Emeli Sande Lets Say for Instance

It is good to see Emeli Sande return with a more authentic and true sound on indy label Chrysalis. In particular new single There isn’t Much. She seems in interviews to have found a new contentment and a new sense of self. Her new sound is also more laid back.

In 2012 she had huge commercial success with debut album Our Version of Events, which was the biggest selling album of 2012. Her range includes R&B, pop and gospel, with her inspirations including Nina Simone. Emeli has collaborated with Naughty Boy, Professor Green, Labyrinth.

She had major hits with Read all about it, Next to me, You are Beautiful.

She has performed at the London Olympic games and had major successes in America and has won four Brit awards for her music.

 

In 2012, I was thrilled to take photos at her Albert hall gig London. One of those perfect days and the excitement to be backstage and climb those stairs in front of the stage. 

 

I first heard her perform at the Oran Mor Glasgow, and took photos there that were used in her promotions. back in 2007 when she was a student at Glasgow medical school, when she impressed the packed crowd with her soul and R & B voice. Its been quite a journey and 10 years now since her debut. 

Emeli Sande Albert hall 2012

Emeli Sandé on tour UK with a solo piano show - Emeli Sande: Brighter Days Tour –  Òran Mór's Auditorium ... Date: 26th May 2022 7:00 pm. Venue: The Auditorium.

And at Belldrum festival

 

Lets Say for Instance


https://emelisande.com

Celtic Connections welcome return!

 

Alligan String Octet

 Celtic Connections brought light and joy to Glasgow’s iconic venues

Glasgow came to life over the weekend with the welcome return of the winter Celtic Connections festival. Audiences enjoyed a busy weekend of performances as part of the 29th offering of Europe’s premiere winter festival took place at the Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall, Tramway, the Mackintosh Church, Old Fruitmarket, and St Luke’s.

Stand-out events included the renowned British-Indian sitar player Anoushka Shankar performing her father Ravi Shankar’s iconic Concerto No.3 with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, foot-stomping gigs from festival favourites Mànran and Mec Lir and a sell out show with the energy of Talisk. 

Scottish singer songwriter Kathryn Joseph was joined by the 20-strong Tinderbox Collective - an exciting cross-genre line-up of young musical talent with professional collaborators, 

 

While the festival’s partnership with BEMIS Scotland culminated in a stunning 

Tramway show, headlined by young energetic Guinean artist N’famady Kouyaté.

Hannah Rarity

I'm looking forward to the second Celtic Connections weekend!

- 3^rd February at St Luke’s the ever popular Blue Rose Code and at the historic Macintosh church Gnoss

- 4th February, Adam Holmes at Drygate and Sharon Shannon New Auditorium Concert hall.

- 5th February, Rura Theatre Royal, Old Blind Dogs at St Lukes.

- 6th February, Transatlantic Sessions, Royal Concert hall

Anoushka Shankar

 

Chrissie Hynde sings Bob Dylan and other songs Queens Hall

‘Hippy stuff much easier than rock!’

Hynde sang an effortless, heady mix of folk, jazz and rock – which draws the audience in with her great blues voice.

The Queens hall, Edinburgh, was the perfect size for a socially distance audience in the middle sitting at small round tables. Edinburgh was honoured to host one of the most popular female rock singers of our generation! 

These acoustic concerts showcased songs from Hynde’s recent album: 'Standing In The Doorway’, Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan’ which was recorded in lockdown by Chrissie and her Pretender’s band mate, guitarist James Walbourne, by text message. James recorded on his phone and sent it off to Chrissie to add her vocal, before the tracks were mixed by renowned producer Tchad Blake. 

Hynde was backed by her expert, high quality band enjoying themselves greatly! The Bob Dylan Quartet of James Walbourne guitarist of The Pogues and The Pretenders, Carwyn Ellis keyboards, Danny Williams double bass. 

 

She opened with the song ‘In the Summer Time, Sweetheart like You, Don’t Fall apart on me Tonight, Every Grain of Sand, Time is a Jet Plane, Desolation Row, Tomorrow is a Long Time’ - Hynde’s song choices from Dylan’s extensive catalogue were unusual. 

 

And included a brighter change of tempo with the songs - ‘You’re s Big Girl Now’ from Blood on the Tracks (1974); two songs from ‘Shot of Love’ (1981) from Dylan’s religious period, and three from the Infidels Sessions (1983); ‘Tomorrow is a Long Time’, a moving love song from the Freewheelin’ session(1963), and ‘Love Minus Zero/No Limit’ from Bringing It All Back Home (1965) .

 

A highlight was her insightful interpretation of Dylan’s ‘Blind Willie McTell’ backed by a wonderful interplay of instrumental lines. Her choice of a couple of Ray Davies of the Kinks, songs were also popular – ‘I go to Sleep’.

Later in the set she stood to perform which changed the vibe totally – and sang Stuck in the Middle, I get along without you, Crying in Public, For her encore Hydne performed the unexpected and expertly woven treasure the French song “Que reste-t-il de nos amours”, Chauliac-Trenet classic from her album Valve Bone Woe. 

Her voice gives goose bumps and is instantly memorable and magnetically expressive, with the distinctive depth and range of her husky tones that hug her lower register. My favourite Chrissie song is I’ll stand by you and I might have wished she would have performed a few more favourites for us all to sing along to. How wonderful to be back in a live gig though!

The Rails

**Hynde was well supported by the duo The Rails, Kami Thompson (daughter of Richard and Linda) and James Walbourne (guitarist with The Pretenders) previous winners of Best New Artist at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and I enjoyed their song, ‘Breakneck Speed.’ 

A companion film called 'Tomorrow Is A Long Time', which details the recording of the album, is also available via Sky Arts.

. 

Ewan MacColl version of Scotland

Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger

 

MacColl was a Scottish indy supporter

He wrote some incredible songs. 

He is remembered best for his songs – Dirty Old Town, First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Shoals of Herring

He was born Salford, Jimmie Miller -he would lie and said he was from Auchterrarder and had a Glasgow childhood. 

 

He had Scottish parents – his mother from outer Hebrides. He read of 19^th century Gaelic poet Eoghan MacColl of Lochfyneside. He collected Scots ballads, 

 

MacColl recorded album of street songs from Dublin, Salford and Glasgow with Irishman Dominic Behan. He was friends with Scots poets Hugh MacDiarmid and Hamish Henderson.

 

MacColl was part of the Scottish Literary Renaissance – 1920s, 1930s connected to the Celtic revival movement renewed cultural nationalism. Both looked back to poets such as William Dunbar and also to contemporary poets such as Ezra Pound, TS Eliot, WB Yeats, Edwin Morgan , first Scots Maker. 

Town planning of people and their environment – place-work-folk. 

Also novelists  Neil Gunn, Lewis Grassic Gibbons, 

Scottish Gaelic Renaissance – Sorley MacLean.

Edwin Morgan

Hugh MacDiarmid

He had strong left wing views and monitored by M15. He married Peggy Seeger lived Beckenham, Kent on his song royalties. He was a prophet not fully acknowledged. Who felt and imagined himself as part of the Scotland of his parents. 

 

We need honest visionaries who recognise the past and see the ways forward.

BOOK: The cultural and political life of Ewan MacColl by Ben Marker.

 

Irish Times columnist Fintan O’Toole writes, “MacColl’s influence on the culture we live through now is so ­pervasive as to be almost invisible – so much taken for granted that we hardly bother to see it.”

Be Charlotte

I first saw Be Charlotte at the first ever TRSMT music festival Glasgow Green 2017. The major festival T in the Park had to be cancelled due to problem with the site at Balerno and then moved to Glasgow. She was one of the stand out and memorable performers. 

Since then she has received very positive attention and Charlotte was excited to support The Proclaimers on tour. She released her single, Do not Disturb 2019 and continues to tour. 

Siobhan Wilson’s All the Saints

Scottish singer song writer and talented musician, Siobhan’s album All The Saints,is on the SAY shortlist – Scottish album of the Year 2018. As well as BBC Radio 6 record of the day.  https://www.sayaward.com

I have heard Siobhan at a couple of gigs and she sings with a purity and engrossing voice. In September she is off on a tour of Canada. A very special and unique voice. 

I wish her good luck! 

SIOBHAN WILSON

https://www.siobhan-wilson.com

REVIEWS

One of the most stunning collections of songs to be released in a long time" - Drowned in Sound

"A sparse, tender record tying English indie-folk with European classical music to spellbinding effect. - The Skinny

Rab Noakes Anniversayville

Thanks so much Rab Noakes for the early hard copy of your new CD - and I am thrilled to have my Photos on there! 

Great band surrounding Rab Noakes Music top songs, some new, some old. Plus backing vocals with Jill Jackson and Kathleen MacInnes.. ...Things get better with maturity! Well done.

In the 60s and 70s, Rab played with greats such as Gerry Rafferty and Lindisfarne. When I hung out in the folk scene then, i remember well the harmony singing of Noakes songs, such as Branch, Clear Day. 

Back in 2007, I saw Noakes still going strong at an Oran Mor gig. He often includes a fifties classic, this time a song my husband remembered his mother singing. He is also a dedicated Dylan follower – check out his version of Mississippi. 

Noakes says music is all about the dialogue and more about performing than simply the song. Those residency night gigs were artists can learn their craft in front of the live audience and the live performance when 'flying' in the heart of the music toughens you up and you have to learn loads of songs. He played in Denmark six nights a week.

Noakes now runs his own production company Neon. 

Some of my Rab Noakes images

Rab Noakes performing at Celtic concert for Michael Marra

Rab Noakes at Celtic with Eddi Reader and Dougie MacLean

Noakes at Milngavie folk club

Rab Noakes at the Old Fruitmarket Anniversaryville concert January 2018

NEW ALBUM 2018 Rab Noakes -'Welcome to Anniversaryville'
https://itunes.apple.com/…/welcome-to-anniversar…/1394881656

One of my favourite Noakes song, Gently Does It

And a few years ago you'd been on this road so long
Now they're building a highway to take you home

Gently does it for a change
I used to think you were just like a mountain range
Your big boots stomped where small men feared to tread
I can hardly believe what I've just read

They say you can't travel any more
But you've got the key to a new front door
And don't you know 'cause you once said it all
When you stand so high you've got so far to fall

Not everyone can look you eye to eye
'Cause you get difficult, dangerous I'm damned if I lie
But we all pay the price
And they place your ante high.

Milngavie folk club PHOTOS

Banny Gallagher

MY PHOTOS at the very popular local Milngavie folk club, run by Jason Smith . I’ve taken some of my favourite images here at some wonderful intimate concerts from some of the cream of Scottish folk talent – Dick Gaughan, Michael Marra Kris Drever, Karine Polwart, Rab Noakes, Benny Gallagher, Cara Dillon, Dougie MacLean,  Donovan, Rose Code Blue. 

MILNGAVIE FOLK CLUB - http://tickets.jmsconcerts.co.uk

DICK GAUGHAN

Kris Drever

John McCusker

Rab Noakes

Michael Marra

Karine Polwart

Dougie MacLean

Michael Marra

Rab Noakes & Barbara Dickson

Blue Rose Code

Karine Polwart wins Folk Award

One of our top singer songwriters Karine Polwart has won one of the top prizes at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Karine was named Folk Singer of the Year at the ceremony in Belfast,

Also winners were Scots singers Siobhan Miller and Mohsen Amini.

I’ve seen Karine at several top concerts – at the Tall Ship, Oran Mor, Celtic Connections concerts and more.  

Last year Karine put on an award winning theatre show call Wind Resistance. Also highly recommend her Traces album. She has a powerful voice and also meaningful stories to tell.

https://www.karinepolwart.com/home

Karine Polwart & Julie Fowlis

Dick Gaughan & Karine Polwart