I love this fiddler, and it's probably a silly question, but is he an old-time, or Cape Breton fiddler, or what?
I'm pretty much obsessed with him right now..
Shetlander.
I am so old I remember when he was a young tearaway.......
Check out all his contributions to The TransAtlantic Sessions.
Not to mention the Boys of the Lough.
He's even appeared in a television play, something about the young Conan Doyle.
Shetlander. One of Tom Anderson's proteges, and a fine fiddler.
Unfortunately he's been on the international circuit for so long that you can't really call his style 'Shetland' anymore. I suppose what he plays nowadays is best described as 'Mid-Atlantic'.
He is a gem. One of my favorite albums is called Lonely Bird, some lovely stuff. And he did some great work with Phil Cunningham, the two of them bring out the best in each other, and their concerts are a joy. I know how you feel, Becky, I remember how excited I was when I first discovered him and his music.
As Aly explained, many years ago, "Shetland. We support Scotland for football, but we don't wear tartan, and we don't play the bagpipes !"
As a Shetland serviceman wrote on his travel claim during the war; Nearest railway station; Oslo.
"As a Shetland serviceman wrote on his travel claim during the war; Nearest railway station; Oslo."
That Shetland serviceman wanted to look at a map: Bergen is much nearer. (I assume it was during one of the two World Wars; the Bergen railway was opened in 1883).
~ and heavily interested and influenced by other fiddling traditions, including 'old time' Americana, bluegrass, New England slick, Cape Breton, etc... Yes, multi-talented and driven...
Shetland is at a nautical crossroads and it's quite normal for Shetlanders to play music from Scandinavia, North America, Ireland and Scotland in addition to their own strong tradition.
Aly's recent albums with Swedish mandola and low whistle player Ale Möller are a real treat.
Search Aly Bain on Youtube and you'll get loads of stuff - teh tracks with Willie Hunter are more of your Shetland style
What Aly Bain does isn't really the product of a tradition. He was taught by Tom Anderson, who had classical training, which I think he got from Gideon Stove, who had even more classical training.
So he had the chops to play just about anything and his career took him to places (mostly a long way from Shetland, he's been based in Edinburgh for 30 years) where he could get an audience playing just about anything. Nobody's ever made a living just playing Shetland music.
His ventures into Cajun, Scandinavian music and the like are not very different in spirit from Yehudi Menuhin doing all the cross-cultural experiments he did 30-40 years ago. It's not like some imperative from the history of Shetland was telling him to do it because of ancestral racial ties. What he's done is musical business sense.
The Ale Möller collaborations are particularly good. But anything that Aly Bain plays is terrific because he was such strong and forthright control of his instrument. He is an excellent player technically, which shows, that he can direct his heart in what he plays. What he plays all sounds very natural to me.
I remember seeing and hearing Aly Bain with Boys of the Lough in Boston back in the 1970s. Great fire in their music--they had the dust coming up between the floorboards from the audience stamping their feet! He's been an indirect influence ever since.
How much classical influence do you hear in "The Silver Bow" Jack C?
Aly Bain has followed traditional threads of music leading to and from his "home" tradition, as exemplified in the "Down Home" TV progs of the 80's, (forerunner of Transatlantic Sessions in some ways?) but in a very different way from Yehudi who parachuted into completely alien spheres of music, (with a lot of humility it's worth noting.)
"The Silver Bow" is one of Aly's earlier recordings and it sounds like he was mostly going along with Tom Anderson's ideas. (It's one of the CDs I play most often).
When did he last do something like that? It seems like he's deliberately left the pure Shetland fiddle music field free for the next generation - Catriona Macdonald, Chris Stout, Jenna Reid.
Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
I was just browsing on youtube and found this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvj-80my02c
I love this fiddler, and it's probably a silly question, but is he an old-time, or Cape Breton fiddler, or what?
I'm pretty much obsessed with him right now..
# Posted on July 12th 2010 by Becky-o
Re: Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
Shetlander.
I am so old I remember when he was a young tearaway.......
Check out all his contributions to The TransAtlantic Sessions.
Not to mention the Boys of the Lough.
He's even appeared in a television play, something about the young Conan Doyle.
# Posted on July 12th 2010 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
As Pete says, Shetland.
Separate tradition from Scottish (important distinction!)
# Posted on July 13th 2010 by TomB-R
Re: Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
Shetlander. One of Tom Anderson's proteges, and a fine fiddler.
Unfortunately he's been on the international circuit for so long that you can't really call his style 'Shetland' anymore. I suppose what he plays nowadays is best described as 'Mid-Atlantic'.
# Posted on July 13th 2010 by skreech
Re: Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
One of my favorites. If you're surfing YouTube you've probably seen it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpJNadW0PIo
Wolf
# Posted on July 13th 2010 by wolfhul
Re: Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
He is a gem. One of my favorite albums is called Lonely Bird, some lovely stuff. And he did some great work with Phil Cunningham, the two of them bring out the best in each other, and their concerts are a joy. I know how you feel, Becky, I remember how excited I was when I first discovered him and his music.
# Posted on July 13th 2010 by AlBrown
Re: Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
Wolf, not usually too fond of Cajun, but that's pretty neat.
He's right up there with Kevin Burke as one of my favorites.
Al, yup
# Posted on July 13th 2010 by Becky-o
Re: Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
When you hear him with Phil Cunningham you'd be forgiven for thinking they must have played together in the womb. A masterful pair indeed.
# Posted on July 13th 2010 by gam
Re: Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
Another good reason to get to see Aly B and Phil Cunningham together is the extremely funny chat between tunes.
# Posted on July 13th 2010 by TomB-R
Re: Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
As Aly explained, many years ago, "Shetland. We support Scotland for football, but we don't wear tartan, and we don't play the bagpipes !"
As a Shetland serviceman wrote on his travel claim during the war; Nearest railway station; Oslo.
# Posted on July 13th 2010 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
"As a Shetland serviceman wrote on his travel claim during the war; Nearest railway station; Oslo."
That Shetland serviceman wanted to look at a map: Bergen is much nearer. (I assume it was during one of the two World Wars; the Bergen railway was opened in 1883).
# Posted on July 13th 2010 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
~ and heavily interested and influenced by other fiddling traditions, including 'old time' Americana, bluegrass, New England slick, Cape Breton, etc... Yes, multi-talented and driven...
# Posted on July 13th 2010 by ceolachan
& the fiddling traditions of the far North as well ~ Norway, Sweden, Finland, et al...
# Posted on July 13th 2010 by ceolachan
Re: Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
It's Aly Bain but he does fiddle like ten men!
# Posted on July 13th 2010 by SouPa
Re: Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
Shetland is at a nautical crossroads and it's quite normal for Shetlanders to play music from Scandinavia, North America, Ireland and Scotland in addition to their own strong tradition.
Aly's recent albums with Swedish mandola and low whistle player Ale Möller are a real treat.
Search Aly Bain on Youtube and you'll get loads of stuff - teh tracks with Willie Hunter are more of your Shetland style
# Posted on July 13th 2010 by Bren
Re: Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
What Aly Bain does isn't really the product of a tradition. He was taught by Tom Anderson, who had classical training, which I think he got from Gideon Stove, who had even more classical training.
So he had the chops to play just about anything and his career took him to places (mostly a long way from Shetland, he's been based in Edinburgh for 30 years) where he could get an audience playing just about anything. Nobody's ever made a living just playing Shetland music.
His ventures into Cajun, Scandinavian music and the like are not very different in spirit from Yehudi Menuhin doing all the cross-cultural experiments he did 30-40 years ago. It's not like some imperative from the history of Shetland was telling him to do it because of ancestral racial ties. What he's done is musical business sense.
# Posted on July 13th 2010 by Jack Campin
Re: Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
The Ale Möller collaborations are particularly good. But anything that Aly Bain plays is terrific because he was such strong and forthright control of his instrument. He is an excellent player technically, which shows, that he can direct his heart in what he plays. What he plays all sounds very natural to me.
# Posted on July 14th 2010 by gravelwalks
Re: Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
that's "has" not "was"
# Posted on July 14th 2010 by gravelwalks
Re: Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
I remember seeing and hearing Aly Bain with Boys of the Lough in Boston back in the 1970s. Great fire in their music--they had the dust coming up between the floorboards from the audience stamping their feet! He's been an indirect influence ever since.
# Posted on July 14th 2010 by Will Harmon
Re: Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
How much classical influence do you hear in "The Silver Bow" Jack C?
Aly Bain has followed traditional threads of music leading to and from his "home" tradition, as exemplified in the "Down Home" TV progs of the 80's, (forerunner of Transatlantic Sessions in some ways?) but in a very different way from Yehudi who parachuted into completely alien spheres of music, (with a lot of humility it's worth noting.)
# Posted on July 14th 2010 by TomB-R
Re: Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
"The Silver Bow" is one of Aly's earlier recordings and it sounds like he was mostly going along with Tom Anderson's ideas. (It's one of the CDs I play most often).
When did he last do something like that? It seems like he's deliberately left the pure Shetland fiddle music field free for the next generation - Catriona Macdonald, Chris Stout, Jenna Reid.
# Posted on July 14th 2010 by Jack Campin
Re: Aly Bains, awsome fiddle, scottish, old-time?
A rather nice documentary on Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham's their collaboration.
They are such serious lads, though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pflZFr7Bhjw
# Posted on July 16th 2010 by Piece