fiddle fire

I have been enjoying Alasdair Fraser's Calliope meets Frank mp3 A bit of 'trad' music over the last few days has been an excellent cooking companion. Must be my Scottish roots needing an airing. I have been mashing tatties in the kitchen tonight to this man blasting away at full tilt. I saw him a few years back when I Iived in Aberdeen and was a regular at the local Folk Club. Like many musicians he had to go away to become recognised. He is bigger in the States than he is in his own country.
This is from Fire and Grace released in 2004. He is accompanied by Natalie Haas on cello and a mighty fine sound they make together.
Here what he says on his website ''People may be familiar with the gorgeous, melodic cello sound, but they're surprised to learn that the cello used to comprise the rhythm section in Scottish dance bands. Natalie Haas unleashes textures and deep, powerful rhythms that drive fiddle tunes. We can 'duck and dive' around each other -- swap melody and harmony lines, and improvise on each other's rhythmic riffs. She has such a great sense of exploration and excitement for the music; it's a joy to play with her!'
Here is another fab player who I also saw in Aberdeen many moons ago at the Arts Centre.
Aly Bain La Bastringue mp3
This is from a fab recording Aly Bain and Friends that was recorded in 1989 and is worth checking out.