Joel Zifkin (born April 14, 1954) is a Canadian musician and songwriter. His primary instrument is the

electric violin An electric violin is a violin equipped with an electronic output of its sound. The term most properly refers to an instrument intentionally made to be electrified with built-in pickups, usually with a solid body. It can also refer to a violin fi ...

and he is best known as a

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

and live performer.

Career

Zifkin has performed and/or recorded with the following artists:

Kate & Anna McGarrigle Kate McGarrigle (February 6, 1946 – January 18, 2010) and Anna McGarrigle (born December 4, 1944) were a duo of Canadian singer-songwriters (and sisters) from Quebec, who performed until Kate McGarrigle's death on January 18, 2010. Music ca ...

, Richard Thompson,

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, Roma Baran,

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...

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, Chaim Tannenbaum,

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, Ravens & Chimes,

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's '' Harry Smith Project: Anthology of American Folk Music Revisited'', among others. He also appeared in the film '' Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave'' (1980) and the documentary " Sing Me the Songs That Say I Love You: A Concert for Kate McGarrigle", directed by

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(2013). Zifkin released the self-titled solo album ''Joel Zifkin'' in 2004, ''Five Songs More'' in 2008, and the singles "When Insanity Reigns It Pours" and "The Glow" in 2013, all on

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

Selected credits

;Solo * ''Joel Zifkin'' (2004) * ''Five Songs More'' (2008) ;With Kate & Anna McGarrigle * ''

Heartbeats Accelerating ''Heartbeats Accelerating'' is the sixth album by Kate & Anna McGarrigle, released in 1990. It was their first album in eight years, after '' Love Over and Over'' in 1982, and received favourable reviews from many music critics. Bill Dillon, Pie ...

'' (1990) * "Was My Brother in the Battle?", "

Hard Times Come Again No More "Hard Times Come Again No More" (sometimes, "Hard Times") is an American parlor song written by Stephen Foster. It was published in New York by Firth, Pond & Co. in 1854 as Foster's Melodies No. 28. Well-known and popular in its day, both in Ame ...

", "Better Times Are Coming", on ''

Songs of the Civil War ''Songs of the Civil War'' is a compilation album, released in 1991 by Columbia, that presents an assortment of contemporary performers recording period pieces and traditional songs, most of which date back to the American Civil War. Track list ...

'' (1991) * '' Matapedia'' (1996) * ''

The McGarrigle Hour ''The McGarrigle Hour'' is the eighth studio album by Kate & Anna McGarrigle, released on October 13, 1998. The album was recorded at a family gathering, including Kate's former husband Loudon Wainwright III, their son and daughter Rufus Wainwr ...

'' (1998) * '' La vache qui pleure'' (2003) * ''

The McGarrigle Christmas Hour ''The McGarrigle Christmas Hour'' is the tenth album by Kate & Anna McGarrigle, released in 2005. A sequel to their 1998 album ''The McGarrigle Hour'', the album features a program of Christmas music recorded by the McGarrigles, their family and ...

'' (2005) * ''

Before Tomorrow ''Before Tomorrow'' (french: Le jour avant le lendemain) is a Canadian drama film, released in 2008. Directed by Marie-Hélène Cousineau and Madeline Ivalu, the film is an adaptation of the novel ''Før Morgendagen'' by Denmark, Danish writer Jø ...

'' (French title Le jour avant le lendemain) film soundtrack (2008) * '' ODDiTTiES'' (2010) * '' Sing Me the Songs: Celebrating the Works of Kate McGarrigle'' (2013) ;With World Café * "DJ Serenade", on '' Live at the World Café - Volume 9'' (1999) ;With Richard Thompson * '' Dream Attic'' (2010) (nominated for the Best Contemporary Folk Album award in the

53rd Annual Grammy Awards The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prio ...

. ) * ''Live at Celtic Connections – The Richard Thompson Band'' (2012) DVD, Blu-ray Disc ;With Rufus Wainwright * ''

Moulin Rouge! Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film ''Moulin Rouge! Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film'' is the soundtrack album to Baz Luhrmann's 2001 film ''Moulin Rouge!'', released on 8 May 2001 by Interscope Records. The album features most of the songs featured in the film. However, some of the ...

'' (2001) * ''

When Love Speaks ''When Love Speaks'' is a compilation album that features interpretations of William Shakespeare's sonnets – some spoken, some set to music – and excerpts from his plays by famous actors and musicians, released under EMI Classics in April ...

'' (2002) * '' Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright'' (2014) ;With The Wainwright Sisters * '' Songs in the Dark'' (2015) ;With

* ''Les Colocs'' (1993) * ''Suite 2116'' (posthumous; 2001) * ''Il me parle de bonheur'' (2009)

References

External links

"Meet Joel Zifkin" bio and interview on Richard Thompson's Beesweb site

Allmusic Selected Discography

Joel Zifkin's official Facebook Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zifkin, Joel 1954 births Living people Canadian rock violinists Canadian male violinists and fiddlers Anglophone Quebec people Francophone Quebec people Musicians from Montreal Canadian male singer-songwriters Kate & Anna McGarrigle Canadian folk violinists 21st-century Canadian violinists and fiddlers

Career

Selected credits

See also

References

External links