Track written by A Mitchell from the The Paul McKenna’s Band most recent single. Their arrangements are fresh and innovative but do not stray too far from their traditional roots. Their sound is exciting and is created by the solid lead vocals and guitar of Paul McKenna, the driving bouzouki and mandolin of David McNee, […]
Edward by Keep it Up
This is the opening track of Keep it Up’s second album On Safari. It features 3 reels – The Glasgow Hornpipe, Knit the Pocky, and The Uist Regatta (Edward Pearlman). Keep it Up made two albums. They consisted of Eilidh Shaw, Simon Thoumire, Kevin MacKenzie and Malcolm Stitt. The band specialised in lilting Scottish music […]
Lady Jane Montague’s by Simon Thoumire and Dave Milligan
A beautiful 18th century strathspey followed by poet Robert Fergusson’s song Birk’s o’ Invermay. I love the way pianist Dave Milligan brings the two tunes together. Simon Thoumire and Dave Milligan have been performing together since the late 1990’s. They have made two albums – The Big Day In and Third Flight Home – both […]
The Big Set by The Unusual Suspects
An amazing set of tunes to kick of their album. They sure knew how to rock the house using fiddles and bagpipes. Launched on an unsuspecting world back at Celtic Connections 2003, Scotland’s original and best folk big-band are back in more rambunctious, roof-raising form than ever. The power and glory of their massed fiddles, […]
The Diver Boy by Maeve Mackinnon
The Diver Boy hails from the Ozark Mountains but which turns out to be a version of another old favourite, The Lowlands of Holland. Maeve Mackinnon is one of Scotland’s top Gaelic singers. Her albums are very original and bring a pop sense to Gaelic music while never forgetting her roots. She has released two […]
Mo bhò dhubh mhòr/Puirt by James Graham
This is the winning set of tunes that James Graham won the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award with. James Graham is a young man taking the Scottish music scene by storm. His beautiful voice enchanted the judges to such an extent that he carried off the title BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician […]
Brose and Butter/ Drops of Brandy by Corrina Hewat
Two instrumental tunes on the harp. According to Ford (Song Histories, 1900, pp. 189-190) “Brose and Butter” was a favourite air of Charles II in his exile. Despite the reference to the king (which would date it to the 1640’s), John Glen (1891) does not find a printed version until Robert Bremner’s 1757 collection. Brose […]
The Final Trawl by Back of the Moon
The Final Trawl was written by folk legend Archie Fisher and the story of life on the sea. Back of the Moon are another tremendous Scottish traditional band, comprising Gillian Frame – fiddle, vocals Ali Hutton –pipes, Findlay Napier – guitars, vocals and Hamish Napier – piano, flutes and vocals. The founder members got together […]
The Badger by Anna Massie
The first track of Anna Massie’s 2nd album – The Missing Gift. A review for the album says “The Missing Gift is the second release from multi-instrumentalist Anna Massie, Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2003, who features on fiddle, guitar, mandolin, banjo, and tenor guitar, in her regular pairing with guitarist/singer Jenn […]
Bamse by Gary Anderson
Bamse (Norwegian for Teddy Bear) was a St Bernard sea dog owned by the captain of the Norwegian mine sweeper Thorodd which was stationed in Montrose and Dundee during WWII, after the Norwegian Navy was evacuated from Norway. When the ship was under attack rather than disappear below deck Bamse would stand at the front […]
