Ad Vielle Que Pourra is a Quebec group full of surprises. Its hallmark is traditional French instruments, but Ad Vielle plays music on them that, as the liner notes state, "is not indigenous to the regions where the instruments come from." They intermix Parisian waltzes, Breton sea songs, bourrées, gavottes, schottisches, and original compositions with abandon. the name Ad Vielle Que Pourra is a pun--a play on the French expression advienne que pourra ("come what may"). The vielle is from vielle à roue, a French instrument commonly known as the hurdy-gurdy.

The founding members of Ad Vielle are Brussels-born Daniel Thonon, a luthier who plays an intricately carved hurdy-gurdy he built himself; Alain Leroux, born in Brittany and a fiddler specializing in traditional Breton, Scottish, and Irish melodies and songs; Clement Demers, an Ontario-born accordionist who learned Québécois tunes while living in Quebec and Cajun tunes while travelling through Louisiana; Luc Thonon, a multi-instrument musician who plays the rare Flemish bagpipes; and Gilles Plante, a Montréal-born flute, recorder, and bagpipe player who went to Brittany to study the music and culture of his ancestors.

Ad Vielle's debut album, New French Folk Music, will appeal to those who enjoy the sound of traditional instruments, especially the infrequently-heard hurdy-gurdy. The music is bouncy and subtly flamboyant. On Come What May the sound shifts slightly as accordionist Clement Demers leaves the group and is replaced by Jean-Louis Cros on guitar. There's a hint of introspection absent from their debut album. On Musaïque, their third album, the introspection disappears and the band is back in full flight. The sound is as infectious as ever, but also fuller. All three albums are delightful.

New French Folk Music
1989 Green Linnet (GLCD 1099)

Schottische du Stockfish; Malloz Ar Barz Koz O Vervel; Chupad Melen/Hanterdro Tid' Poc'h; l'Agacante/Valse du Milieu/Valse du Faucigny; La Pucell d'Ussel; Les Filles de France; Suite de Gavottes Evit Leroux; Bourrées Dans le Jardin; Polkas Ratées; Valse des Coquelicots/Java Niaise; Fillettes des Campagnes; An Dro Pitaouer/An Dro Evit Jakeza; La Malfaissante 52:14

Come What May
1991 Green Linnet (GLCD 1112)

Un Cosaque à Paris; Adagio des Années Mornes; Evit Gabriel; Kanaouen An-Dud à Vor; Micro-Polka; Valse Minette/Les Patates Ont Germé à St. Amable; Tu Nous les Kas-Ebarh Toi; Chanson à la Mariée; Laridé D.T./Polka d'Été; Plinn an Enaouer; À St. Malo-Sur-Mer; Le Drao du Mao; Le Conscrit de Napoléon; Bourée en Ré 51:48

Musaïque
1994 Green Linnet (GLCD 4017)

Serre-Moi Plus Fort, Victor/Plant à Cao; An Avel à Varo; Gavotte ``Fair Foot''; Un Québécois à Caracas; Lou Mes de Mai Vendra; J'ai Vu Boulou, le Reinhardt Et la Musette; Leve la Jambe Armande; Un Garçon de Mon Village; Andropov/Polka Félix; La Tranchefoie; Javadvielle; La Complainte des Rengaines 53:47