Author: celtbritfolkfan

Elizabeth Davidson-Blythe & Daniel Quayle: The Coast Road

I had never heard of Elizabeth Davidson-Blythe before and no wonder: she is a young American fiddler whose first album, The Coast Road, a collaboration with guitarist Daniel Quayle, was only recently released. But I will be very much surprised if I will not hear of her much more in the future, since The Coast … Continue reading Elizabeth Davidson-Blythe & Daniel Quayle: The Coast Road →

“Namer of Clouds”: a belated discovery

Somerset folk singer-songwriter Kitty Macfarlane’s debut album came out in 2018 and I saw her brilliant solo gig supporting RURA in Celtic Connections 2020 but only now did I listen to the album, Namer of Clouds. And hear me: it’s a stunning achievement, especially as it was her first solo outing. Great tunes, wonderful lyrics … Continue reading “Namer of Clouds”: a belated discovery →

Need music for a Celtic & Folk Xmas? Here’s my recommendations

The snow fell even here in the south of Finland over a week ago and, contrary to forecasts then, it has stayed, with more falling almost daily. It’s looking downright Christmasy out there and checking the calendar proved it - it’s time to take out Ye Olde (well not that old, really) Xmas music! I … Continue reading Need music for a Celtic & Folk Xmas? Here’s my recommendations →

Some jaw-droppin’ musicians! Have mercy…

By pure chance I happened to listen to some dazzling albums over the past week - dazzling in terms of musicianship, that is. If you play an instrument and need some inspiration to fire up your own practising, check these out… The amazing debut album An Den Day Made Tae (2020) by the Shetland brothers … Continue reading Some jaw-droppin’ musicians! Have mercy… →

Jeremy Kittel: my latest fiddle fave!

Sometimes you just remain unaware of great music and musicians for years. And when you do discover them, there’s always a great “where has this stuff been all my life!” moment. This happened to me a few days ago when I first heard the Michigan fiddler, composer, all-around great musician Jeremy Kittel. I was totally … Continue reading Jeremy Kittel: my latest fiddle fave! →

Gjermund Larsen and the beauty of the Nordic fiddle

If you don’t know Gjermund Larsen, you perhaps should. A master fiddler from Norway, with a sound and style that’s easy to love. Since I was at his excellent gig this summer, I have returned to his albums and recalled why I instantly liked his music the first time I heard it. Gjermund has a … Continue reading Gjermund Larsen and the beauty of the Nordic fiddle →

Beinn Lee: Deò

The band full of still quite young Hebridean talent released their second album a year ago already but for reasons I cannot explain, I only listened to it now. This is weird because Osgarra, the debut album from 2018, was so ready and together for a young band’s opening salvo and I really liked it … Continue reading Beinn Lee: Deò →

Galician discoveries: Riobó

Since last year, I’ve been dipping my toes into Breton and Galician (and very recently Northern Portuguese) folk music; in other words, the more southern regions of Celtic music. I have been a fan of the Galician master piper Anxo Lorenzo for years now but have never really taken a closer look at that region’s … Continue reading Galician discoveries: Riobó →

Ryan Molloy & Fergal Scahill: One Day – November Woods

Oh but this is a fun one! Pianist Ryan Molloy and fiddler Feargal Scahill recorded - and partly wrote! - this album during one November day in 2019! Ryan writes on Bandcamp: ”We sat in Fergal & Ruth’s living room and recorded the music on this album, pushing the boundaries of our friendly frolics amidst … Continue reading Ryan Molloy & Fergal Scahill: One Day – November Woods →