Danish folk music's super duo of Andreas Tophøj (fiddle) and Rune Barslund (accordion) released Trails and Traces in 2020 but I just discovered it. Really, there's so much good music and so many great albums released in the Celtic, British and Nordic folk music scene that I like to highlight also older releases - there's … Continue reading Tophøj & Barslund’s “Trails and Traces” brings hygge to days leading to winter
Tag: fiddle
Laura Jane Wilkie’s “Vent” is an essential work
With all her former and current impressive work with Scotland's A-level folk musos, it's almost incredible Vent is fiddler/composer Laura Jane Wilkie's first solo release. Then again, if you immerse yourself in a project as she has done here, things will take their time to happen... Vent is not just another very good Celtic or … Continue reading Laura Jane Wilkie’s “Vent” is an essential work
Love fiddles? Then let The Snake embrace you!
My instrument is the drums. I can play the guitar a little, also the bass just a wee bit. Any keyboard instrument is beyond me but even more so the fiddle, or the violin, if you want to go classical. Any string instrument with a fretless neck is a completely mysterious object to me, especially … Continue reading Love fiddles? Then let The Snake embrace you!
Finally checking out some fine music on my checklist
Whoa - an entire month has flown by without any blog posts. Good excuses, though: day job hassles, preparing for some gigs with my band (rock, not folk) and - most of all - a nine-day visit to the Southern and Inner Hebrides + one day in Oban. Loved Islay, adored Iona, was blown away … Continue reading Finally checking out some fine music on my checklist
Lauren MacColl: Haar (2023)
Lauren MacColl's fifth solo album, Haar (Scottish Gaelic for sea mist), was released in the summer of 2023, so once again I'm pitifully late in commenting about it. But better late than ever, because Haar is a warm, glowing wonder. I make no excuses: I'm a huge fan of hers. There is something so calm … Continue reading Lauren MacColl: Haar (2023)
A triple dose of Shane Cook: talk about a blazin’ fiddle, eh?
Canada's fiddle wizard Shane Cook's music has kept me going these past couple of weeks when the dying Finnish winter first turned into grey slush, followed by winter's comebacj (of course) and then more slush, with the sun nowhere in sight. The gloomy scenes outdoors have been successfully countered by the Cook magic! If you … Continue reading A triple dose of Shane Cook: talk about a blazin’ fiddle, eh?
Rob Harbron & Emma Reid: Flock & Fly (2016)
Oh summer! How I long for it now, in March, when the Finnish winter refuses to exit... That's what I thought when listening to Flock & Fly, this music played by concertina and fiddle, with British and Swedish tunes mostly trad (I think), no extra frills and unnecessary fuss. The music paints in my mind … Continue reading Rob Harbron & Emma Reid: Flock & Fly (2016)
Ryan Young: Just a Second (2023)
I have witnessed Ryan Young playing live only once, in Celtic Connections 2023. It was an astonishing performance, a rare combination of technical skill, fiery spirit and presence, and total commitment to the music. I compared it to Jeff Beck's guitar playing and found out that some others felt exactly the same.So it came a … Continue reading Ryan Young: Just a Second (2023)
Looking back on The Copperplate Sessions (2018) by Manus McGuire
One of the many things I love about Celtic, or any folk music really, is how fairly simple elements join together to create this empowering, effortlessly rocking music. I use the word 'rocking' not only to describe the feel and the motion but because this is where folk and rock meet: you don't need very … Continue reading Looking back on The Copperplate Sessions (2018) by Manus McGuire
Amazing music with and without words: Siobhan Miller; Catrin Finch & Aoife Ní Bhríain
For yet another inexplicable reason, I completely missed Siobhan Miller's 2022 album Bloom - until now. Her previous outing, 2020's All Is Not Forgotten, had been a low-key, intimate acoustic work, and Bloom, with its bright sky blue cover and a return to the sound feel almost like a counterargument to its predecessor. I absolutely … Continue reading Amazing music with and without words: Siobhan Miller; Catrin Finch & Aoife Ní Bhríain
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