Scottish Folk News

Hello from Foot Stompin' bringing you more news reviews and events from the great trad music scene in Scotland.
1. New at Foot Stompin': Includes Rory Campbell
2. BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician 2007
3. Snippets: Scots are winners at BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Stuart Cassells
4. Original Scots and Gaelic Valentine Cards
5. Reviews: Includes Unusual Suspects at Celtic Connections 2007
6. New DVDs: On the Banks of the Ness
7. Dance Band Leaders: Ian Powrie
8. New Books: Scottish Roots: From gravestone to website
9. Foot Stompin' Celtic Music Discussion Forum
10. Events
1. New at Foot Stompin' Celtic Music (10% discount on all sales after first
purchase.)
BRAVE MUSIC!! Intrepid - Rory Campbell: Rory is one Scotland's finest pipers and tunesmiths. The album features Johnny Hardie on guitar (whom Rory plays alongside in Old Blind Dogs) and Donald Hay (Mystery Juice) on drums. And, as much of the album was recorded live, this CD is a great showcase for the energy produced from hearing and seeing the three of them play. Many of the tunes are Rory?s own compositions along with traditional melodies from Scotland, Galicia and Northumbria on various pipes and whistles, and a selection of songs sung in both Gaelic and English. £12.60 (£13.99 for first time customers) http://www.footstompin.com/music/bagpipe_music/intrepid
ROOTIN' ABOOT!! Gems From The Attic: Twenty five years of Orkney?s Attic Records is celebrated with this CD packed full of the finest musicians, singers and bands that have recorded with Attic over those years. Featuring: Knowe O'Deil Band, Debbie Scott, Fridarey, Hullion, Wyre Band, Kirkwall City Pipe Band, Ronnie Jamieson, Ivan Drever, Jennifer and Hazel Wrigley.
http://www.footstompin.com/music/compilation/gems_from_the_attic
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT!! No. 1 Scottish - Traditional Music from the RSAMD: This is an excellent CD (first released by The Royal Scottish College of Music and Drama in 2002 and featuring the students of that time) not only because it shows the talents of so many of Scotland's young traditional musicians, but also because many of the names here - eg Emily Smith, Stuart Cassells, Jenna Reid, James Graham, Gillian Frame - have gone on to realise their obvious potential and to carve out successful individual careers.    £11.25 (£12.50 for first time customers)
http://www.footstompin.com/music/compilation/rsamd
2. BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award Catriona Watt has been named BBC Radio Scotland's Young Traditional Musician Of The Year 2007
The 19-year-old, from the Isle of Lewis, won the awards' grand final at City Halls in Glasgow with her performance of Gaelic song. The RSAMD student became the second Gaelic singer to hold the title after a final that continued its own tradition of consistently high standard performances and made the judges the least envied people in the hall.
Six of Scotland?s finest young musicians battled it out in the grand final of BBC Radio Scotland?s Young Traditional Musician of the Year Awards on Sunday January 28th at City Halls, Glasgow. Presented by Mary Ann Kennedy, this was the first year the event was broadcast live on BBC Radio Scotland. After what was a tough decision, judges announced that Catriona Watt (19) from the Isle of Lewis had won the coveted title with her moving performance. Winning the title has brought her the opportunity to perform at various high profile festivals in the UK and across the world, a recording deal with Foot Stompin? Records and one year?s membership of the Musician?s Union. All the finalists receive one year?s membership of the Traditional Music and Song Association and a session on BBC Radio Scotland?s Travelling Folk programme. Catriona was presented with her award by Jeff Zycinski, head of Radio Scotland, and Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell.
Read more: http://www.handsupfortrad.co.uk/youngtrad/young_trad_2007_winner.htm
Catriona Watt: http://www.footstompin.com/artists/catriona_watt

3. Snippets:
Two Scots are winners at BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards!
HORIZON AWARD ? KRIS DREVER
One of the brightest young talents coming out of Scotland, the inventive guitarist and singer has already accumulated an impressive CV, having worked with the likes of Kate Rusby, Eddi Reader, Roddy Woomble, John McCusker and Donald Shaw. The son of Ivan Drever of Celtic rockers Wolfstone, Kris was a founder member of the superb Fine Friday and is currently wowing audiences with the trio Lau (with Martin Green and Aidan O?Rourke) but surprised everyone with the maturity and distinctive style of his debut solo album Black Water.
Black Water: http://www.footstompin.com/music/scottish_song/black_water
BEST ORIGINAL SONG ? DAISY: KARINE POLWART The Scottish singer-songwriter took three prizes at the 2005 Folk Awards and followed up with her second solo album Scribbled In Chalk, full of typically moving and thought-provoking songs. Formerly a member of Battlefield Band, Malinky and MacAlias, she has a Masters Degree in Philosophy and abandoned a secure career as a social worker to work full time in music. In the last year her music has been heard on everything from the BBC?s updated Radio Ballads to soap opera Hollyoaks and The Hairy Biker?s Cookbook!
'Daisy' can be heard on the Scribbled in Chalk CD: http://www.footstompin.com/music/scottish_song/scribbled_in_chalk
Stuart Cassells
We hear that an exciting development in the career of piper Stuart Cassells and The Red Hot Chilli Pipers is about to happen. It's looking like fame is beckoning for the boys. Watch this space in our next newsletter!
http://www.footstompin.com/artists/stuart_cassells
4. Original Scots and Gaelic Valentine Cards A wee reminder that Valentine's Day is next week. This wee note is to tell you that Foot Stompin? have, for the first time, designed some cards for the occasion and you can choose a message for your special person in either Scots or Gaelic language. Foot Stompin' have, for the first time, designed some cards for the occasion and you can choose a message for your special person in either Scots or Gaelic language.
You can check them out here: http://www.footstompin.com/books/valentines_cards (£2.25 (£2.50 for first time customers)
5. Reviews
Live Concert! Robert Dawson Scott reviews The Unusual Suspects concert at Celtic Connections 2007 for The Times
The Unusual Suspects are the best thing in Scottish music since the Celtic Connections festival itself. It?s more of an idea than a regular line-up judging by the number of new faces on display at the festival?s closing weekend. But what a great idea it is ? nothing less than a Celtic Big Band, adding a four-piece horn section, half a dozen fiddles, extra rhythm and percussion and other doublings to more conventional arrangements.
Read the full review: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/live_reviews/article1341385.ece
Unusual Suspects : http://www.footstompin.com/music/celtic_bands/liveinscotland
CD. Troots - Shooglenifty: Reviewed for Scotland on Sunday by Norman Chalmers The globetrotting Scots band demonstrate their musical ability and imagination in another album packed with their trademark melodic grooves. A tune written in the Antipodes ('Excess Baggage') is arrestingly graced by an Inuk throat singer who sang with the band in the Yukon, while a Balkan horo rises in the middle of a set and 'Loreen's Tune' revels in the gentle waltzy banjo and fiddle of some Appalachian valley. Troots once again proves Shooglenifty's talent for music rooted in home traditions but with proven international appeal. http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com
http://www.footstompin.com/music/celtic_bands/troots_cd
CD The Sound of the Sun - Fred Morrison: 5 Stars. Customer Review
Wonderful, magical, what a talent this man has, made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and my skin crawl. progressive piping at the top of the league.cant wait for more releases to be available....Mike Smith
http://www.footstompin.com/music/bagpipe_music/the_sound_of_the_sun
6. New DVDs
On the Banks of the Ness: Music and songs from the Highland Capital, Inverness, presented by Andy Ross in the company of Jock Fraser (accordion), Ross MacKenzie (bagpipes), Bruce MacGregor (fiddle) Anne Culley & Ronnie Shaw (vocals): £11.25 (£12.50 for first time customers) http://www.footstompin.com/dvds/scottish_dvds/obj75030
7. Dance Band Leaders:   Ian Powrie
Ian Powrie' made his first broadcast was at the tender age of twelve, when he played solo violin on The Children's Hour. A superb exponent of the violin, he has been involved with his band and as a solo artist in the Scottish dance scene all his life. He played piano accordion in his father's band before forming his own band with brother Bill in 1947, when they passed an audition with the BBC and broadcast regularly. The first Powrie band was a five-piece group featuring Ian on violin, Bill on chromatic accordion, Pam Brough on piano, Bert Smith, bass and Hugh MacIntyre, drums. The band increased to a six-piece in 1948 when Jack Ewan on piano accordion joined, followed by Alex MacArthur in 1951. Various changes took place with Jimmy Blue coming in for Bill Powrie and Arthur Easson replacing the drummer but the biggest change and what made the signature 'Powrie band sound' was the addition of accordionist Mickey Ainsworth in 1954.
The band became one of the busiest around the Scottish dance scene and were regulars on the popular television programmes The White Heather Club and The Kilt is my Delight. The entertainer Andy Stewart engaged the band for his theatre shows and took them on tour twice to Australia and New Zealand but after the second tour Ian Powrie decided to emigrate to Australia and Jimmy Blue took over as band leader.
Many thought that the final Ian Powrie Band must go down as one of the greatest of all the Scottish dance Check out the CD "Legend of the Fiddle - The Ian Powrie Story:
http://www.footstompin.com/music/fiddle_music/ian_powrie_story
8. New Books
Scottish Roots: From gravestone to website, the step by step guide to tracing your Scottish ancestors - For anyone interested in researching their family history, Scottish Roots provides an excellent, comprehensible step-by-step guide to tracing your Scottish ancestry. Now in its twentieth year of publication, this new and updated edition of the guide includes information on how to access family data utilising electronic resources and the Internet - a must if conducting research from an overseas base. A very welcome addition to the family library. £6.30 (£6.99 for first time customers) http://www.footstompin.com/books/scottish/scottish_roots_book
9. Foot Stompin' Celtic Music Discussion Forum:
Here are some of the topics under discussion at the moment on our Foot Stompin' Celtic Music Forum. Feel free to join in!
The Beginning Of The End?
Inverness Mod 2007 cancelled The Begining Of The End? In this Scottish Year Of Highland Culture !!!! I blame the money men??
http://www.footstompin.com/forum?threadid=74770
Celtic Connections 2007 Reviews
Check out the many concert reviews from the festival on this thread
http://www.footstompin.com/forum?threadid=73451
10. Events
14th February: Eamonn Coyne & Kris Drever launch their new CD Honk Toot Suite at Edinburgh Folk Club The Club meets Wednesdays at 8pm The Pleasance.
24th February: The Highland Annual - A brilliant annual ceilidh which takes place over 3 floors of in Edinburgh University's Teviot House. Non stop song, music and dancing to great ceilidh music from 9pm - 3am. There's also an open stage. Guests include Farquhar MacDonald, Meantime, Fergie MacDonald Maeve MacKinnon and more http://www.footstompin.com/articles/festivals/february/obj26880
24th -25th February: The Singers Gathering - a celebration of unaccompanied and group singing, focussing on the evolving Scots song tradition is held every two years in West Lothian. The 2007 event will be held at the Regal Community Theatre, Bathgate. More details:
http://www.footstompin.com/articles/festivals/february/obj71249
3rd March: Matt McGinn Night: A tribute to the memory of the late great Matt McGinn at an evening of songs and music in the Academy Theatre, Linlithgow West Lothian at 7.30pm. More details;
http://www.footstompin.com/forum?threadid=74788