It's not often I make two posts into one, I only usually do it when I have missed a day or two and playing catch up, so this is rare..........
Happy Birthday two of Scotland's finest fiddlers, Ally Bain and John McCusker, both great musicians in their own right, and both members of two of the best Scottish Folk Groups, Aly Bain with The Boys of the Lough and McCusker with Battlefield Band.
Aly Bain was born in Lerwick, Shetland and in his early days was for a short time in a band called The Humblebums with two other ‘unknowns’ Gerry Rafferty and Billy Connolly.
I think most of us grew up listening and watching Aly Bain....
Bain began playing the fiddle at the age of 11 and studied under influential Shetland fiddler Tom Anderson. In the late '70s, he played on two of Anderson's albums -- The Silver Bow and Shetland Folk Fiddling, Vol. 2. Honing his craft in a series of local bands, Bain attracted international attention after joining Irish/Scottish band, the Boys of the Lough, whom he met at the Falkirk Folk Festival in 1969. He released his debut solo outing, First Album, in 1985. Three years later, he traveled to Louisiana to record the album, Aly Meets the Cajuns. The same year, he met Phil Cunningham at a pub near Edinburgh and they agreed to tour together. Their first duo album, The Pearl, released in 1994, was followed by The Ruby in 1997.
Bain has hosted several musical series for BBC Television. Down Home explored the spread of the Celtic fiddle tradition from Ireland and Scotland to North America. Push the Boat Out, shown in 1991, was taped during the Mayfest celebrations in Glasgow. The Shetland Set, shown the same year, was taped at the Shetland Folk Festival. Bain's autobiography, Fiddler on the Loose, co-written by Alistair Clark, was published by Mainstream Publishing in 1993. Aly also tours with Swedish multi-instrumentalist Ale Möller and together they have created two albums – Fully Rigged,and Beyond The Stacks – in celebration of a shared Nordic heritage. In 2009, joined by esteemed American old-time
McCusker was born in Bellshill, 15 May 1973 to an Irish mother who encouraged him to learn to play the whistle and fiddle beginning at age seven. He became a regular in local youth orchestras and ceilidh bands and formed the band Parcel O'Rogues (named from Robert Burns' Sic a Parcel o' Rogues in a Nation) with some schoolmates when he was 14. A couple of years later he gave up a place at the Royal Scottish Academy in Glasgow to go on the road with the Battlefield Band.
John has long been renowned for his skill at transcending musical boundaries: striving to keep his music fresh and exciting, never leaving the past behind but always embracing new sonic adventures. As a live and studio guest he has shared stages with Paul Weller, Paolo Nutini, Teenage Fanclub, Graham Coxon and Eddi Reader. Since 2008, he has been a member of Mark Knopfler’s band, playing arenas around the world including a double bill with Bob Dylan at The Hollywood Bowl and 20 nights at the Royal Albert Hall. John was awarded the coveted BBC Radio 2 Musician of the Year in 2003 and also The Spirit of Scotland Award for music in 1999 and again in 2009. 2016 saw John receive the Good Tradition Award and perform with his band at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards at The Royal Albert Hall. The main reason I put the two together in the one post is they have played together on a number of occasions, this is one of those Transatlantic Sessions with a mixture of musicians from the British Isles and American guitarist Jerry Douglas, I will post a couple of my faves from both later on for your appreciation, but for now here is "Reels"
