Jesse Maw stands in the lit corner of an otherwise dark section of Scotty’s Bar in Kalispell, and settles into his performance stance, looking like a lazy S with his fiddle tucked under his chin and his knees bent.
It’s Jan. 10, just after 9 p.m., and the open mic at Scotty’s is well attended. The crowd is generous and chatty, but as soon as Maw, 20, starts working away on his fiddle, which was made in the 1830s, a noticeable quiet descends as people quit talking and begin listening.
“Wow,” a woman at a nearby table says out loud. “He’s good.”
Maw is playing some old tunes, gypsy jazz from another era, with his father Steve on accompanying guitar. It’s a bit of an anachronistic situation, as this 20-year-old fiddler plays songs that are centuries old but adding some runs that are more reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix than Django Reinhardt, while wearing a proper blazer matched with a pair of very modern Jordan sneakers.
Anyone familiar with the Flathead Valley live music scene has likely heard Maw perform, either with his father or his older brother, Wyatt. He’s been acknowledged as one of the premier fiddlers in the valley, the state and the country, and now, Maw is working toward a new goal: living as a professional musician.
“Right now I’m trying to make a living with music,” Maw said in an interview with the Beacon a few days after his Jan. 10 performance. “It’s tough to make money.”
Maw, who has lived in Kila his whole life, began playing music at 5 years old because his older brother made it look cool.
“My brother, who’s five years older than me, he started playing the fiddle,” Maw said.
As a kid who looked up to his big brother, Maw wanted to take a shot as well. It was a good fit for the Maws; their father Steve is an experienced musician in his own right, having been in a successful band in Utah.
Maw was homeschooled in Kila, which gave him more time to work on his craft. The road to his national championship began with the Glacier Fiddle Festival, where Maw and his brother played and watched the more experienced acts.
It was there that they met Tony Ludiker, a national champion fiddler several times over, who eventually helped teach the Maws the art of Texas-style fiddling. Texas style is similar to jazz, Maw said, because it allows the fiddler to get creative, and it is also similar to bluegrass.
Maw also learned Texas style from Jimmie Don Bates, who he considers one of the best Texas-style fiddlers in the world.
“He was probably the most responsible for my development and proficiency as a fiddle player, as well as advancing my playing in the Texas-style tradition,” Maw said.
It’s what wins competitions, Maw said, and he did just that, becoming the national champion fiddler in the junior division at the 2005 National Fiddlers Contest in Weiser, Idaho.
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Fiddle player Jesse Maw smiles while performing in Kalispell. Lido Vizzutti | Flathead Beacon |
Now, Maw plays shows in the Flathead while his style continues to evolve. He still plays some Texas-style tunes, but jazz is where his heart is right now. His style also includes studying the electric guitar greats and jazz saxophone players, and then translating that to the fiddle.
“It’s a little different, but it’s rewarding,” Maw said.
Maw is also working on writing his own music to get enough originals for a new CD, and is looking to get into music schools in Nashville and New York City.
Nashville would provide more bluegrass and country opportunities, he said, but the Big Apple is jazz central. Either way, Maw thinks school would help him get his foot in the door of the music scenes.
And while he remains in the Flathead, Maw is content to play weddings and other events, and would also like to teach fiddle or mandolin to anyone with at least a working knowledge of their instrument.
Yes, he plays both the fiddle and the mandolin with serious proficiency, but Maw insists his fiddle, which is at least 175 years old, is his favorite.
“The fiddle’s my thing,” Maw said with a smile.
To contact Jesse Maw, write to [email protected].