Celtic Connections 2012

[Oilrig]

And tonight on Radio Scotty (followed by quick scoot across town to be in time for Wo3) ...

Prakriti Dutta, Barnaby Brown and Hardeep Singh
Breabach
Kamilya Jubran
Admiral Fallow
Simon Bradley Trio

[Lateralthinking1]

Thanks for reminder Mary Ann - to ring some friends to get them to come along to Madison Violet on Wednesday.
Just over the hill and in the upstairs room at the Biddulph Arms, N. Staffs.

And I am keen on Rab Noakes so tonight's programme looks like it will be very popular.

[Lateralthinking1]

Hello Oilrig

I see you are online. Enjoyed Fred "the haircut" Morrison - a lot of energy and dazzling dexterity combined with good banter - and of course Rab Noakes last night. Rod Clements there too. Almost like the good old times for me. I wish Rab had mentioned Jackie Leven in his list of the recently departed but we lost many greats last year. He couldn't name them all.

Madison Violet sounded quite good as far as they went but they were faded out early for TTN. Very disappointed with Fribo. Perhaps they were best appreciated in house. The clips of Orch. Baobarb sounded fantastic. The atmosphere really came across on radio. It was almost tangible. Must have been quite a gig. Looking forward to Breabach and the other guests tonight.

Lat.

[Oilrig]

All fair do's Lat. I enjoyed last night's music - the Genticorums are always great and it was good to be able to showcase some of the Young Trad. Tonight is Moussu T, Manran, and some Transatlantics, plus a wee bonus for anyone who heard Rory Butler's album on the show last year.

[johncorrigan]

All fair do's Lat. I enjoyed last night's music - the Genticorums are always great and it was good to be able to showcase some of the Young Trad. Tonight is Moussu T, Manran, and some Transatlantics, plus a wee bonus for anyone who heard Rory Butler's album on the show last year.

That sounds grand OR - enjoyed the Fado last night, by the way - am I starting to turn?

Lat, what with you being a Rab Noakes fan you might enjoy this celebration of my fellow buddy, G Rafferty, from Celtic Connections last week and broadcast on Beeb 2 Scotland yesterday eve.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01bdbng

[Lateralthinking1]

Thank you for this John. I am catching up on the I-Player. Did you get to see Genticorum? Hope so.

I thought their performance on the second programme was a joy. They have such an unaffected way. No sense of manufacture or contrivance. Varied, interesting, content and humour. Their experience may be what makes them so compellingly coherent. I do worry though about the long-term impacts on feet and leg joints.

I enjoyed the clips of Ana Moura. As I have said before, I prefer her to Mariza although the latter feels more authentic.

Oilrig - Thank you for featuring Genticorum. It was very much appreciated.

Without wishing to labour the point about Fribo, I have come to the conclusion that groups can suffer from frequent changes in line-up. While musicians are adaptable, as witnessed by their willingness to step in for others, there is generally a need for bedding down. Fribo changed their personnel recently. Breabach were pretty good but could have been better and for the same reason.

Actually, I have listened to the Fribo moments again. They weren't too bad but the hardanger fiddle didn't feel fully accommodated, not that this is easy. Additionally, the vocals didn't quite match up to the ambitious and interesting, if somewhat hippy leaning, arrangements. As for Breabach, they sound jazzier to me in a slightly Capercaillie/McGoldrick way - I much prefer them - but they lack a Karen Matheson. Still, few groups have a singer of her quality.

I was expecting to hate Manran who were featured in programme three. That idea of a boy band. However, there is real talent as well as energy there and that last song was a belter. They also seemed to lack arrogance which was a pleasant surprise. I really enjoyed the performance which included some acceptable rock leanings. They will long outlive, and surpass, the hype.

I have some comments on the other artists featured in the programmes but this will do for now.

[Quarky]

Glasgow's festival of folk and world music, Celtic Connections, started a couple of nights ago. BBC radio and TV are recording bits of it.]

Wide angle ears are certainly required for this panorama of different types of music - e.g. new orleans, latin, folk, Billy Connolly humour. But I guess in this day and age, that is the way it is.

[Lateralthinking1]

Wide angle ears are certainly required for this panorama of different types of music - e.g. new orleans, latin, folk, Billy Connolly humour. But I guess in this day and age, that is the way it is.

I'm fortunate because mine are at 185 degrees. I have just watched the Gerry Rafferty tribute concert that John posted. Then I watched selected highlights repeatedly. I'm pretty ecstatic about this production. It was terrific

The first half in particular was pure class. Nice timing, good selections, great performances. Sensitive but uplifting treatment of very fine songs that often in truth had a brooding quality. The event could so easily have been half-baked and even maudlin but there was clearly no chance of that with Rab at the helm.

And then Baker Street. It can't ever be easy to perform it live and certainly not in those circumstances. A heart in the stomach moment as you will them not to go wrong. Nervousness was definitely evident in what are very experienced artists. The tension was palpable and that of course gave it added punch. It was a triumph. Congratulations to all.



Footnote - There is still time to hear about the making of Baker Street on Radio 4's "Soul Music" programme via the I-Player.

[Lateralthinking1]

I promised some further comments on the Celtic Connections late night club which was featured on Radio 3 for most of last week. All four programmes were very enjoyable and worthwhile replacements for Late Junction and World on 3. During the four programmes, we were not only reminded of some very good musicians but introduced to a number of new ones. There was also time for several clips from world music events held earlier in the festival.

Programmes 2 and 3

Alistair Ogilvy is deservedly a Trad finalist this year. I thought though that I heard Edmund Fitzgerald in his first song. As these things go, it may well be that Gordon Lightfoot's tune owes much to a traditional ballad. It would be interesting to know more about any links. 21 year old Rory Butler grew up in a household of two musical families. He sounds more solitary than his background suggests and cites John Martyn and Nick Drake as influences. That came across well in a performance that had modern indie leanings too although there is some scope for broadening out.

The Outside Track need to change their name but everything else they are doing is spot on. This is a truly transatlantic group with members living in different parts of the world. However, when they get together, it is with perfection. Their music put me in mind of other practical crafts like weaving, such is its intricacy and attention to detail. This is then combined with an ability to be uplifting. Looking forward to hearing more of them in the months to come.

The Transatlantic Sessioneers, a wide range of dexterous performers whose names are far too numerous to mention here, were equally impressive. But sadly, just as a granny can find it difficult to retune her radio, Provençal quartet Moussu T e Lei Jovents couldn't find their banjo. This was a pity as we didn't get an opportunity to really hear them. However, we did hear quite a bit of the collaboration between Malian Foune Diarra and Jacky Molard from Brittany. It wasn't stunning but it was elegantly graceful.

Programme 4

There was a New Orleans flavour to programme 4. It commenced with the splendid Little Big Horns and later there was a visit from Mary Gauthier. She is someone who I have always been able to admire - she is intellectually sharp, gritty, insightful - but she has a tendency to be bleak. Her good sense of humour in between the songs seems necessary somehow. Between these guest performances, there were some additional clips of Orchestra Baobab - thanks Mary Ann - and one of the best perfomances of the week from Shetland's Kevin Henderson, whose treatment of traditional material was sensitive and rather beautiful.

Incidentally, there were some interesting facts in this programme. According to Mary G, there are astonishingly 30,000 songwriters in New Orleans and Kevin informed us that Shetland tends to produce reels rather than jigs. This not so strangely led me, the seriously uninformed, to here - http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/24314. The finale was from Skippinish who certainly know how to give a party if not what to wear for it. They also have time for other endeavours - running guest houses, producing whisky, providing sea tours. That sort of thing. You wouldn't find a lot of it in Croydon.

[Oilrig]

Wo3 at the Late Night Session, Celtic Connections

Good to hear that we hit some of your buttons, Lat!

I really enjoyed Breabach, and I like their new line-up which is fairly well-established now. Megan has grown into a really fine musician, and her singing talents are a bonus - she's only going to get better.

Other personal highlights - Rory B (who won a Danny Award at the Open Stage - and secured a support slot in the final weekend of the festival after being heard on the R3 stage!), and I so enjoyed the Friday night line-up of Meschiya, Kevin, Mary G and Skipinnish - great music, great craic and, not being deluged by Showcase Scotland delegates on the jolly, really good atmosphere while still being able to hear oneself speak.

And thanks to the R3 programmers for not putting Essays about death and destruction on directly beforehand - Rabindranath Tagore was a big improvement (especially having heard his reworkings of Robert Burns from Prakriti Dutta earlier on Radio Scotty!).

Big thanks to Roger Short, Martin Webb, James Birtwhistle, Sean Purser, Sarah Pantcheff, Michael Rossi and the whole Radio Scotland OB crew too - what a team! all round!

[johncorrigan]

Extremely enjoyable evening on BBC Alba this evening for the young trad musician of the year - if you don't want to know who won then look away now but I thought it was between the final two - Rona Wilkie from Oban won and she certainly was a unique and gifted performer, though I also loved the enthusiasm from the Orcadian girl Catriona Price. Fine bit of presenting too MA.
Maybe it was a wee bit heavy on the fiddle, but those two were really good. I thought Alistair Ogilvy's first piece from Ayrshire about the corncrake was excellent, but I was less impressed by his other choices of song. Here's the finalists - not sure if it'll be on i-player - I'll keep an eye on it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01bbdgx

[Globaltruth]

Extremely enjoyable evening on BBC Alba this evening for the young trad musician of the year - if you don't want to know who won then look away now but I thought it was between the final two - Rona Wilkie from Oban won and she certainly was a unique and gifted performer, though I also loved the enthusiasm from the Orcadian girl Catriona Price. Fine bit of presenting too MA.
Maybe it was a wee bit heavy on the fiddle, but those two were really good. I thought Alistair Ogilvy's first piece from Ayrshire about the corncrake was excellent, but I was less impressed by his other choices of song. Here's the finalists - not sure if it'll be on i-player - I'll keep an eye on it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01bbdgx

A summary, some interesting observations, and a mention for an upcoming mini-fest from Donald Shaw

http://myworldmusicfriends.com/articles/02072012/interview-celtic-connections’-donald-shaw

[johncorrigan]

A summary, some interesting observations, and a mention for an upcoming mini-fest from Donald Shaw

http://myworldmusicfriends.com/artic...??-donald-shaw

.
Yep, the year of Scottish islands sounds good - Skye before the arrival of the midges seems mighty appealing Global.

That BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician 2012 is up on i-player now.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01bbdgx

I didn't see the first act so can't comment there. The winner is probably about an hour and twenty minutes in - she was supposed to sing but had lost her voice - I thought her fiddle playing was really very innovative. I liked the last girl too.

Here's a piece by Rona Wilkie from youtube - the musicians are the same as accompanied her on the programme.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpW9zui1j9A

[Globaltruth]

John - I had to edit that post in order to get your text to display...not quite sure what happened there, anyway I only added a bit of formatting, didn't change your text...first time I've had to do anything like that.

It's a mystery, but not as big a mystery as....

[johncorrigan]

It's a mystery, but not as big a mystery as....

I'm not sure what happened either but I'll try to post again.


Yep, the year of Scottish islands sounds good - Skye before the arrival of the midges seems mighty appealing Global.

That BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician 2012 is up on i-player now.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01bbdgx

I didn't see the first act so can't comment there. The winner, Rona Wilkie, is probably about an hour and twenty minutes in - she was supposed to sing but had lost her voice - I thought her fiddle playing was really very innovative. I liked the last girl too.

Here's a piece by Rona Wilkie from youtube - the musicians are the same as accompanied her on the programme last night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpW9zui1j9A