Originally Published: 2010-03-07

Chris Bartos

It has primarily been his fiddle-playing that has brought Chris Bartos international acclaim, but he has turned to another instrument he loves, the guitar, to provide the primary sonic focus of his just-released solo debut record, Fort William.
Bartos has long been a respected member of the Canadian roots music community, but predominantly as a sideman, accompanying a wide range of artists in the studio and on the road. On Fort William, however, he emerges as an original and eloquent singer/songwriter.
In a recent interview at The Gladstone, Bartos explained the decision to enter the spotlight: “I have always written songs. Not always regularly but it has been a part of my life, from ditties in high school. The notion of putting together a collection of songs has been around. ‘Gone Fishing’ [an album highlight] was written 10 years ago.”
Armed with a collection of original songs of which he was proud, Bartos commenced the initial recording for Fort William in Montreal.
“I rented a friend’s loft that is a studio. A beautiful room with high ceilings and tons of analogue gear. I took my own rig, then bunked down there for five days. At the end of that, I knew I had something that was going to be really fun.”
The results of his effort impressed veteran record label head and producer Andrew Hermant, who came on board to produce the project. He and Bartos recorded and mixed the album together, and it is being released on Hermant’s famed independent label, Duke Street. The pair had crossed paths earlier on the Toronto scene, and Bartos is part of Hermant’s bluegrass ensemble Rubberneck.
Until moving to Montreal a year ago, Bartos had lived and worked in Toronto for almost a decade, taking an active role in the old time country and bluegrass scenes here. His skill as a violinist/fiddle player soon found him in demand, and he performed and recorded with artists and groups as diverse as Jeff Healey, Lynn Miles, The Ennis Sisters, Crazy Strings, La Grande Bouche Swingtette, Dan and Chris Whiteley, and Rubberneck. During a stint in the band of popular songstress Sarah Harmer he toured in Europe and North America.

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