Celtic Connections 2007, Glasgow, UK, January 17th - February 4th 2007
This is the fourteenth Celtic Connections festival to take place in the vibrant Scottish city of Glasgow. The tagline for this year's event is "Embracing Musical Roots," and nothing could be truer of the eclectic line-up that this phenomenal festival embraces. Featuring over one-thousand artists from every continent of the world, the festival consists of over 300 events, spread across nineteen days -- including concerts, workshops and ceilidhs. I'd love to say that I'd been present for all nineteen days, but I just managed the one weekend, 26th - 28th January -- but, what an action-packed weekend it was!
My Friday evening entertainment was provided by the Irish singer/songwriter, Luka Bloom followed by traditional Irish ensemble, Dervish, at the ABC venue on Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street.
Luka Bloom has a very comfortable and engaging stage presence that meant the crowd warmed to him right from the first song. Luka's collection of songs visited subjects of love, politics and, most memorably, his hometown bog-lands. His between-song banter was as enjoyable as his music, with his wry take on life and self-deprecating sense of humour. Luka's guitar-playing has strong rhythmic qualities, and the furore he whips up on the guitar is quite something to witness. For me, Luka reaches his utmost potency on emotion-wrought ballads, such as "Diamond Mountain" that is laden with grief and longing; "I will be here when you need me / I will be here in the pouring rain / I will be here on Diamond Mountain." I would travel many, many miles just to hear Luka sing this one glorious song.
Next up tonight were the formidable traditional Irish band, Dervish -- their energetic selection of jigs and reels providing a contrast to Luka Bloom's earlier set. Front-woman, Cathy Jordan, instilled a mighty charisma in the band's stage presence, with her distinctly Irish vocals, pulsating bodhrán and percussion, and eccentric dancing -- she really connected with the audience and made you want to join in. There was a memorable version of Cher's hit song, "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves," that the band claim to have rescued from rock 'n' roll, instead presenting it as a ragged traditional ballad -- and it worked really well! It was the more upbeat traditional sets of tunes that really got the audience on their feet, dancing and cheering enthusiastically, and this is testament to the band's remarkably energetic sound.
On the Saturday afternoon I found myself at the delightfully intimate venue, the National Piping Centre. There, I was afforded the opportunity to listen to a couple of significant emerging talents from the British folk scene; Lisa Knapp from London, England and Scotland's Maeve Mackinnon.
There is a real buzz around Lisa Knapp at present, with her music being hotly-tipped by a number of notable British journalists and radio presenters. As soon as Lisa started singing her opening number, the traditional tune "A Blacksmith Courted Me," it was immediately obvious why she is causing such a stir. Lisa's voice has an alluring ethereal quality that reminded me somewhat of Sandy Denny's very early recordings. Lisa was also accompanied by the most resourceful band I witnessed at the festival. Will Morrison was responsible for playing both accordion, drums and percussion -- sometimes at the same time -- Lisa herself played fiddle and banjo, Gerry Diver was impressive on fiddle and sound loops, and finally Tristan Seume did a grand job with guitar, banjo, hammered dulcimer and recorder! This diverse collection of instruments lends a genuinely unique sound, pushing at several boundaries of the folk genre, particularly on Lisa's own nu-folk compositions. Several unaccompanied songs highlighted the true potency of Lisa's voice, receiving a rapturous response from the audience. One got the distinct impression that Lisa is at the start of a musical career that could easily, and deservedly, reach great heights. I know for a fact that she very quickly sold out of her newly released album Wild and Undaunted, at the merchandise stand!
Scottish singer, Maeve Mackinnon, takes a somewhat different approach, with a sound nestled closer to the traditional end of the folk genre. Maeve was also accompanied by some fine musicians. Duncan Lyall on double bass and Innes Watson on guitar brought a more contemporary groove to the mix, with Patsy Reid's subtle fiddle anchoring the whole sound back to its indigenous roots. Maeve's material covered traditional waulking songs and puirt-a-beul in her native Gaelic tongue, but also covered English material such as "Silver Dagger" -- she admitted to being a big fan of Dolly Parton -- and a sublime, swinging rendition of "The Wild Rover," rescued from its familiar but clichéd arrangement. Maeve has an achingly beautiful voice, and her debut album -- Don't Sing Love Songs, due out in March -- will be another one to watch out for. Her combination of material in both Gaelic and English is likely to appeal to a wide audience, with her well informed choice of Gaelic material likely to provoke particular interest.
The first slot on Saturday evening was at the rather regal venue, City Halls, where the audience was treated to an impressively eclectic triple-bill of French-Canadian trio, Genticorum, San Francisco bluegrass and old-time quintet, The Stairwell Sisters, and finally the Scottish Gaelic singing phenomenon, Julie Fowlis, with her band.
Genticorum were first to take the stage with an a cappella number that was the perfect showcase for their rich, reverberating harmonies. A number of traditional tunes followed, played out on a resonant wooden flute, driving fiddle and rhythmic guitar. The songs were well introduced, with a wicked sense of humour that certainly helped me to understand what my schoolboy French was unable to translate!
The Stairwell Sisters, from San Francisco, seemed genuinely excited to be performing tonight -- their first UK gig -- and received an equally enthusiastic response from the audience. Their combination of old-time bluegrass music, and their own newly-written compositions was a beguiling experience. Fabulous vocal harmonies, a pounding double bass, ringing banjo and evocative dobro contributed to a spectacular sound. Guitarist and vocalist, Sue Sandlin, had the most cheerfully infectious smile that somehow reflected the whole feel of their set, and almost had me blushing when I made eye contact! This appearance will have done their reputation the world of good, and a swift return trip to the UK surely beckons -- I hope so anyway!
In my opinion, Julie Fowlis is the best Gaelic singer in the music business today. Her outstanding vocal talent illuminates the material she covers in a way that many singers could only dream of. An apparent shyness between songs endeared her to the audience, but was completely at odds with the confident vocal performances that she produced, rattling along with pace and clarity on the faster puirt-a-beul numbers, yet gracefully filling the auditorium with a most winsome serenity on the slower airs. Julie also dazzled the audience with her sprightly whistle playing on several sets of tunes tonight. The esteem in which Julie is held, was apparent by the line-up of stellar musicians that accompanied her onstage -- Eamonn Doorley, of Irish band Danú on bouzouki; Martin O'Neill on bodhrán; Capercaillie's Ewan Vernal on double bass; the inimitable John McCusker on fiddle and Ross Martin on guitar. Capercaillie's Donald Shaw even joined the band for a few numbers at the end of the set. I have to make a particular note of Martin O'Neill's astounding bodhrán playing -- at times it sounded like he was playing an entire drum kit, with his spirited rhythms really breathing life into the overall sound. Julie's highly-anticipated second album, Cuilidh, is due for release in March, and she embarks on an ambitious tour of the UK during the first few months of 2007, that will see her undertake around fifty performances.
The later slot of Saturday evening was in the hugely impressive Old Fruitmarket venue -- a large former market hall complete with original ironmongery and period signage, absolutely oozing atmosphere, even before a note was played!
The first act on stage was the notorious Fred Morrison and his band. Fred Morrison is one of the finest exponents of the Scottish lowland and highland pipes, and he has put together an energetic band that provide the ideal soundscape in which Fred can weave his powerful piping and whistling. The combination of Duncan Lyle's electric bass and Paul Jennings' percussion resulted in a rhythm section akin to that of a rock band, but this was nothing compared to Morrison's ferocious piping when it kicked in to the mix. These guys create an impressively big sound, of which Morrison's pipes really are the crowning glory.
Salsa Celtica provided a unique and exuberant musical experience, fusing the Celtic sounds of pipes, fiddle and banjo with Cuban flavoured rhythms, brass section and vocals. Tonight they were joined onstage by an extremely sexy and voluptuous Eliza Carthy, who seemed to be enjoying the whole experience every bit as much as the lively audience. Salsa Celtica's infectious sound combined with Eliza Carthy's contagious enthusiasm appeared to reach every member of the audience and as their set progressed you couldn't help but dance along to their potent sound, no matter what your inhibitions. The two distinct sounds are rooted in disparate traditions, but collide with an energy that blends them together seamlessly.
Sunday afternoon found me back in the National Piping Centre for a gig billed as "The Young Tradition." The musicians on stage consisted of multi-instrumentalist Claire Mann; bouzouki and guitar player, Aaron Jones and his dobro-playing brother, Nathon; the unparalleled Martin O'Neill on bodhrán and Leo McCann on button accordion.
One couldn't help but be drawn to the unassuming stage presence of Claire Mann, who excelled on various impressive sets of tunes whether she was playing the fiddle or whistle. As witnessed earlier in the festival, Martin O'Neill provided the heartbeat of the set with his expressive bodhrán playing.
Aaron Jones has a lilting voice well suited to the folk genre. I was particularly pleased to hear his rendition of Sandy Denny's "Solo" -- one of her less folky numbers, but performed by Aaron as if it were a folk-standard. Aaron also turned in a fine rendition of Steve Tilston's "Slip, Jigs and Reels," to which his vocals were eminently suited.
Later on Sunday evening I returned to the National Piping Centre for the final gig of my visit to Celtic Connections.
The first set was by an emerging Scottish talent, the very elegant Rachel Hair, who is currently astounding critics and audiences alike, with her debut album Hubcaps and Potholes. Rachel plays the harp (or clarsach, as it is known in Scotland), and her debut album is an ambitious effort to demonstrate the strength of the harp as a solo instrument. Tonight's performance certainly had me convinced. Rachel confidently performed an impressive collection of tunes, taking in reels and strathspeys that effortlessly showed off the harp's rhythmic qualities, and its intricate layers of sound. Rachel demonstrated the most beautiful aspects of the harp's sound to stunning effect on the slow air, "Eilean Aigas," a performance that completely floored me. Each note drifted from the stage and continued to resonate beautifully throughout the auditorium, transporting me away to an altogether tranquil place -- I really didn't want this tune to end! Later in her set, Rachel was joined by Douglas Millar, who contributed some delightfully restrained keyboards, bringing additional depth to the overall sound. Rachel's flair and commitment are sure to attract further attention and critical acclaim, and I imagine she will quickly establish herself as a prominent talent on the folk scene.
The second set tonight was the formidable Gordon Gunn Trio. Gordon Gunn is a fiddle player from Wick in the Scottish Highlands, with a playing style not dissimilar to another of Scotland's great fiddle exponents, Aly Bain. The trio were completed by the fine singer and guitarist from Orkney, Phil Anderson and Brian McAlpine on keyboards. Their set was an exhibition of first-rate musicianship throughout, and their sense of humour was equally as superb, at times almost threatening to turn the set into a stand-up routine! The guys performed an impressive selection of mostly up-beat traditional tunes, bringing a number of styles alongside their more traditional fayre. The stirring "Slow Air for Margaret" demonstrated the emotional intensity that this trio can pack in to a more reserved performance, and Phil Anderson's song, "Orkney," provided an affectionate homage to his homeland. Their approach is very laid-back, and the audience were very appreciative of this, giving a warm response to every number, and even joined them to sing "Happy Birthday" to a friend of theirs in the audience. The amiable yet energetic nature of this trio will make them a live favourite, and many festival stages are likely to follow this.
Celtic Connections is a phenomenal event, providing not just an eclectic mix of roots-based music from around the world, but importantly providing a showcase for the many established and emerging Scottish artists. There is an infectious buzz around the city of Glasgow during the festival, and for anybody with a passion for music, there is plenty to whet the appetite. I'm already starting to plan ahead for 2008...
