Back on the mainland we are exploring the east of Scotland, starting in Inverness. Here we encounter fiddler and composer Duncan Chisholm. Whist his fiddle playing is firmly rooted in traditional music, he combines it with more contemporary and orchestral sounds. He has written a lot of film scores, and much of his music does sound just like that. This tune is entitled Haze Across the Sun taken from his 2018 album Sandwood.
Young six-piece band Hò-Rò are also based in Inverness and have already gathered a few awards. Here's a studio recording of them:
Moving deep into Whisky country to the Speyside region,we arrive in Carrbridge, where Indie Folk musician Rachel Sermanni hails from. Her music has something Joni Mitchell-like to it. Here is the title track from her 2014 album Everything Changes:
Moving a few miles up the road we get to Grantownon-Spey, where singer-songwriter Findlay Napier was born. This is one of his songs called Cod Liver Oil and the Orange Juice. The Scots do have funny tastes, they like things like Irn Bru. Give me a wee dram of whisky any day:
Next we have something a bit more traditional from Aberdeen, a couple of songs by the Old Blind Dogs, who have been going since 1990, even though with various changes in personnel. First up is the Bonnie Lass O' Fyvie from their 1992 album New Tricks:
...and another short one from the same album, The Wee Wee German Lairdie:
Moving south to Dundee we meet AMWWF, which is short for the surnames of the band: Anderson, McGinty, Webster, Ward and Fisher. Their music can probably best be described as indie folk. They started out playing together in a pub in Dundee, but have since changed personnel and now perform under the name of Sinderins. This song, Boo Hoo has a bit of Dixieland to it and is on their 2014 self-titled EP:
Next we are heading for the village of Kingskettle in Fyfe, famous for a folk group called the Singing Kettle, which specialised in children's songs. They were founded by established husband and wife folk duo Cilla Fisher and Artie Tresize, who had been touring and recording in their own right since the mid-70's. They both retired in 2013. This song, Fisher Lassies, features on their 2013 album Cilla & Artie:
Our next stop is Clackmannan, where fiddler and composer Alasdair Fraser was born in 1955. Over his long musical career he has recorded numerous albums as well as taught fiddle, playing both traditional slow airs and dance tunes. Here's a live recording together with guitarist Tony McManus (whom we already met in Paisley) of the tune Lieutenant Maguire's Jig, which features on their 1999 joint album Return to Kintail:
Finally it's Burn's Night, the birthday of Robert Burns, the national poet of Scotland and another great reason for the Scots to celebrate. Tonight they will be reciting poetry, singing, eating haggis, tatties and neeps and just perhaps having "A Wee Drappie O't" (a small drop of it). This is Ewan McColl, whose roots were in Stirling, performing this song which features on the album Scots Drinking Songs:
Ewan McColl was actually born in Lancashire in England to Scottish parents. He went on to become a quintessential Scottish bard with strong political convictions, but rooted in tradition. If you are celebrating Burns Night tonight, play his album Songs Of Robert Burns:
Happy Burns Night everybody and see you next time in Edinburgh. As usual you can follow my virtual rambling journey on Tripline.
From the islands we return back to the mainland to Ullapool in the region of Wester Ross. Here we meet harpist Rachel Newton. This song Mo Chubhrachan is from her 2014 album Changeling:
As we are heading north we are just stopping short of John O'Groats the northern tip of mainland Scotland for a visit to Wick, where accordionist Hugh Morrison was born. This is a tune from his debut 2003 album Feet to the Floor:
Hopping over to Orkney,winters can get seriously cold up here, so what better to warm yourself up, than with some stomp music from 8-piece band The Chair. This lively tune is called Scariest Room and features on their 2013 album Road to Hammer Junkie:
Moving even further up north we arrive on Shetland. Fiddler Willie Hunter (1933-1994) played an important role in the revival of Shetland fiddle traditions. This sad tune, accompanied on Piano by long-time collaborator Violet Tulloch is called Leaving Lerwick Harbour and is the title track to their 1995 album:
Here's a live performance of them joined by Aly Bain of Love O' Da Isles which features on the album Willie Hunter Sessions:
Half of the all female fiddle quartet Rant are from Shetland (the other 2 from the Highlands). Their fiddles are tuned differently giving depth to their lively style of traditional tunes. Here's a pair of tunes, a march called Ferguson of Raith and a reel called Miss Mary MacDonald's from their self-titled 2013 debut album:
That's it from the far north, next we'll be heading back to the mainland exploring the Eastern Highlands of Scotland. As usual you can follow my virtual ramblings on my tripline map.
On this leg of our virtual journey we are going to hop around the Hebridean Islands. I took the above picture in 2001 from somewhere in Wester Ross looking across to the Isle of Skye, our first stop. Here we meet the singing dynasty of the Campbells of Greepe, a family group that have been singing Gaelic tunes with no or minimal instrumental accompaniment for generations. Here is gentle song called Horo Mhàrie
Dhubh from their 2014 album No.2 Greepe:
The Band Cliar has many Skye connections. They were formed in 1999 by Mary-Ann Kennedy from Glasgow and Arthur Cormack from Skye. After a hiatus of 7 years they were joined by Maggie MacDonald of the Campbells of Greepe clan, Ingrid Henderson, who was born in Mallaig in the Highlands a short ferry ride from Skye, Ross Martin from nearby Arisaig and Hector Henderson from Skye. This song, Clò
Mhic Ille Mhìcheil & Blue Bonnet, features on the bonus album on The Rough Guide to Scottish Music:
The mostly instrumental band The Peatbog Faeries, based on the Isle of Skye, have been fusing traditional Celtic sounds with electronica, rock and Jazz since 1991. Here's a live performance by them of the Dancing Feet Set (Weary We've Been / Dancing Feet), which features on their 1996 album Mellowosity:
From Skye we hop over to the island of North Uist, where folk singer Julie Fowlis grew up. Here's beautiful song sung in Scottish Gaelic called Dh’èirich mi moch, b' fheàrr nach do dh’èirich (according to Google translate that means: I got up early, better not) from her 2017 album alterum:
Our next stop is South Uist, where Gaelic singer Kathleen MacInnes was born. On this track she collaborates with Texan folk and roots musician Sarah Jarosz. I love the way her voice has a bit more of a rougher edge to it compared to many of the Celtic genre. The song is called Oran na Cloiche and features on her 2006 album Summer Dawn:
The Trio Salt House are from various places around the Scottish Highlands but they recorded their 2017 album Undersong on the small Isle of Berneray, just north of North Uist. Their new album Huam is available to pre-order now. This is a song from the first album called Staring at Stars:
From Berneray we take the ferry across to the Isle of Lewis, which is where singer/songwriter Iain Morrison is from. His music has elements of Neil Young style folk rock. Here is a track from his 2018 album Amusement Arcade entitled Let's Go Captain:
Ishbel MacAskill was born in 1941 near Edinburgh, but was adopted by a couple from the Isle of Lewis where she grew up. Musically she was a late starter, not performing in public until she was 38. She sang in Gaelic and was also an actress in a popular Gaelic TV soap. Unfortunately she died in 2011 aged 70 following a domestic accident. This song Gradh Geal Mo Chridh (Fair Love of My Heart) features on her posthumously released 2017 album Sìoda:
This concludes our little virtual trip around some of the Hebridean islands, I hope you feel inspired by these beautiful, wild landscapes steeped in ancient culture. Next we head to the far north of Scotland. As usual you can follow my ramblings on my tripline map.
Before we leave Glasgow and head north there is one band I forgot about in my last post and what better tune to recover from your Hogmanay hangover than Drunk at Night, Dry in The Morning by legendary 70's and 80's folk band Ossian from an old live performance. The tune features on their 1994 Best of Ossian album
Moving up to Oban in the Argyll region we meet Capercaillie, who have been singing traditional Scottish Gaelic songs with contemporary instrumentation since 1984. If you have 50 minutes watch this documentary on their 30th anniversary:
If you don't have so much time simply listen to Breisleach from their 1995 album To The Moon:
Fiddler Aidan O'Rourke grew up in Oban and is most notable for his involvement in the Scottish/English folk trio Lau. The other too members are Kris Drever (Guitar and vocals) from Orkney and accordionist Martin Green from London. They actually formed in 2004 around a kitchen table in Edinburgh. They have collaborated with numerous big name artists and write their own material. I Don't Want to Die Here is the opening track on their 2019 album Midnight and Closedown:
From Oban we hop over to the Isle of Mull, where Alisdair MacIlleBhain hails from, also sometimes known as Alisdair Whyte for reasons I haven't been able to figure out. He's got together with Ross Whyte of Aberdeenshire (perhaps they are married, explaining Alisdair's 2 names) to form Whɏte the Band, who combine traditional Gaelic songs with electronica, a rather unique blend. Tairm is the title track from their 2018 album.
The band Mànran is very much based around the western Highlands with 2 of the founding members originating from Fort William and Spean Bridge respectively (Ewen Henderson and Gary Innes). They have been active since 2010 playing folk rock mostly sung in Gaelic. Thugainn is their latest single, which was used as a soundtrack to a film of the legendary North Coast 500 road. The video shows some spectacular landscapes of the Highlands.
That's it for today, next we will be hopping around some of the Hebridean islands. As usual you follow my virtual trip on the Tripline map.
