Music

Throw your music map and dive!

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 4 Comments

In this edition: Eve Williams, Clan Suibhne, Dom Duff, Colin Nea, Connie Dover , Mark Harmer and Planxty.

It is 2013. Four years after I officially launched this site. In the past four years, I met a lot of talented musicians and listened to their amazing music. In the past four years I met interesting readers who turned out to be bloggers too. In the past four years I poured my heart out, experienced joy and at some point almost lost my sanity. But I never gave up blogging and maintaining this site. Despite the personal earthquakes I experienced in this life, this one seems to be left unscathed. This is my baby. This is my love. It’s been four years. And here’s The Celtic Music Fan looking forward to more discoveries, more mistakes, more success and more joy! Let the fun begin again.

Eve Williams-Twenty Miles from Home

New CD from UK based singer/songwriter Eve Williams

Think of the soft approach of Cara Dillon and  the vocal power of Evanescence.

It is always a great experience when I discover new music. This is only possible without a map. Personal maps obscure our chances of finding something new out there. Especially when we are so used to the formula we created and the comfort zone we find hard to let go. I wondered if this is the same thing that ran inside the mind of Eve Williams when she created Twenty Miles from Home.

It is an eclectic album full of  surprises wrapped in a blanket of atmosphere. There are things that are consistently noticeable in the midst of variety. All the twelve tracks are melodic. Her voice is superb and full bodied. She is also a writer which explains her interesting lyrics references to classical literature.

In my other blog friend who is a guest blogger wrote about Music Theory. I think we have to admit that people who make artfully crafted music are those who at least in some part of their musical development, had undergone music studies. The maintaining discipline  in creating and also in the performing part is probably hard because music is such an emotional medium. It is easy to get lost and let everything rip through.

Twenty Miles from Home strikes me as a balance of  emotion and control. It is also a recording done with minimalist approach to instruments. This gives us a chance to hear how Eve can showcase her vocal talents. I sometimes find it hard to listen to something overly produced because you have a lot of sounds coming from every direction. Which in turn makes it hard to concentrate to the few aspects. But this album proves to be something that even listeners with short attention span can feast in.

I realized that listening to different systems also yield different results. When I listened to this through a computer, it didn’t give me too much probably due to the speakers. Then I put it in a CD player with good speakers. And the experience was something else. The whole album shimmers. The headphones also give you that intimate feel which focuses more on the nuances . I suggest you listen to all types of

Singer Eve Williams

Eve Williams

players and see which works for you.

Twenty Miles from Home is a beautiful album. Oblivion is one track with full arrangements and soaring vocals along with Tall Dark Stranger. These are orchestrated tracks. But I love the contrast of the spare arrangement on others like Broken Dolls (feat Scarlett Burnside), The Rock (feat. Dominik Boncza-Skrzynecki) and many more. Eve Williams is based in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is probably the beautiful landscapes that shaped her sound and sentiments. It it an album that can appeal to lovers of Sinead O’Connor, Cara Dillon and Evanescence. The combination of folk simplicity and operatic flourishes in her songs makes her one of the rising voices in the Irish music scene.

Older recordings

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Clan Suibhne Yank~Irish~Celtic Music Group‏

Clan Suibhne. Clan Suibhne They're Not Just a Band, They're a Clan clansuibhnegreengrassmusic.blogspot.com

Clan Suibhne. Clan Suibhne They’re Not Just a Band, They’re a Clan
clansuibhnegreengrassmusic.blogspot.com

Their unique “Roots” music, dubbed “Greengrass,” is a blend of traditional Irish/Celtic meets American Folk/Bluegrass tunes.  “This genre existed long before the music we know as bluegrass. We were very surprised, but so honored to win an award for our music,” says Charles (C.W.) Farrell. The three Farrell brothers and cousin John Curran have become well known around the “Irish Riviera” for their signature style. They incorporate traditional instruments, including  the mandolin and banjo, into traditional Irish music.

Celtic music is a family affair. You can see this in bands like Clannad, The Corrs, The Rankins among others. It is no surprise when a lot of American Irish bands are consist of family members. Irish and Scottish music have grown into stellar proportions in the United States in the past few years. This is an exciting age to start your own Celtic band because even though you can’t find listeners in your hometown, you know that there is this whole wild world which is the Internet. There will always be  listeners for you out there!

Clan Suibhne (pronounced Sweeney)are a band based in New Jersey. They play acoustic music combining their Yank-Irish-Celtic Roots which they fondly mention in their website.  Like I mentioned, they are a family group, acoustic and fun. They do solo, duo, trio & quartet arrangements throughout the New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York Tristate area.

This St Patrick’s Day 2013, they are scheduled to play at the Historical National Hotel in Frenchtown, NJ…and will be appearing at many other venues throughout the months of February, March and April 2013. Sounds like fun! Do check them out if you are in the area.

http://www.reverbnation.com/clansuibhne
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clan-Suibhne/240984553900
http://clansuibhnegreengrassmusic.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/ClanSuibhne

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Connie Dover and what makes her amazing.

If you’ve been a listener since 1993(her debut album came out in 1991) and now it is 2013..surely there is something about Connie Dover. She is considered as one of the stalwarts in the Celtic genre. I think she is underrated considering the achievements she has. I don’t think I am totally biased when I say that being an American singer, she took such challenging steps in making sure she breaths authenticity in her every recording. Even to the point when she has to sing in Latin of Scots/Irish Gaelic.

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Before going solo, Connie Dover fronted this Missouri based bluegrass group. She is one American singer I really respect because her music is based in hard research and she yes she sings in Gaelic.

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Si Beag, Si Mhor

This composition by the famous Irish composer O’Carolan landed into facebook discussion with my friend Ralph who plays the tin whistle. I am so glad he raised this discussion up so I was able to do further research about the song. I discovered the other versions. There are many out there but I will just post two of them here. These are fine interpretations. I am crazy for uilleann pipes and that is why the one from Planxty appears in this edition. I am also a big fan of harp music specifically the Celtic harp. So let us get to know a wee bit more of this music.

Picture. Mark Harmer gauntssummergathering.com

Picture. Mark Harmer gauntssummergathering.com

In English it means: Little hill, big hill. It’s a reference to the fairy kingdoms.
It’s also translated as “it’s little, it’s big.”It’s sometimes titled “Sidhe Bheag, Sidhe Mhor” The tune is by Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738). O’Carolan’s works were published by his son in 1747. According to this timeline “Si Bheag Si Mhor” was the first piece O’Carolan composed upon the completion of his harp apprenticeship (1691).

According to Ralph: “I think a closer translation is ‘big hill, little hill’. I’m pretty sure it has something to do with a war of fairy clans but I’d like to know how the story goes. Wanna know who owned w/c hill and who won in the end.” Here we have two versions. The first one by Planxty and the second one by Celtic harper Mark Harmer:

Note: An in depth research by harpist Scott Hoye suggested a new light to the trivia on top  . According to his source, Si Beg Si Mor is in fact a Scottish Tune, The Bonny Cuckoo. O’Carolan used the tune, made popular by the Ulster Scots, and wrote Irish lyrics for it. His poem was about the battle between two Faerie kingdoms. My big thanks to Scott for the info about this classic.

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Babel Pow Wow by Dom Duff

Breton musician Dom Duff is working on a new album. He is requesting the help of Breton music enthusiasts to help fund this project. As I

Dom Duff Babel Pow Wow Proje

Dom Duff Babel Pow Wow Project

said  in a conversation with a musician that music is a community. You get what you give. Dom Duff is very passionate about the culture of Brittany and its people. He  was also one of our featured artists way back .

I chatted with him a few days ago. He was trying to put a video project to promote the album. This involves people speaking in their own dialects from all over the world. The video you see below is just one of the many he is trying to create between music session. This man in really busy these days!

Please check this one out:

More here: http://www.kisskissbankbank.com/fr/projects/dom-duff-album-babel-pow-wow-2013

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Wonderful Review of trad album by Colin Nea

Fair play to Colin Nea on a great review from TradConnect-Enda Seery: http://tradconnect.com/profiles/blogs/album-review-colin-nea-between-the-jigs-the-reels

Colin Nea and Enda Seery are cousins. They are also very supportive of each others music projects. The proud Enda was posting and tweeting about this wonderful review of his album Between the Jigs & the Reels with Jack Talty on a piano. I haven’t talked to Colin Nea yet but I have exchanges several pleasant messages with Enda. He is also releasing an album this year and I am sure Colin is going to advertise it too. It is great to see trad music growing. It is composed of family relations jamming together or with other musicians. Like I’ve mentioned before: Irish music is a family affair.

Conversations with Douglas McQueen Hunter of The Picts (Interview)

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Also in this epidsode:The Picts Of Scotland and Karen Matheson

Douglas McQueen Hunter

Douglas McQueen Hunter

Douglas McQueen Hunter talks about The Picts and the new band,The  Court of Equity inspired by the music of Robert Burns.

If you are a Scottish music insider then The Picts is not new to you. They proved to be very influential among Celtic fusion bands in Scotland. My curiosity was fueled after seeing the video of the song The peak. The haunting accordion intro and the dark blue lighting are captivating. Then, the music explodes into a traditional inspired fusion of drums, acoustic guitar and other instruments. The camera revolves and the music becomes hypnotic until it reaches the ending with a crunch..

Douglas McQueen Hunter joins us today. He is our featured artist and he talks to us about interesting points relating to his musical career and other things. I found interesting bits about his bio:

 ” He  is the front man and founder member of ‘The Picts’ and ‘The Court of Equity’. Douglas is also a composer, song-writer and the co-author (Along with his father- artist Colin Hunter McQueen) of the world-wide acclaimed book on Robert Burns “Hunters’ Illustrated History of the Family, Friends and Contemporaries of Robert Burns” which was released in 2009 for the year of homecoming. He has produced albums with ‘Badenoch’, ‘The Picts’ and his first solo album ‘Ghosts’.
Instruments: Vocals, Six and Twelve String Guitars, Mandolin, Mandola, Bodhran and percussion.”

As you can tell this is a very relaxed conversation. We go back and forth in various topics but as any good conversations, everything has to flow naturally. He also helped me choose the pictures to go along with this interview.

I enjoyed this chat with Douglas McQueen Hunter and I am looking forward to the new album!

What do you do apart from music that very few know about?

Apart from music, I’m a jujitsu coach and run my own martial arts clubs…. also author of book on Robert Burns www.facebook.com/drumbow

What made you become a big Robert Burns enthusiast? What is it about the man that speaks to you?

I’ve been surrounded by the works of Burns since I was a child and was brought up singing his songs… Burns knew how to express every emotion in beautiful word… which as a song writer is something I strive for. If I could do it even a fraction as well as him then I’d be happy. Interestingly, my own Great great Grandfather James Gibb was a neighbor of Burns when Burns lived in Mauchline, Ayrshire and according to A.B Todd, a 19th century Ayrshire author, James Gibb used to debate religion with Burns and sell him lime for his horses.

The drumbow projects is fascinating because it goes back to the time or Robert Burns. I see that your bloodline is linked with his. How do you see the future of this illustrated book? What do you want to happen?

When I was researching the book (Hunters’ Illustrated History of the Family, Friends and Contemporaries of Robert Burns) I had to research lots of the history and genealogy of Burns, his family and friends. This led to me discovering over three hundred old parish records and documents, which allowed me to correct long standing errors and mistakes that had been compounded for decades by authors and biographers of the poet.

Doing this also threw me in at the deep end and created a real passion for genealogy which led me on to doing two years at Strathclyde University; studying a Post Grad Diploma in Genealogy. Not that I was particularly interested in gaining any academic qualification, but because I really wanted to get as great an understanding in the subject as I possibly could. I have lots of new projects and Ideas at the moment for new books, but I’m not quite ready to reveal them yet ha ha!! But music and song-writing still comes first in my heart.

Let us talk about your music especially The Picts which you founded . You have one single with an accompanying video called The Peak.It’s been gaining lots of viewers in youtube. Tell me the influences that shaped the sound of the Picts and also the Island itself.

I guess each of the guys who started the Picts and those with us who have played with us over the years all brought their own influences with them and help to develop the sound of the band. The Island like Moving sands our second album was a compromise between the band members to shape the sound. There are successes and failures on both albums. I’ve not listened to them for a long time. I think the Live EP we recorded a few years ago is the best representation of the band…

I still can’t get over the fact that you teach martial arts! That’s totally interesting.

Ha ha .. I’ve done Judo from the age of 7-17 then left martial arts for many years and finally took up Jujitsu 12 years ago … I enjoy seeing people happy and learning.. Great fun and keeps everyone fit (including me).

  Is this Martial Arts family thing?

   
No … My folks just took me along to classes when I was a little     and I loved it.

Do you think the jujitsu spirit carries itself into your musical performance? Especially when you  play with passion ?  

I suppose it depends on what I’m playing… It’s tricky because The Picts are a working band therefore have different setlists for different types of gigs… One gig may be a festival playing original material, the next gig may be a function doing more mainstream covers … All to keep the wolves from the door… So as a professional band we always need to look as if we are enjoying it, even though we are singing the same song for the 1000th time (laughs).

  You mentioned you just finished the CD and your mind needs a little relaxation.   Do you listen to music, meditate etc?    
   
After a gig I generally go for a wander round the 24 hour shops to clear my head …. It can be hard to sleep after a gig. Especially after a far away gig when we maybe get back at 5 or 6 in the morning.

   Wandering.. that sounds very zen 

Yeah generally the second day after the gig is when the cloudy head and tiredness hits me and I can’t string two coherent thoughts together(laughs).

  That explains why musicians need a ‘downer’ after a great gig. The adrenaline after the playing is there ..it doesn’t go away..and you need to do something about it.   

Yeah although I suppose it depends on the gig… We’ve done that many that its sometimes hard to get a buzz from a gig… But yeah after really good gigs there can be lows.

After quiet a while being onstage..Do you still get moments of being surprised or overwhelmed when it comes to your audience?    

Very rarely…

No stage freight…Nervousness..Cold hands?    

I was trying to think of an example…No never.. Very rarely get nervous… maybe a wee bit anxious if I’m going to sing a new song   but I do get very sleepy before I go on stage….  Maybe that is anxiety coming out in different ways.

How about strange acting audience…Did you experience  awkward situations and how did you deal with them?

We’ve kinda had everything at some point… Girls fighting in front of us pulling hair, fights breaking out, you name it… But we just kinda get on with the music…
     Like any rock concert!   

We used to play in pubs and bars in the early days …They can be rough. We don’t do that now.      

Why The Picts?

Well its apart of our bloodline here and heritage …. It’s who we are
I’ve always been fascinated with the mysterious Pictish stone symbols etc and wanted to know more.
Would you be exploring more of this in the future through your band?

I’d love to.. At the moment there has been talk about another Picts album, but I’ve no idea if it will happen… I’m sure it will at some point, the priority at moment is to focus on The Court of Equity with the new albums coming out.
    How do you describe your new project band The Court of Equity in terms of the sound. Will you be doing vocals there?
All the Picts are in The Court of Equity.. It’s really the acoustic version of the band which focuses mainly on the works of Robert Burns ..    yeah I sing most of the songs.

So this is till your band only with a different moniker !

Yeah it was a long project but long over due… the first album (volume one) will be released this month and the second in the summer 2013.

   Who did the album artwork,mixing,lyrics etc? 

The album was produced by myself and Greg Friel, Tracy who does all of our artwork and covers done in this album too…. All the lyrics are traditional by Robert Burns. The music is traditional except for the modern arrangements and compositions by ourselves.

If you were to choose between singing and playing instruments which would you favour the most?

Honestly… I don’t mind.. But the passion even greater than performing live for me is song writing… So looking forward to finishing my new solo album next year.

The Court of Equity band members:

Douglas McQueen Hunter
Singer, guitarist, front man and founder member of ‘The Picts’ and ‘The Court of Equity’. Douglas is also a composer, song-writer and the co-author (Along with his father- artist Colin Hunter McQueen) of the world-wide acclaimed book on Robert Burns “Hunters’ Illustrated History of the Family, Friends and Contemporaries of Robert Burns” which was released in 2009 for the year of homecoming. He has produced albums with ‘Badenoch’, ‘The Picts’ and his first solo album ‘Ghosts’.
Instruments: Vocals, Six and Twelve String Guitars, Mandolin, Mandola, Bodhran and percussion.

Jeremy Stirling
Founder member of ‘The Picts’ and ‘Court of Equity’, Jeremy is a composer and arranger of Scottish music. He has played on all the band’s recordings and written compositions for each album. He has played with the band at all the major events like T-in-the-Park, The Interceltique Festival of Lorient and the Glasgow George Square Hogmanay Bash in front of 40,000 people. He has previously played and recorded with bands such as King Joseph’s Drum and The Laughing Phrogs.
Instruments: keyboards and Pianos.

Grant McConnell
An award winning multi-instrumentalist with ‘The Picts’, Grant is a champion accordionist and founder member of ‘The Court of Equity’. He has toured extensively with both bands at home and abroad since 2004 and contributes many of his own fine compositions and arrangements. Grant’s great passion and love for music is an inspiration to all who work with him. He is the primary lead player in both bands.
Instruments: Piano Accordion, Six and Twelve String Guitars, Bass Guitar, Vocals and Backing Vocals.

Dave Murray
Dave is well known for his enthusiasm for the life and works of Robert Burns and his family, performing recently in the new Andrew Dallmeyer productions ‘The Mother of All Burns’ and ‘The Cauldron’. He has appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on a number of occasions. Dave is the former Pipe Major with Haddington Pipe Band and as a leading member of the Grant’s Braes Burns Club he was responsible for the renovation and restoration of the grave in Bolton Kirkyard of Robert Burns’s mother, sister and brother who lived nearby at Grant’s Braes.
Instruments: Highland Bagpipes, Techno-pipes, Harmonica, and Whistles.

Links:

The Picts

https://www.facebook.com/thepicts?ref=ts&fref=ts

The Court of Equity

http://www.facebook.com/TheCourtOfEquity

The Gallery

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The Picts Of Scotland – Last Of The Free(1/6)

Since we are into the music of The Picts, I think it is important to include this video. If you picked up the book by Anne Rice called Lasher then you will learn that she was writing about the myth of the Picts in Scotland. Look for the other parts of this video in youtube.

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My Love Is Like a Red Red Rose – Karen Matheson

A Red, Red Rose

A Red, Red Rose

by Robert Burns

My love is like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June :
My love is like the melody
That’s sweetly played in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in love am I :
And I will love thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun :
And I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only love,
And fare thee weel a while !
And I will come again, my love,
Thou’ it were ten thousand mile.

http://www.poetsgraves.co.uk/Classic%20Poems/Burns/a_red,_red_rose.htm

Fraser Fifield: Relationship of sounds and styles(Interview)

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Also in this edition: Colin Nea, Therese Honey and Enda Seery

Fraser Fifield: Pic by Barryjohn Bj Stewart

Plays: saxophone/whistle/kaval/bagpipes/percussion/composition

From: Edinburgh, United Kingdom.

About: musician, composer and producer.

With the excitement of an upcoming album, Fraser Fifield talks to The Celtic Music Fan about music and what makes collaborative musical work interesting.

This week’s special attention is given to Scottish musician, composer and producer Fraser Fifield.  I was captivated the first time I listened to one of his tracks. There’s sensitivity, intricacy and a sense of underlying elegance in his musical voice. I think I read and heard his music a couple of years ago, way before I even started writing about Celtic musicians. It is only now that I got an opportunity to communicate with him directly for this edition.

He plays the traditional instruments in a way a Jazz musician would, and then reverse the process with the Traditional instruments. It is like what happens when you put different people in different attires and situations and see how they react or how they look in that environment. This is what he did with music and instruments. I think his striking importance is being able to walk between different worlds and still maintaining the authenticity of his artistry in playing. This edition is about relationships: between different types of music, musicians and instruments.

I think you will enjoy how this interview turned out. I had fun making this one.

What’s keeping you busy these days Fraser?

What’s going with me? Well, the main thing just now is having eventually started recording an album with Graeme Stephen, guitarist and long term colleague – just duo, focusing on live performances basically – meaning played live together, not actual concert recordings..lots of electronics too but hardware boxes used in live performance on the whole as opposed to studio laboratory type of process – which is cool, but not what we’re doing here.

So we started that last week…and will be ongoing as time permits over the next wee while. Just had a flurry of CDs through the door as other projects I’ve recorded on came to fruition – Maeve Mackinnon, Sophie Ramsay and Wingin It…maybe you’ll hear some of these soon

Looking forward to playing London jazz festival with the Take 5 Europe ensemble plus a couple of gigs in Poland one with Maciej Obara 4tet and Take 5 again. Playing duo with Graeme in St Andrews Scotland in a couple of weeks…

Doing a recording session for Angus Lyon this week and hooking up for a small gig with an old friend – wonderful clarinet /sax player Dick Lee..

With John Surman and Tom Arthurs last week on Take 5 Europe. By Emile Holba

 What can listeners expect from this new album in terms of style and sound?

I’m hoping folk will hear two musicians enjoying playing together who’ve built up strong dialogue between them (we’ve been playing together some 16 yrs I think). A general rule seems to be emerging – remember we’ve just started – to avoid layering performances/multitracking ourselves i.e. you’re essentially going hear two musicians playing live together, there’s no click track etc… that’s not too say sonically the record will be simple – early results suggest anything but…this is often just low whistle and guitar but like you’ve never heard.

A bold statement perhaps..but I’m being fairy serious… The live recordings on the soundcloud page hint at the sound of course, but I am enjoying working a little more on our recordings after the initial performance, resampling ourselves in a way, extracting small bits of audio and changing it’s function…I’ll say that much. Will it sound folk or jazz – I’m bound to be asked that… and the answer is I have absolutely no idea..a bit of both, or plenty of both actually. The compositions are mine but compared to my previous records I’d say improvised passages will turn out be more featured.

I think making music is also a relationship between you, your fellow musicians and your fans. What have you learned so far in maintaining this relationship since you started? What are the things you avoid now and what are the things you consider essential?

….Essential in regard to making music with other musicians, for me, is a sense of openness, trust and maybe some kind of mutual understanding of what it is we’re doing, not necessarily verbalized but that the feeling of all being well is present…all makes for a good starting point, at least musically; you could be having the worst week imaginable, but sometimes these things can twist around into good musical moments. Sometimes, hopefully not often, one can’t get into the right vibe to make music creatively for whatever reason, cat gone missing, who knows, but assuming all is fine there should be something you can switch on to be excited about what you’re doing, if you’re not already. Basically it helps to be in good mood is what I’m saying I suppose.

Musical situations I try to avoid are those where none of the elements to my previous answer are present. Also I’ve not been drawn into a ‘band’ situation for a wee while now, which is maybe down to my personality, I don’t know..I kind of miss it in a way, the band thing, but at the same time value the diversity of music I’m currently able to fit on my modestly sized internal drive.

Be nice to audience members if they’re being nice to you…i.e. paying to hear you play….would be a good general rule…

Try and have a relationship with the people that enjoy your music, if you want to that is…unless you have some Garbarek like qualities, and I try to mean that in a nice way, it’s a probably good idea business wise to interact a bit.. which I guess is what I’m doing right now..but I’m sort of enjoying the therapy of answering your questions. How’s this piece shaping up now by the way ?

Oh this is shaping my work nicely!

If you evaluate all the tracks you composed throughout your career, which one has an impact to you in terms of the manner it was composed and the inspiration behind it?

I’ve chosen the track called Psalm from my first solo album Honest Water as it’s perhaps the tune or idea which has had the longest and most interesting journey with me to date. The first idea was to try and imitate the sound of psalm singing from the Scottish Gaelic tradition – a most beautiful and peculiar art form in itself. My approach is a very simple one and one that has worked for me in many situations over the years, the more instruments playing together the better the effect, so great if working with groups of students of varying levels of ability for example.

Most recently I used this idea in the opening section of my piece ‘Playground Tales’ written for the group Mr McFalls Chamber with guests Corrina Hewat, James Ross, Aidan O’Rourke and myself – hopefully a recording next year. So the track Psalm from Honest Water began life as one of five parts of a suite for saxophone quintet titled Traditions – one of the first years of the ‘New Voices’ series of commissions made annually by Celtic Connections, and it’s still running – quite a body of work in there now. My turn was 2001, a long time back now!

I’ve never played the tune much on my own gigs for some reason, actually probably no reason, but have used it often in a variety of other settings, I recall…a group of 7 different European bagpipes at Rudolstadt Festival Germany, recently with Dutch trio the Nordanians, with the Take 5 Europe group this year, it’s served me pretty well, and I think it’s a nice melody.

With Corrina Hewat

If you have the time, the energy and the means to be an album producer, whom would you work with and what types of musicians would you help in producing records?

Well I’m doing that very thing right now in a kind of self-medicating manner along with Graeme Stephen in the making of a duo album together which is actually a bit overdue I feel, but at last is progressing nicely. I’ve always enjoyed being very hands on with every aspect of my own record making, from the engineering through arrangements, performance to mixing. I like having the freedom to work at my own pace with things and review/adjust at will…does end up taking forever sometimes though…and that’s not so cool always.

With other artists I’ve occasionally become involved in the role of producer or perhaps co-producer in some instances – for example where a group has developed a sound collaboratively and go on to then record. I’ve never been great at adopting a workmanlike attitude when it comes to making records. I think its quite a big deal. An example I can think of is with my friend Mick West, a traditional singer from Glasgow whom I first met whilst a student there. I’d played with him in various line-ups of the Mick West Band ever since, so when the chance to make his last album ‘Sark O Snaw’ came round I really wanted to do it, not least because having played with Mick for many’s the year he’d never properly captured the best of his music on record – I wanted to change that, and I think we did, to cut a long story short. It was a labour of love like most records I’ve worked on, probably ending up with a negative hourly rate or something close it, who cares, it’s a lovely document to have.

In terms of who to work with…if they can play well with heart and soul and give and take, and we can get along well, that’s the only ingredients required. I’m pretty happy doing a lot of the work I do for those very reasons.

Take 5 is an ongoing project you are involved with. Can you tell us a little bit about it and how’s it going so far?

It’s been a very nice experience. Firstly Take 5 then this year Take 5 Europe which is new extension of it. It’s about artist development essentially, through talks/discussions/networking (that mostly over one week) and making music with the other Take 5 participants you’re given tools or ideas at least aimed at perhaps focusing one’s career, taking a look over what you’re doing and what you might be doing…it’s positive certainly if anything at all.

This year the ensemble of musicians on Take 5 Europe proved to be a surprisingly cohesive group – not a typical line-up – 2 basses, vibes, drums, guitar, trumpet, 2 saxes + me. They’re a very nice bunch of people and amazing players, in late 20s or 30s – 2 each from Netherlands, France, Poland, Norway and the UK. We’ve been playing at the festivals run by partners of the scheme in Molde, Rotterdam, Coutance, with just 2 performances left to do in November in Poland and London. Playing and hanging out with John Surman on both these Take 5 weeks was certainly noteworthy, great musician and lovely chap.

I know you have played the bagpipes for a long time. But if you were a listener, what makes a bagpipe and amazing instrument?

There’s something primal going on with it that’s for sure. I can’t get into any physics that’s for sure too…I can but agree there is something about the sound that speaks to an enormous variety of people from every part of the world. Being very loud (if we’re talking the GBH here) is surely a bonus.

-Fraser

http://www.fraserfifield.com/

There you have it folks. Be sure to keep track of  his schedules and keep him on your radars. The new projects sound amazing!

Fraser Fifield

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Pic of the day: Colin Nea-Between the Jigs and Reels

COLIN NEA will be launching his CD ‘Between the Jigs and the Reels’ at 9pm, Thursday the 8th November in the Temple Gate Hotel

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Enda Seery: Website updated and revamped!

The musician/composer of The Winding Clock has introduced a new feel and look to his official website. Visit : http://www.endaseery.com/

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Featured Video: Therese Honey: Paddy Cronin’s Jig – Jenny Pippin from ‘Summer’s End’

Yes yes! We have a new addition to our list of harpists to watch out for. Therese Honey creates a relaxing wall of strings with with the talent of Jenny Pippin. Have a listen 😀

Track 2 from the 2012 http://www.Waterbug.com release, Summer’s End. Photos of the Dingle Peninsula were taken in April 2011 by Therese Honey and Larry Mallette. Therese learned Paddy Cronin’s Jig from Gráinne Hambly. Jenny Pippin is from O’Neill’s “Music of Ireland,” 1903.
www.theresehoney.net

Weekend Edition with Music and Album Release!

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 2 Comments

In this edition: Fraser Fifield, Carmel Gunning and Calum Stewart

Fraser Fifield, EDINBURGH, Britain (UK)

The Music of Fraser Fifield

My last edition covered music from Ireland, Wales and Brittany. Our new edition unleashes another talent from Scotland by the name of Fraser Fifield. I became familiar with his work after seeing videos of Salsa Celtica. This is the same band where Kenny Fraser of Music Scotland(who was our featured artist/interview) plays the fiddle in.

The fascinating thing about his work is his love for improvisation and fusion. His bio states this interesting info: “A Piper and Low Whistle player who improvises like a jazz musician. A Soprano Sax player playing the traditional music of his native Scotland like it had always been played on that instrument.” I think one of the most haunting track in his compositions is Softly Spoken, with its hypnotic arrangements and syncopated beats. He has other gems in his soundcloud page and I am sure you will definitely buy his albums when you hear his tracks. He has other equally wonderful tracks and your way of relating or liking them will depend on how you respond to the music upon hearing each track.

I am doing a correspondence with him which will be a structure for an upcoming featured artist/interview. I embedded few tracks of my choice but I recommend for you to click Fraser Fifield’s soundcloud channel http://soundcloud.com/fraserfifield to listen to the music continuously.

For more of his music, visit the following links:

http://www.youtube.com/user/tanarrecords

http://www.fraserfifield.com/

https://twitter.com/fraserfifield

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Carmel Gunning

She moves between two worlds. The fast paced playing and the delicate execution of some tracks. A native of Sligo, she came from a musical family. I think she is one of those amazing artists who contribute their efforts in making sure Irish music gets national and international

Carmel Gunning

recognition. I wonderful info I uncovered about her:  She runs The Carmel Gunning School of Music all year round in Sligo town and runs a festival annually in August. She has written 2 books on music and song and currently working on another. She has produced 5 CDs to date and is working on a singing album currently. Many of her past pupils, Liam Kelly of Dervish being the most well known, are top class in their field today.

With this kind of music and also a unique way of playing the whistle, I am sure she will conquer more ears. Let there be more albums from her then!

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Calum Stewart has a new album out!

Wooden Flute & Fiddle

Calum Stewart & Lauren MacColl
with Éamon Doorley and Andy May

  1. Eoghainn Iain Alasdair
  2. The Gordons
  3. Alzen
  4. Rise Ye Lazy Fellow
  5. Stoidhle Nèill Ghobha
  6. Crow Road Croft
  7. Aileen’s
  8. Tomnahurich
  9. Boys of the ‘25
  10. A Highland Lamentation

Now available for Pre-Order worldwide. (Please be careful to select worldwide delivery if you live outside the UK) All orders will be dispatched on 15th October, one week ahead of the official release date of 22nd October.

Scottish wooden flutist Calum Stewart just released an album with Lauren McColl. It is called Wooden Flute and Fiddle. This is an album that every traditional music listeners will want in his or her collection. This is due to the huge effort that the two and the rest of the session musicians placed on this album. There are slow and fast tunes. Expect variety in instruments and grand artistry that only musicians of their caliber can provide. And even if you are not really into Scottish or Irish trad music, you will still warm up to this one for its melodic and relaxing merit. Love it love it! A track from this album was featured here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mwz99

Buy Wooden Flute and Fiddle here: http://www.laurenmaccoll.co.uk/shop/

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Midweek Music Extravaganza

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 4 Comments

 

Feautring: Kinfolk, Jamie Smith’s MABON, McAuley/Horan/O’Caoimh, John McSherry, Michael Shimmin, Joe Dart, Wilber Calver with Moya (Maire) Brennan & Shane McGowan

Featured Single: The Lady of the Woods

I mentioned the new single from Jamie Smith’s MABON in my last edition (with the amazing Corrina Hewat as featured artist). A few months ago, drummer Iolo Whelan announced that they are in the process of recording the new JSM album. It was later revealed that the title of the said album is “Windblown”. Anyone who followed their career in the old line up will know that they have always played lively instrumental tunes. You have to understand my surprise when I discovered that the carrier single Lady of the Woods features male vocals including top  notch harmonization. The song uses influences from pop/rock and traditional music. The song is radio friendly enough that I am sure with the right timing and promotion will be one of those top 40 UK singles like what fellow Celtic bands  Capercaillie did with Coisich, a Ruin and Manran with Latha Math.

Download the single that is given by the band for free here: http://www.jamiesmithsmabon.com/windblown/

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Introducing: McAuley/Horan/O’Caoimh

Artwork by The Celtic Music Fan

More from this link: http://www.mcauleyhoranocaoimh.com/

And check out their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Mcauleyhoranocaoimh

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Album Review: Kinfolk- This Land

A track by track review of the amazing CD.

Principal musicians: Brian McDaid & Gerry Power

Other players: Johnny Cameron,David Mclean, Damien Mullany, Alan Burton, San Proctor, Dorothy Swift and Paul Fox.

From the first few notes emanating from the acoustic guitar of the intro to This Land, one is given a tip that this album is composed of songs that you can sing along. Coupled with great accompanist from the trad scene , Kinfolk has an album that makes you feel like you are watching a family album. I call this a grand offering due to the number of guest players ranging from bouzouki, mandolin, keyboard, banjo, accordion, fiddle, uillean pipes, and other vocals and instruments. The harmonies are solid and breezy. When you are driving long distance, this is one of those albums that you’d like to listen to on your way home from a long day’s work.

Tracks:

There are 13 tracks. There are ballads , instrumentals and upbeat songs. They are arranged in a way that reminds of of a plot in a novel. Each song tells a different story but still related to the bigger picture that makes this album solid.

This Land: A tribute to Ireland and anyone who has an immigrant soul will relate to this:

” Well I hope and pray her smile will be there to greet me

Though my home’s far away I can still hear her sing so sweetly”.

Donegal: The upbeat tempo of this track makes one wonder. If this album has enough airplay and this track has enough promotion, this could be one of those top 40 folk tunes. The fiddling and singing reminds me of Scottish pop rock band Simple Minds. It is irresistibly catchy and poppy.

Stac Pollaigh: Acoustic guitar, whistle, keyboards make this instrumental track have that New Age crossover appeal. Something spiritual, relaxing but still very traditional sounding.

The Hunger Roars: Hunger Roars recall the term ‘starving artist”. I personally think it is about one goes through in life mourning over relationship we can’t salvage from the ruins. A kind of existential anguish permeates the track. It is a song that you can interpret based on your own personal feelings. It has that kind of hoe down tempo. In spite of its lively tempo, the melody is steeped in melancholy atmosphere. Something luminous but somber at the same time.

Wonderful Day: Another finger snapping and toe tapping track. An uplifting and positive track which is a tribute to a beautiful landscape. Embellished by the nice sound of the banjo and the other instruments, this song is one of those undiscovered gems in the folk music scene.

Campsie Glen:

“ Will you come with me this summer,

To the fells in Camsie Glen..

This idyllic track takes me back in those years when everything seems like a scene through a rose colored bowl. Thoughts of childhood are precious and this is something that will save us from the twist and turns of adult uncertainty. The fiddle is bright and the vocal harmonies are rich. The simplicity of this med tempo track is what makes it such a pleasure to listen to. There are ven sounds of birds at the end of this.

Bound for New York: No need to expound on the thoughts of this one because I am sure you know what t is about. And I agree! Once again, the vocal harmonies and the chorus that goes:

“So I’ll have to go,

I’ve got to let you know,

My ship will leave the harbor in the morning

Cross to the sea so blue,

But my heart will stay with you,

I’m bound for New York City in the morning..

If this song doesn’t make you misty-eyed then you are either made of steel or a frickin’ robot. I just lost it!

Lady of the Isle: The drone of the keyboards coupled with the tin whistle makes the intro to this song very ‘soundtracky’. The vocal follows with the beat of the percussion. It has the characteristic of a slow marching song. The spacey arrangement creates a haunting atmosphere which has that lament sound.

“ But we cannot be together, So I’ll love her from afar,

For she is to wed another, and that day will break my heart”.

Thingamajig: Is a jig…but has a pop rock flavor. A great fusion of styles. The percussion and fiddling makes me want to go out and dance in the rain!

Working for the Company: Voice and acoustic guitar feels like a break from the grand instrumentation of previous tracks. A tin whistle and scattering of ‘ohhhs and ahhhs’ in between the chorus and verse plus other spare vocal ‘cloak’ makes this one a must for listeners of chill music.

Home to Ireland: The use of Major 7th chords gives this track a pastoral flavor. Major 7 reminds me of golden wine and gentle rays of the sun. “ Why don’t you come home to Ireland, All the way back to this green green land. This actually expresses my sentiments why I consider Ireland as my spiritual home.

Paddy’s Shout: Another instrumental track that showcases the mature and excellent musicianship of Gerry Power and Brian McDaid. I find my self rocking my head to this gentle uplifting track.

I Blame the Whiskey: The closing track. A tongue in cheek song about…well, you with your Celtic blood would understand and relate to. But this is also a song about trying to cope with a bad experience in life. We all have that. Yes we blame the whiskey, cigarettes or anything we can get out hands on to quell that ache..anything to keep us alive. A beautiful track that I can relate to.

My verdict is: Buy this album. It has a general appeal even to those who aren’t into Celtic music. The tracks are easy to the ears and all of them are worth your listen.Maybe music can’t really heal our pain or existential anguish but it is such a fine company when we feel lost and lonely. I love this album! Buy this album here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kinfolksongs

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Featured mp3: Bridge of glllass

Here’s the pre-release track from  the olllam album (with John McSherry, Michael Shimmin, and Joe Dart) Ah something refreshing from the trad scene. This music grows on you!

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Featured Artist: Wilber Calver (AfroCubanCelticMusic)

Gran concierto en Einsiedeln, Switzerland !

I want to introduce you to this exciting artist and whose album Diaspora is making waves! Jazz musician Courtney Pine (the first Jazz musician in my cassette collection as a kid) praises Wilber Calver’s album saying: “Wilber Calver is a unique new artist who has created a brilliant original sounding album that is steeped in the traditions of his Cuban culture and the Celtic folklore of his chosen instrument the bagpipes. I can’t stop playing it.” http://www.wilbercalver.com/

We have another legendary artist in the making!

From the official website:

About Wilber Calver

Wilber Calver Rodríguez “The Ebony Piper” was born in Holguín (Cuba).  In 1997 he enlisted as a percussionist in the traditional music group of the Centro Gallego de la Habana, with whom he performed in many festivals.  In 1998 he took his first bagpipe lessons with Professor Eduardo Lorenzo and it was from this moment that he fell in love with the pipes and took the decision to dedicate himself to the instrument.

During the following years he built up his performance experience and was included in the EU documentary “The latest Bagpipers of Havana”, won the “Premio iberoamericano ” Rey de España” ( 2004 ), appeared on the feature film “Havana Blues” (2005) directed by Benito Zambrano.

His TV appearances include : Musical ” Cuerda viva ” Cuba ( 2004 ), ” De la gran escena ” Cuba ( 2004 ) -Progra ESPECIAL ” Día da Patria gallega ” TVG España (2007) – ” A compañenos ” TVG ESPAÑA( 2008) – Serie “Padre Casares ” TVG España ( 2009 ).

He has been reviewed in the following publications : Revista Bohemia ” Con la gaita a cuesta ” Cuba ( 2004 ) -Revista ” O anuario da gaita ” Epaña ( 2000 ) – ” Gaitas con tumba..o ” Diario La voz de galicia

Wilber now lives in the Swiss Alps – Einsiedeln – and is in the process of recording his first album which will be an exciting fusion of celtic melodies with Afro-Cuban roots, arranged and produced by Alex Wilson.

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Flashback: MOYA (MAIRE) BRENNAN & SHANE McGOWAN – You’re the One

As my personal tribute to the amazing late Irish novelist Maeve Binchy, I am posting this beautiful video by two equally mesmerizing artists, Moya Brennan and Shane McGowan. The song is written by Michael Kamen. It’s the ending track for movie Circle of Friends.