Here's our July newsletter packed with CDs, books and information.
1. NEW at Foot Stompin': Duncan Chisholm, Archie Fisher, Donnie Munro, Bodega and more.
2. Book Spotlight: Echoes of a Golden Age; The Gentle Lochiel
3. News Snippets
4. New Foot Stompin' Radio Podcast
5. Festival Spotlight: Speyfest, Fest'n'Furious and Edinburgh Fringe
6. Reviews: includes: First Things First & The Kilt Towel!
7. Foot Stompin' Celtic Music Discussion Forum: Lost Scots Ballads; Holiday songs
8. Events
1. NEW ARRIVALS AT FOOT STOMPIN'
BEAUTIFUL MUSIC!! Farrar - Duncan Chisholm: We could listen to Duncan forever! His third solo CD it is another beauty. Gorgeous playing with a lovely tone and feel for the music, and some fine examples of his own compositions. Musicians: Duncan Chisholm (fiddle), Phil Cunningham (piano, cittern, whistle, accordion), Kris Drever (guitar, vocals), Martin O'Neill (percussion), Tearlach MacFarlane (vocals) and Ross Hamilton (guitar, bass) £11.70 (£12.99 for first time customers). http://www.footstompin.com/products/cds/fiddle/farrar
TIME TRAVELLER!! Windward Away - Archie Fisher: Archie is a fantastic Scots singer and this album is really special. Any new material is always welcome from Archie - his other 'hat' is host of the long-running and popular radio show 'Travelling Folk' - but in this instance, he has included several tracks from a recently discovered lost 'master' tape which he recorded while he was working with the revived pairing of Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy in the 1970s. Great stuff! £11.25 (£12.50 for first time customers).
http://www.footstompin.com/products/cds/windward_away
WELCOME HOME!! Donnie Munro Live - An Turas: Nobody sounds quite like Donnie Munro and there is nobody who can sing 'Dance Called America' quite like him either. It was great to hear it lead on from the opening track on this excellent 'live' album recorded at 2008 Celtic Connections. The concept of An Turas is particularly apposite as it heralds the arrival of "2009 Scottish Year of Homecoming", which welcomes the return of the Scottish diaspora and recognises and celebrates the enormous contribution that they have made to world-wide developments. For the telling of this powerful narrative, Munro brought together some of the greatest talents in the contemporary Scottish music scene and has created a moving musical landscape with powerful string arrangements. £11.25 (£12.50 for first time customers).
http://www.footstompin.com/products/cds/donnie_munro_live__an_turas
LAUNCHED THIS WEEK!!: Under the Counter - Bodega: An excellent young award-winning band. "Bodega is highly talented and versatile, and together their music has a kind of fierce energy, imagination, and joie de vivre, that you just don't hear very often. They do songs brilliantly. They do tunes superbly. They sing in Gaelic and English. They're funky, yet respectful of traditions. They improvise. What don't they do? They don't do dull and predictable..." Jack Evans. £11.25 (£12.50 for first time customers).
http://www.footstompin.com/products/cds/under_the_counter
CATCH THIS!! Fishing Up The Moon - Nick Keir: Nick has been a member of ever-popular McCalmans since 1982 and still tours with them. Since 2005 he's been a soloist with the Copenhagen-based Tolkien Ensemble, This new CD is another excellent example of his songwriting and performance skills. Guest artistes include Emily Smith, Oyvind Ougaard, The Morten Ryelund String Quartet, Aaron Jones and Trine Brosboel Hansen. £11.25 (£12.50 for first time customers).
http://www.footstompin.com/products/cds/fishing_up_the_moon
HOME BREW!! Brewed In Barra - Duncan MacKinnon Ceilidh Band: After 25 years of making music button accordionist Duncan MacKinnon and the lads have finally have put together a CD. A fine mixture of sets arranged for dances but equally enjoyable for just listening to. There are two songs on the CD featuring Mod Gold Medalist Archie MacLean. £11.25 (£12.50 for first time customers).
http://www.footstompin.com/products/cds/brewed_in_barra
STORY TIME!!Misterstourworm and the Kelpie's Gift - Savourna Stevenson: A narrated adventure set against a stunning musical backdrop, bringing classical music to the world of children. The story, by Stuart Paterson, is narrated by Billy Boyd. Savourna Stevenson's music is performed by the Orchestra of Scottish Opera, Edinburgh NYCoS and the RSNO Junior Chorus. The CD comes packaged in a beautifully illustrated book and comprises both narrated version with orchestra and an orchestral suite without narrative. £11.25 (£12.50 for first time customers).
http://www.footstompin.com/products/cds/misterstourworm_and_the_kelpies_gift
2. Book Spotlight
Echoes of a Golden Age - Rediscovering Scotland's Original Fiddle Music
This new book by Charlie Gore, one of the best-known and respected personalities of the Scottish fiddle scene, contains a wealth of information, opinion and music. A brand new publication from the Highland Press, It arrived at Foot Stompin' only today! As compiler of the monumental Scottish Fiddle Music Index, Charlie had a unique insight into the sources of thousands of tunes. Part 1 of Echoes of a Golden Age is an extended essay, titled 'Tradition - where does it come from? Where is it going?', tracing the history of Scottish fiddle music and commenting on its present state. The emphasis on re-discovery stems from the realisation that the Scottish Fiddle Music Index has revealed thousands of tunes and many whole collections which have lain un-played for upwards of 150 years. Part 2 is an informative listing of Composers, Collectors, Publishers etc and Part 3 consists of 18 pages of music from the late 18th to the early 20th centuries.
Thanks to the author's research, enthusiasm and humour, Echoes of a Golden Age is a good read, a useful source and a fine collection of music. Charlie Gore is also a player, composer, lecturer, adjudicator and Director of the Scottish Fiddle Society. £10.35 (£11.50 for first time customers).
http://www.footstompin.com/products/books/echoes_of_a_golden_age__rediscovering_scotlands_original_fiddle_music
More fiddle music books: http://www.footstompin.com/collections/books/fiddle_music
The Gentle Lochiel - The Cameron Chief and Bonnie Prince Charlie
Regarded as a central mover in the last Jacobite rising, Donald Cameron of Lochiel has nonetheless remained a shadowy figure. Here John Gibson brings 'gentle' Lochiel into the spotlight, emphasising the French connection and reliving the incidents - on and off the battlefield - which led to his enduring reputation as the most influential and honourable of Highland chiefs. £5.39 (£5.99 for first time customers).
http://www.footstompin.com/products/books/the_gentle_lochiel_the_cameron_chief_and_bonnie_prince_charlie
More books in our 'Great Scots' series: http://www.footstompin.com/collections/books/obj223952
3. News Snippets
Skye singer appointed to Bòrd na Gàidhlig
Award-winning Gaelic singer Arthur Cormack has been appointed deputy chairman of Bòrd na Gàidhlig the organisation which promotes the Gaelic language. A brilliant appointment !
http://www.footstompin.com/public/forum?threadid=224427
Danny Kyle Memorial concert
Danny Kyle was one of Scotland's best loved folk musicians, a motivating force in the traditional music scene. 2008 marks the 10th anniversary of his passing and to celebrate his remarkable life and influence a concert will be held at Paisley Town Hall on 5th July. Special guests including Malky McCormick, Titch Frier and Brian Miller (the original members of the Danny's band the Vindscreen Vipers) .
http://www.footstompin.com/public/forum?threadid=224128
Harem Scarem wind up the season at EFC
Edinburgh Folk Club's final gig for this season will see popular 4 piece Harem Scarem take the stage.
http://www.footstompin.com/public/forum?threadid=224453
Congrats to St Laurence O'Tool
..On winning the 2008 British Pipe Band championships. The band who hail from Dublin can add this to the Scottish title which they won in May.
http://www.footstompin.com/public/forum?threadid=224447
Mike Berry RIP
Well known Glasgow fiddler Mike Berry passed away this week.
Mike will be best remembered in Glasgow as a stalwart of the Babbity's session and a member of the band Setanta with whom he recorded two albums
http://www.footstompin.com/public/forum?threadid=224479
4. Foot Stompin'Radio Podcast
Our popular June radio programme features exciting folk music tracks from Blazin' Fiddles Live, The Cast Auld Lang Syne (Sex and the City), Alasdair Gillies solo piping recital, Gaeldom favourite Blair Douglas's new CD, Harpist Ailie Robertson and Out for the Night with the Battlefield Band.
http://www.footstompin.com/radio
You can also subscribe to the podcast using http://www.ayepod.net/podcasts/ayepod_radio.xml
5. Festival Focus
Speyfest: 27th July - 3rd August 2008
Speyfest takes place in the picturesque Moray village of Fochabers in the north-east of Scotland . The festival site is at the playing fields on East Street , at the eastern end of the village. Concerts, sessions and "stomps" featuring the best in traditional and contemporary Celtic music.
The 'Speyfest In Session' events are an exciting new addition to the Festival. Nightly sessions at The Grant Arms hotel in the run up to the main event with Shetland's Hom Bru, Michael Marra, Frank Keenan, The Outside Track, Redd-Up, Cruachan, Cachd-ach-Cruaidh.
Some crackin' guests at this festival including the Eddi Reader Band, Kris Drever, Lau, The Red Hot Chilli Pipers, the Vatersay Boys and Salsa Celtica.
http://www.footstompin.com/public/article/festivals/august/obj150950
Edinburgh Festival Fringe: 3rs - 25th August 2008
The world's largest celebration of the arts, the annual Edinburgh International Festival Fringe, is a massive explosion of cultural and artistic expression centred around the official festival. There are many thousands of individual performances taking place during August and Scotland's wonderful traditional music and song gets the chance to blossom during this fantastic and exciting time. Foot Stompin' have made their annual trawl through all the available info including the official Fringe Programme to make up a guide to what's available by way of traditional, folk, world music. There are traditional music events happening all over Edinburgh but the main place for nightly folk and acoustic music is The Acoustic Music Centre @ St Bride's which is a five minute walk from Haymarket rail station/road junction along Dalry Road. The venue contains two performance spaces; 'The Big Room' and 'The Back Room'. There is also a nightly programme at The Royal Oak in Infirmary Street in the South Bridge area.
The Official Fringe runs from 3rd - 25th August but our programme starts 27th July and goes on to 31st August! Check out what's on in the Foot Stompin' Trad Music Guide to the Fringe:
http://www.footstompin.com/public/article/festivals/august/obj150872/obj150876
Fest 'N' Furious: 3rd - 6th October 2008
This Festival takes place over Dundee's October Holiday weekend, traditionally known as The Fast. Workshops, masterclasses, open mic sessions, concert and ceilidh. ' Fest 'n' Furious' is Dundee's traditional music festival, celebrating roots music in a programme of live music, workshops, community performances and talks in venues throughout the city. The festival aims to showcase the thriving local music community as well as engage with the most innovative international artists. The traditions of the city are related to its industrial heritage and influenced by the ballads and songs of the farm workers and berry pickers of the countryside in Angus, Perthshire & Fife. But this is Fest 'n' Furious's unique quality, the traditions of song, and the edginess and dark humour of the city.
For 2008 the live music programme includes Session A9 & the Young Trad Tour, Koshka, Duo Lisme, Concerto Caledonia, the Mick West Band, a Youth Stage, a Choired for Sound stage which includes 6 choirs from Scotland and the rest of the UK performing their own sets and then singing work together in 'The Big Sing', as well as a festival Ceilidh and a series of workshops.
http://www.footstompin.com/public/article/festivals/october/obj151005
6. Reviews
CD: First Things First - Ailie Robertson: Reviewed by Norman Chalmers for Scotland on Sunday.
These innovative, assured and beautiful arrangements place the young Edinburgh harpist at the forefront of the current evolutionary surge in Scottish musical technique and accomplishment. It's not just the molten fingering in the flying, percussively driven reels and dance grooves, or the relaxed precision in clever variations of traditional pipe tunes. But it's especially in the slow and medium tempos, as in the re-paced 'Favourite Dram' with James Ross's arresting piano chords, that her harp exerts its undeniable and inexorable tug at the heart strings... www.scotsman.com
http://www.footstompin.com/products/cds/first_things_first
The Kilt Towel: Customer Review 5 stars
Bought one for my dad at Christmas. He's just got back from a holiday in Turkey where he & his kilt towel were the stars of the show by the pool. He had to keep posing for photos with fellow guests, especially the Italians, who were all asking where to get one. You never know but you may now get a flood of orders!
http://www.footstompin.com/products/cds/kilt_towel
CD: Windward Away - Archie Fisher: Customer Review 5 Stars
Many will have waited a long time for this release and they won't be disappointed. The first thing to be said is that the post 1998 material could easily stand on its own merits: the recovered songs are just a great bonus. The songs are mostly Archie's and, as you would expect, they seem to be the result of a long gestation and are therefore very telling and memorable.
The stand out track is Bonnie Border Lass, after a first hearing. Apart from the lovely guitar parts, we are also treated to some fine mandolin. Just wish the guitar tunings had been mentioned (but Archie's comments are a compensation.
http://www.footstompin.com/products/cds/windward_away
CD: Traces of Thrace: Reviewed for the Scotsman by Kenny Mathieson
Saxophonist and piper Fraser Fifield has always taken an open-minded approach to his music, rooted in folk but strongly influenced by jazz improvisation. This compelling recording combines two of his regular collaborators, jazz guitarist Graeme Stephen and percussionist Guy Nicolson, with two Bulgarian musicians, Nedyalko Nedyalkov on kaval (a traditional wooden flute) and Georgi Petrov on gadulka (a string instrument).... The results go beyond an exercise in cross-cultural referencing, and produce a genuine, fascinating meeting of musical minds.
http://www.footstompin.com/products/cds/traces_of_thrace
7. Foot Stompin' Celtic Music Discussion Forum:
Our Discussion forum is a lively place! Here are some of the topics under discussion at the moment on our Foot Stompin' Celtic Music Forum. Feel free to join in! http://www.footstompin.com/forum?forumid=3
Lost Scots Ballads
The Bonny Lass Of Fyvie, Glenlogie and Lang A'Growin'.....lost Scots ballads lying undiscovered for generations? Someone at the Beeb needs to get their facts a bit more straight here, I think...
http://www.footstompin.com/forum?threadid=224228
Holiday Songs
A certain banjo player and myself drove everyone at the airport daft by singing a song composed as we stood in line to check in...
"Mama's taking us to Peru tomorrow
Peru tomorrow
Peru tomorrow.....
http://www.footstompin.com/forum?threadid=224194
8. Events
2nd - 19th July: The Anna Massie Band Scottish Tour. Brilliant multi-instrumentalist Anna with Maireread Green on accordion & pipes and Jenn Butterworth, guitar & vocals are already on the road. Check where you can still see them.
http://www.footstompin.com/public/forum?threadid=224369
4th - 13th July: 38 F are a new all female band, featuring Sarah Roberts on guitar, Amy Geddes on fiddle, singer Anne Sofie Linge Valdal and Hardanger fiddler Annlaug Børsheim. All four sing and play between them, 2 guitars, 3 fiddles, bodhran and willow flute. On this tour they are joined by Scottish stepdancer, Alison MacLeod. Check where you can see them:
http://www.footstompin.com/public/forum?threadid=224220
10th - 13th July 2008: Stonehaven Folk Festival: An event of long-standing in the very attractive coastal town in the North East of Scotland, about 15 miles south of Aberdeen.. The weekend features concerts, ceilidhs, workshops and more. Guests include Barbara Dickson, The Battlefield Band and Michael Marra
http://www.footstompin.com/public/article/festivals/july/obj150764
11th & 12th July: Ceilidh Dances in Lewis & Harris in aid of Mod 2008. Entertainment from Catriona Watt, Kirsteen MacDonald, Amy MacAuley, Seonaidh 'Beag' MacMillan, Calum Ailig MacMillan, James Graham, Donald Angie Matheson, Norrie MacIver. More details:
http://www.footstompin.com/public/forum?threadid=224225
14th - 18th July: Taransay Fiddle Camp. Each year Fidlearein Eilean an Fhraoich (Fiddlers of the Heather Isles) run the seven day long fiddle based music camp each year on the wonderfully relaxed and beautifully stunning island of Taransay. Accommodation is bring your own tent or sleep in the bunk houses last inhabited by Ben Fogel and his other Castaways cronies. The food and hospitality is second to none. More details:
http://www.footstompin.com/public/article/festivals/july/obj150766
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