"Highland Strands" cd by Kevin Macleod

[Teejay]

Hi Kevin

"First solo release"!!? - that would be a serious commitment given the work and effort involved - there's a few big steps between being able to put a few notes together and producing a recording that folks want to listen to - methinks you're underplaying your achievement here.

Good to hear the film is moving ahead and it would be the poorer for not including Ali, Will and yourself in it - all the best there.

Tim

[foldedpath]

Hi Kevin, just received the CD today. It arrived safely, halfway around the planet here to the Pacific Northwest.

Lovely music, and great arrangements with the other instruments!

My fiddler S.O. and I play the first part of track 6 - "Fingals Weeping," known around here in the 'trad Diaspora as "Fingal's Cave." I've also heard it played in the local Scottish/Irish session, usually as a prelude to a strathspey/reel set. A majestic tune, and that's a great arrangement (my fiddler S.O. says so, too). The other Scottish tunes are new to me, and I'm looking forward to learning a few.

For anyone on the fence about ordering, I'd recommend the CD version. Aside from uncompressed audio, it comes with a booklet with background info on the tunes. This is something we're gradually losing in the modern era of MP3 downloads -- all that extra information with valuable info on the tunes, the creative process, the artists involved, and so on. The music stands on its own merits, but for anyone interested in the deep background of a traditional style like this, the additional information is important.

Great job, Kevin! With some experience in producing CD projects for others, I know how much work a project like this is.

[kmmando]

Good to hear it arrived safely, the miracles of the old fashioned ways! Many thanks indeed, it's pleasing to know that you appreciate the work.

Here's a few selected snaps and films off my website, just for interest.

http://www.kevinmacleod.co.uk/gallery

http://www.kevinmacleod.co.uk/films

[kmmando]

Great radio show on the web here - Track 2 is off "Highland Strands" if you want to hear a taster - Luke Plumb making sublime bouzouki grooves on Quee MacArthur's Peter Daffy Australian made bouzouki. Groovy guy, Mr Plumb.

http://podcast.canstream.co.uk/celti...t=Planet+Waves

[kmmando]

A first, and favourable review from Rod Stradling, the fine English melodeonist

Highland Strands

BEAGCD003

1. The Fiddling Solicitor's reels; 2. Am Bata Uaine (The Green Boat); 3. David Glen's old pipe reels; 4. The Belltable waltz set; 5. Black Mount Forest marches; 6. Barbour and Beag's jigs; 7. Fingal's Weeping; 8. John MacColl's march set; 9. The Scottish Horse marches; 10. The Opera reel set; 11. Memories of Tucker; 12. Seaforth set; 13. The Island Dentist's jigs; 14. The Jacobite Queen.
Kevin Macleod plays Scottish traditional music on mandolin, bouzouki, cittern and resonator tenor guitar in a band called The Occasionals. He is accompanied here on his 4th solo recording by longstanding friends Luke Plumb (Shooglenifty) on bouzouki & mandolin, Alec Finn (De Danann) on bouzouki, fiddler John Martin (Ossian, Easy Club, Tannahill Weavers), guitarist Matheu Watson, mandolinist Tim Jones & flautist Phil Smillie (Tannahill Weavers).
When one finds a 'solo' CD with a whole list of famous friends, the result can often be a rather flashy band. Mercifully, that's not the case here - just a lot of very high quality accompaniments, rarely by more than two people, which never distract from Mr Macleod's superb playing. Mercifully again, he's a dance musician, so the emphasis is on the music and not on the man - again, something of a rarity when the man in question is so technically accomplished.

If Kevin Macleod's playing is new to you (it was to me), then here's a taster: from track 1, Whiskey Before Breakfast. Despite the CD's subtitle 'Scottish Traditional Music on Mandolin ...', I think this is actually a Canadian tune! The selection of tunes is quite varied, although reels do predominate. I've never entirely understood why, in the case of dance musicians. Back in the early-fifties, callers always asked for "jigs or reels" for the Irish/Scots/American repertoire of dances then required. These tempi were ideal for the 'walking about' style of dancing then being done - and polkas were generally a bit too energetic! Since humans have two legs, most British dance styles (except waltzes) are in 2s, 4s or 8s, and I've always thought that polkas and hornpipes are much more fun to play than reels - unless you want to impress listeners, which dance musicians are seldom much interested in doing.

Here we get (as well as the reels) a good number of 'marches' - although I would have though that many of these were strathspeys, hornpipes, polkas or barndances, rather than true marches ... but I guess Scottish dance styles are somewhat different to English ones. Here's a nice example from track 5, The Duke of Roxburghe's Farwell to the Black Mount Forest.

This is an altogether lovely CD which, I'm pleased to say, I can find nothing to comment adversely about ... another rarity! You can buy it from: www.kevinmacleod.co.uk

Rod Stradling - 5.8.14

[kmmando]

http://www.folkwords.com/latestreviews_91690.html

Certain things are as constant as the sunrise, the enduring attraction of lovingly-delivered Scottish traditional music is one of them. ‘Highland Strands’ from Kevin Macleod (plus a few good friends) is a fine example, played by musicians rightly classed as masters of their art. The relaxed and easy way they deliver the mix of music on this album belies the dexterity and skill that clearly goes into its creation.

The album takes a wide-spanning turn through a selection of reels, waltzes, jigs and marches, and along the way covers some of the best traditional music and includes influences from Scotland, Ireland and America. Ancient music rubs shoulders with newer tunes and the fusion is seamless. Hardly surprising, when you consider the artists involved and performance pedigrees that include Shooglenifty, De Danann, Ossian and Tannahill Weavers.

With Kevin playing mandolin, bouzouki, cittern and tenor guitars, are Luke Plumb (bouzouki, mandolin, tenor guitar) Alec Finn (bouzouki, guitar) John Martin (fiddle) Matheu Watson (guitar) Tim Jones (mandolin) and Phil Smillie (flute, whistle).

Music like this is ceaselessly uplifting – listen to ‘Highland Strands’ - I’m certain you’ll agree.

Reviewer: Dan Holland

[Mike Anderson]

For my part, I'm so happy with Kevin's music (and Ali's, Alec's, Luke's and the other great collaborators) that I just added his "Dorney Rock" and "Braes of Badentarbat" to my recent purchases of "Polbain To Oranmore" and "Highland Strands". Can't get too much of this kind of thing!

[kmmando]

Good stuff Mike, they are different but hopefully you'll enjoy them too I appreciate your support greatly!

best from Scotland
Kevin

www.kevinmacleod.co.uk

[kmmando]

http://www.nigelgatherer.com/forum/s...d.php?tid=1119

[derbex]

Hi Kevin,

just listening to you on the Folk Show on Radio 2 with 'The Fiddling Solicitor's Reels'

[kmmando]

Oh, that's good to hear, it's pretty hard getting on that show, given how little airplay folk music has on the Beeb. thanks for mentioning that, cheers, Kevin

www.kevinmacleod.co.uk

[kmmando]

here it is for a few more days ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04cpgkl

[Mike Anderson]

Good stuff Mike, they are different but hopefully you'll enjoy them too I appreciate your support greatly!

best from Scotland
Kevin

www.kevinmacleod.co.uk

Yes, I know there's going to be great depth and breadth in all of these, a lot of variety! I am a huge button box fan too, so of course I had to have "Badentarbat".

[kmmando]

Just for you, Mike. Ali Beag MacLeod in action!

[ardbeg]

Today's (17th August) Scotsman has a glowing and much deserved review of Highland Strands. I was actually listening to it while reading the newspaper ! Great stuff.

[Mike Anderson]

Just for you, Mike. Ali Beag MacLeod in action!

Darn it, I get a "Sorry, video does not exist" screen. Is it one of the ones at your website? I can go find it there...

EDIT: oh, it shows up after I posted that. Thanks Kevin!

[kmmando]

[kmmando]

we did a fun gig at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe last week, and did a couple of the tracks off the cd, here they are for interest?

[Teejay]

Hi Kevin

Great to see such a good review in the Scotsman from Jim Gilchrist - not that often you see 4 stars - and although the text is more eloquent the impact of a top ranking is well deserved.

Thanks for the videos too - looking forward to seeing Christine tomorrow.

Tim

[Mike Anderson]

we did a fun gig at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe last week, and did a couple of the tracks off the cd, here they are for interest?

Fantastic, thanks Kevin. Makes me want to emigrate!

[SlowFingers]

Really enjoying this album. Just picked it up today. Very nice!

[kmmando]

Hi Fender Robert, thanks a million for your reaction - it means a great deal to me that folk might enjoy the cd.

all the best from Scotland!

Kevin

[kmmando]

From the great Scottish folk music magazine "The Living Tradition" magazine. Thanks to the editors for re-posting this.

KEVIN MACLEOD
Highland Strands
Private Label BEAGCD003

This is the fourth solo album by this esteemed member of The Occasionals (Scotland’s leading ceilidh band) and features most of the extended members of the mandolin and bouzouki family in various permutations, with regular co-conspirators including Luke Plumb from Shooglenifty, Alec Finn from De Danann and John Martin and Phil Smillie from Tannahill Weavers. Here we have 14 medleys of tunes, divided approximately equally between traditional and contemporary.

Six months in the making, it has all been worth it as the recording is probably one of the top albums I have heard this year. My particular favourites are the six tracks that feature John Martin on fiddle, as the interplay between him and Macleod is stunningly good. Luke Plumb is in fine fettle as he contributes to most tracks (bouzouki / mandolin / resonator mandolin). The appearance of some of the tunes is as much a tribute to Kevin Macleod’s research as to his own sensitive arrangements. Of the contemporary tunes, Dónal Lunny’s delightful Fairfield Mirage stands out as do Andy Statman’s Waltz For Mum and The Beltable Waltz by Maurice Lennon and Kieran Hanrahan of Stocktons Wing.

Some of the pipe tunes that have been reverse engineered for stringed instruments have taken own career path - and are none the worse for the experience. If Scottish and Irish tunes on mandolin, cittern, bouzouki and the like are down your street, you will love this. I’m now enthusiastically hunting down Macleod’s previous albums, as I am now a convert (mind you buying a bouzouki last year has helped steer me in this direction…).

Available direct from www.kevinmacleod.co.uk

Grem Devlin

[Teejay]

Hi Kevin

What a fabulous review - I'm really pleased for you - terrific to read a piece that demonstrates a real appreciation and enthusiasm for the music. Also good to read about how much the collaborative element came across to the reviewer - the CD is a very warm and friendly collection of tunes.

Well done you

Tim

[mikeyes]

Wow, what an album/CD! I'll have to steal the whole set of tunes instead of just one or two

Mike