Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas - Abundance

The fourth album from the dazzling duo of master fiddler Alasdair Fraser and dynamic cellist Natalie Haas - highly accomplished playing.

Alasdair Fraser is recognised as one of Scotland's finest exponents of the fiddle, and for some time now has enjoyed an artistic collaboration with the wonderful cellist Natalie Haas. Their debut album together - Fire And Grace - was voted Album Of The Year at the 2004 Scots Trad Music Awards, and this was followed in 2007 by their recording In The Moment, and in 2011 by Highlander's Farewell.

Once again they unleash their dazzling teamwork, with driving, dancing rhythms and a shared passion for taking the infectious melodies and grooves of Scottish and Celtic music on an exciting new journey. On this album they have invited eight session musicians to join them.

The Referendum tune was composed by Alasdair for the occasion of Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond's visit to Alasdair's fiddle course at Sabhal Mor Ostaig on the Isle of Skye, and to celebrate the upcoming referendum.

Long regarded as Scotland's premiere fiddle ambassador, as much for his warm personality as for his powerful playing, Alasdair's concert and recording career spans over 30 years, with a lengthy list of awards and accolades. The talented young Californian cellist Natalie Haas first met Alasdair at his Valley Of The Moon fiddle camp in California. They went on to successful international touring as one of Celtic music's top live acts, and recordings that have been acclaimed on both sides of the Atlantic.

Alasdair Fraser (fiddles, baritone fiddle, viola, kalimba) and Natalie Haas (cellos, kalimba) with special guest musicians Donald Shaw (piano, accordion), James Macintosh (percussion), Corey DiMario (bass), Dominick Leslie (mandolin), Brittany Haas (fiddle), Hanneke Cassel (piano), Stefan Amidon (percussion), Kai Welch (trumpet) and Oscar Utterström (trombone, bass trombone, euphonium).

"Traditional Scottish fiddle and cello music of unrivalled beauty, eloquence and passion..."

"You would think they have been playing together for centuries. While his fiddle dances, her cello throbs darkly or plucks puckishly. Then Haas opens her cello's throat, joining Fraser in soaring sustains, windswept refrains and sudden, jazzy explosions..." (Boston Globe)

01.The Corrie Man
02.Neil Gow’s Wife The Old Reel
03.Howard Booster’s Style
04.Farley Bridge
05.Keys to the Cellar
06.Connie Suite Connie’s Birthday
07.Connie Suite Les Jumeaux
08.Connie Suite Pier Walk Waltz
09.Connie Suite Hot Club d’Ecosse
10.Connie Suite Ouagadougou Boogie
11.Braigh Lochiall
12.The Referendum
13.John Alick Beaton of Teanassie
14.On the Wings of a Skorrie
15.Glenfinnan Nights
16.The Kelburn Brewer

Julie Fowlis - Cuilidh (2007)

Continuación a su premiado debut de 2005, “Mar a tha mo chridhe” (Así es mi Corazón) la cantante de las Hébridas edita el luminoso “Cuilidh”, nombre gaélico que significa  tesoro o lugar secreto para esconder cosas de valor.
Como siempre, las canciones y melodías provienen del folclor histórico de su nativa North Uist en las islas Escocesas del Oeste.
http://www.elcohete.com/juliefowlis.htm

Julie Fowlis - Mar A Tha Mo Chridhe (2005)

Julie Fowlis es una intérprete de música celta originaria de Escocia (Reino Unido), que canta principalmente en gaélico escocés.
Fowlis creció en North Uist, una isla de las Hébridas Exteriores, una comunidad de mayoría gaélico hablante.  Desde muy pequeña, se involucró con la música tradicional y aprendió a cantar, a bailar y a tocar la gaita. En 2012 participa en dos temas de la banda sonora de la última película de los estudios Pixar, Brave
http://www.juliefowlis.com/

Mar a tha mo chridhe is the début music album by Scottish musician Julie Fowlis. It is sung entirely in Scottish Gaelic, and the album title means As My Heart Is.

    Julie Fowlis – Vocals, Highland Pipes, Flute, Whistles
    Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh – Vocals
    Eamon Doorley – Bouzouki, Fiddle
    Iain Mac Donald
    John Doyle - Guitar

 

Aly Bain & Ale Möller - Beyond The Stacks

Aly Bain and Ale Möller are tremendously good together -- but then again, you can hardly ask for a better duo, where the Scots/Shetland sound of fiddler Bain meets the several instruments (mandola, harmonica, Jew's harp) of Swedish folk legend Möller. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more simpatico duo, meeting, for the most part, on the middle ground of Shetland music, but played with glorious finesse (just listen to the breathtaking delicacy of "Da Slockit Light," for example). They're perfectly at home with uptempo material, but it's on the slower pieces that the beauty of this pairing truly comes through, whether it's "Hector the Hero," where Bain caresses his fiddle lines and Möller gives spare, emotional support, or the lament "Auld Swaara." When a record is this lyrical, there's absolutely no need for a voice -- or even any more instruments. There's an empathetic communication between the two that knows when to fill the gaps and when to leave space. At a little under 50 minutes it might seem short by today's standards, but the disc is so dense with melody that it truly seems longer (in the very best way). The Swedish tunes here mesh perfectly with those from Shetland, showing just how one tradition feeds into another. This isn't their first recording together (that was in 1999, Fully Rigged), but age has brought a true patina of beauty to their work together. Exquisite is a word that's overused at times, but it describes this album perfectly.
http://www.allmusic.com/album/beyond-the-stacks-mw0000579040


1. Woo'd An' Marrit An' A' - Doon Da Rooth
2. Peerie joel's Waltz
3. Auld Swaara - Up Da Stroods Da Sailor Goes
4. Spread Thy Wide Wings (Bred Dina Vida Vingar)
5. Crying Waltz (Gratvalsen)
6. Medley: King Karl's Marsch (King Karl's March)/Djavulspolska (Devil's Polka)
7. O'Farrel's Welcome To Limerick
8. Medley: If I Get a Bonnie Lass/Jeannie Shoke Da Bairn
9. Medley: Lady Mary Ramsay/Mary Ramsay
10. Medley: But Your Hoose An Ben Your Hoose/Da Black And Da Broon
11. Da Slockit Light
12. Medley: Hauchdon House/Heave An' Go/Da Cross Reel
13. Hector the Hero
14. Da Broon Coo (The Brown Cow)

Mary Jane Lamond & Wendy MacIsaac-Seinn

SEINN reflects the great love and respect that Mary Jane Lamond and Wendy MacIssac have for Nova Scotia tradition, and for each other. The record achieves a delicate balance between the musical sensibilities of two artists, showcasing traditional and original compositions among the melancholy of Gaelic song and the joy of fiddle tunes. Some of the material was learned from the recordings of older Cape Breton singers and fiddlers, some songs were chosen from existing repertoires, and some were written specifically for this project. The record fuses Roots arrangements with a traditional presentation, capturing the enjoyment and fun that Mary Jane and Wendy have together on and off the stage
This is a powerful collaboration borne of a long-time friendship and a shared love of Celtic music. Whether it's the mesmerizing Gaelic vocals of Mary Jane, or the superb and true musicianship of Wendy on the fiddle, these ladies have been making their mark with traditional audiences worldwide for over two decades. Mary Jane and Wendy have both been recognized internationally for their solo music careers, and Wendy has been Mary Jane's steadfast comrade in the presentation of her music for many years. It seems only natural that these two impressive talents now come together to create a true musical partnership, which will combine their musical sensibilities, their strong Celtic roots, and their colourful personalities.
On Cape Breton Island, the rich heritage of the region's Highland settlers was kept alive through music, songs, and stories. It was in Nova Scotia, while visiting her grandparents throughout her youth, that Mary Jane fell in love with Scottish Gaelic traditions and song. While enrolled in Saint Francis Xavier University's Celtic Studies program, Mary Jane released her first album, Bho Thir Nan Craobh, a collection of traditional material that introduced her unique singing voice and, then unknown fiddler, Ashley MacIsaac. She has continued to dedicate her musical career to the preservation of Scottish Gaelic songs and has garnered numerous JUNO and ECMA award nominations, critical acclaim, and a worldwide audience for her efforts. Mary Jane's four recordings create a respectful and beautiful framework for ancient Gaelic songs and her spell binding performances make these selections truly come alive.
Wendy is an award-winning fiddler, piano player and step dancer from Creignish, Cape Breton. A born performer, she began appearing publicly at age 5 as a step dancer. At age 12, she began fiddle lessons with Stan Chapman. By age fifteen, Wendy was playing dances all over Cape Breton Island, forming the sound that makes her so recognizable today. With five records to her credit – the most recent "Variations" with her Cape Breton Celtic Supergroup, Beolach – she is a favourite with traditional audiences everywhere. Wendy has toured all over the world as a solo performer, and with The Rankins, Mary Jane Lamond, Ashley MacIsaac and Beolach. Established tradition bearers, both Mary Jane and Wendy are skilful, enthusiastic teachers that are in high demand at festivals worldwide



1. Yellow Coat 2. Air A' Ghille Tha Mo Run - It Is the Lad That I Love
3. Oran an T-Saighdeir - the Soldier's Song
4. Keeping Up With Calum
5. Rinn Mi Corrs Is Naoi Mile - I Travelled More Than Nine Miles
6. Angus Blaise
7. Hoiereann O Rathill Iu O
8. Seudan A' Chuain - Jewels of the Ocean
9. Oran A' Mheirlich - the Theif's Song
10. Boise Monsters
11. Taladh Na Beinne Guirme - the Blue Mountain's Lullaby
12. If You Were Mine

Aly Bain - Lonely Bird [Escocia]

Born in Lerwick, Shetland in 1946 Aly began playing the fiddle at the age of eleven. In his early twenties, Aly headed to mainland Scotland. His dramatic playing, with great tone and technical ability brought early recognition as an outstanding musician of the folk music revival, and almost overnight, raised the level of expectation for music lovers throughout the country.
http://www.shetland-music.com/prominent_artists/artistes/aly_bain/

Aly Bain - fiddle
Chris Newman - guitar
Violet Tulloch - piano
Danny Thompson - bass



1. Gillan's Reel/Charles Sutherland/Donald Stewart The Piper
2. Mrs. Jamieson's Favourite
3. Rosemary Brown
4. Spey In Spate/Pottinger's Reel/Dowd's Reel
5. The Beauty Of The North/The Pirate's Hornpipe
6. Midnight On The Water/Bonaparte's Retreat
7. Herr Roloff's Farewell
8. Aly's Waltz
9. Annalese Bain/Phil Cunningham's Reel/Andy Brown's Reel
10. Lonely Bird
11. Weindia Little/Da Fashion O Da Delting Lasses/Da Black Hat
12. Junior's Waltz
13. Captain Campbell/Earl Grey/Largo's Fairy Dance

 Lonely Bird
 Mp3 320 Kbps...Covers..by fulcanelli

Kan - Sleeper

KAN is made up of Flook’s extraordinary virtuoso flutist Brian Finnegan from Armagh (N. Ireland), Lau’s deft and forward thinking fiddle player Aidan O’Rourke from Isle of Seil (Scotland), James Goodwin on percussion from Harrogate and guitarist Ian Stephenson of Selby in Yorkshire. If that’s not impressive then just look at SOME of those they have performed and recorded with: Kate Rusby, Cara Dillon, BBC Philharmonic, Blazin’ Fiddles, Liverpool Philharmonic, Kathryn Tickell, Northern Sinfonia, Wayne Shorter, Eddi Reader, Justin Currie, Roddy Woomble, Baltic Crossing, Adem, Sting, OMD , Jack Bruce, Bella Hardy, Nitin Sawhney, Katherine Jenkins, Jan Garbareck, Karine Polwart, Trilok Gurtu and on it goes.
That list above covers names synonymous with both folk and jazz which is reflected in the great cross-fertilisation taking place on this album. All band members are known for their diversification and for forging new sound. They have all worked togather before and from those collaborations a seed of an idea was born back in 2010, a genesis that the band’s name aptly reflects. Kan is derived from a Mayan word meaning ‘Yellow Seed’. Also, the Tzolkin is the sacred moon calendar of the Mayan people that connects the energy of heaven and earth, and 2010 was the year of Kan, a year according to the Mayan oracle to be a time for new beginnings, for planting the seed of some intention, project or dream, for taking a risk.
Whilst the Mayan gods may have favoured a care-free abandonement to their approach, KAN take a more considered route with their music. There is subtlety, grace and intricate finery in their arrangements the backbone of which is steeped in the Irish and Scottish tradtions of Brian and Aidan’s musical roots. But this is no ordinary traditional album, whilst it draws inspiration from the shores of the British Isles it has a pan-global undertone thanks to the broad experiences of each artist which has shaped their interpretations giving them that unique KAN sound.
The album opens to ‘Lori / One, Two, Three‘, a beautiful opening track, comprising of a tune that Aidan dedicated to border fiddle player Lori Watson followed by ‘One, Two, Three‘ which is based around three simple chords. More direct and personal influences take shape throughout the album including the very chilled Modul 1 with Ian taking inspiration from avant garde jazz pianist Nik Bartsch and on Mangatakk which features a tune (Emotional Storm) from Israeli double bass player Avishai Cohen.
Arrangements unfold in unexpected directions which gives this album a fresh and exciting sound, interlaced between melodies and flourishes are the whispers of a jazz inflected influence which bubble to the surface and submerge again. Each artist takes to the fore throughout delivering their promise of an homogenous quartet.
Brian and Aidan showed their colours when they released solo albums that forged new ground with ‘The Ravishing Genius Of Bones’ (2010) and ‘An Tobar’ (2008). IN this respect, Sleeper is maybe an album that would have happened sooner or later but the standard they have set here goes beyond expectations. KAN are one of those bands that are at the forefront of moulding and re-defining tradtional music along with the likes of The Gloaming, if this is the standard then the tradtional music scene has rewarding times ahead!

1 One Two Three: Lori / One, Two, Three 7:19
2 Mangatakk: Emotional Storm / Mangatakk / Breton Ridée 6:39
3 Marcos: Marcos Llope / The Oblique Jig / Hayden's Rock 6:35
4 Noble?: You Can Call Me Big Al / Noble? 6:03
5 Eva 5:58
6 Rangoon: The Slide From Grace / The Queen of Rangoon 5:42
7 Modul1: Modul1 / Coyoacan 8:31
8 Coriolis: Coriolis / Hold Up the Sky 6:50



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