in voice since I like women's voices better, and those I have heard more often a slight bias.

Some of the best button accordion players, now that ace accordionists Minnie White and Harry Hibbs have died, are:
Also there are a few other rising young stars including some young women who are or have been in the Fogo Island Accordion Group and one very good fellow I heard at the Buttons and Bows showcase in 1996. I stupidly requested Wild Rover and he did the much faster In the Mood, which is the same tune (he may have been named Harold but I'm not sure). However note that an older, slower tune for Wild Roving can be found on The House Band (one of those bands that are great on recording and just go into overdrive live) recording entitled Word of Mouth. Also Fergus Brown-O'Byrne (son of Fergus O'Byrne) may play some accordion (I know he plays fiddle) but I forget and I haven't been going to the sessions lately but he (and the Panting girls and others) are ones to watch for in future.

Also there are some good concertina players, the best are Fergus O'Byrne and Kelly Russell and Fergus Brown-O'Byrne.

Some of the best fiddle players in Newfoundland, now that Emile Benoit and Rufus Guinchard have passed away:
and there are lots of up-and-comer students of Christina and Kelly, some of whom go to young people's sessions (see the session list). Also Irish fiddler Seamus Creagh spent five years here and recorded a CD called Came the Dawn with some Newfoundland musicians, and he is an honourary Newfoundlander in my opinion and ranks up there with Kelly and Christina but not above. He and other Irish musicians and Newfoundland musicians recently did a Cd called From Island to Island which is pretty good.

Some musicians often play for a participatory folk dance session hosted by Ford Elms every Monday night (contact St. John's Folk Arts Council for details, I'm not sure if this is still going on). Tonya Kearley and Kelly Russell may have some dancing on the go on Bell Island as well.

Some of the best singers of Newfoundland and Labrador
Note that this list is based on vocal impressions on me only and may be slightly biased towards women. Also if I took into account not just voice but also songwriting and instrumental ability the list would be a bit different and certainly thus some of my main muses (RonH, JimF, DaveP, etc.) are not near the top of this voice list but some are. I'll add some blues (Darrell, Scott, etc.) and reggae (Derm, Neil, well Jim is already on and does a powerful version of Redemption Song) and other names I forgot (Danny, Cherie, GM, Len, Graham, ChrisA, RonK, Petrina, JillP, SusanG, etc.) soon, and anyway all on this list are good, sometimes ten in a row are so close it is hard to order them, below.

flute, whistle, other wind instruments:

There are some pipe players around, both uillean and highland and maybe small -- Rob Brown plays uillean pipes, and is fairly good, and also plays acoustic guitar. Mike Walsh is also good. Paddy Keenan, possibly the world's best (projective lightning rod) uillean piper, is (in my opinion) an honourary Newfoundlander, he visits quite regularly and recorded, mostly here, a solo CD entitled Na Keen Affair with Newfoundland and Irish musicians. Eamonn Dillon, rising young uillean piper from Belfast now based in Florida, is now (Dec. 2, 1998) finishing up recording a CD at Jim Fidler's studio, and plans to be back for a visit, and (again in my opinion) is an honourary Newfoundlander. Oh, and someone out in Carbonear (Neil O'Grady?) makes uillean pipes, I hear, so some out that way probably play. The Newfoundland fiddle sound is pipes-influenced from way back, though, in my opinion, e.g. maybe a bit of the drone/fire at times that are mentioned in regard to Irish fiddler Francie Byrne on The Brass Fiddle LP I have, and e.g. Patrrick Moran may be able to do that. Also Jim Fidler has a set of uillean pipes and now a set of highland bagpipes as well, but is just learning for now (but has mastered maybe a dozen other instruments and singing and songwriting and production).

harp:

harmonica:

mandolin, bouzouki, banjo:

bodhran: