Artist Name | Fraser Fifield |
---|---|
Album title | Secret Path |
Album cover | |
Any more information you would like to tell us? | The low whistle is a simple instrument that in the hands of Fraser Fifield can deliver infinite, deeply felt personal expression. Most often associated with Scottish and Irish traditional music, on The Secret Path the low whistle assumes the role that a saxophone might take as the lead instrument in a jazz group. Fifield is a virtuoso. Schooled in both the Highland bagpipe tradition and the soprano saxophone, he has developed a technique on the whistle that borrows from those and other instruments but is all his own voice. He is aided by the addition of one extra tone hole on the underside of the whistle that opens up possibilities for a greater musical range. Over the past ten years Fifield has worked on achieving this aim, helped by his domestic situation. Living in a flat in Edinburgh for much of that time, he felt sure his neighbours would be unimpressed by the sound of the pipes or a saxophone intruding into their day or night. The low whistle, as well as requiring little physical work, unlike the pipes and saxophone, is an instrument that can be picked up at any time and played quietly so that ideas can be explored into unsociable hours if the muse strikes. “It’s been a gradual process of experimentation and that continues,” says Fifield, whose determination to take the whistle into situations that no whistle player should really encounter has led to him working across the world. Indian, Eastern European, Spanish and South American music have all presented challenges that he has met successfully. “Paul and Tom are both fantastic musicians,” says Fifield. “I knew that they would respond and make the music come alive. I wrote arrangements that gave them enough detail without providing too much information so that there was space for the three of us to express ourselves.” “All the tracks were written in December 2022 with the exception of East of Leith, which had been forming in my mind for some time but finally came into shape as I was preparing the others,” says Fifield. “There are influences from throughout my musical career – I’ve long had a fascination for the kaval (a Bulgarian end-blown flute) for example – but essentially, I wanted to give a snapshot of where I am with the low whistle at the present time. Most of the tunes are concise and were recorded as live in two or three takes to keep them fresh.” The album has been featured widely in the media and was chosen as Album of the Week by Celtic Music Radio. |
Label Name | Tanar |
Release Date | 29/06/2023 |
Website | fraserfifield.com |
Album link 1 | bandcamp.com |