10 years ago today, we lost a great Scottish musician, singer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Tony Cuffe. I still play many of the tunes I learned from his playing - here are a couple I’ve posted here in the past :
There are quite a few recordings of Tony freely available to listen to on a website called “raretunes” - you should be able to “Google” it.
Those of you who knew or met him, please join me in raising a glass and / or playing a tune or singing a song in his memory.
Having Cape Breton and Nova Scotia in our blood, and coal in the family too, I have to add this ~ with the lead-in of a bit of story telling and humour... The big 'C' was no stranger to the island...
I never had the opportunity to meet Tony, which is something I regret, but I spent many an evening listening to George and Adam sing his songs and tell stories about him. He sounded like a fabulous fellow, and I have spent a lot of time listening to his recordings.
I also love that a little tradition like singing "Sae Will We Yet" at the end of a session lives on, and I hope it continues.
I bought a cassette of The Best of Ossian about 16 years ago, when I was just discovering Scottish and Irish traditional music. I learned all the tunes from the album, but unfortunately, it got lost shortly after, during a move. Just a few months ago, I decided I could bear the deprivation no longer and downloaded the whole album in MP3 format - and it sounded just as good as ever. I am not familiar with any of Tony Cuffe's other work, but if it's on a par with Ossian, it's got to be worth seeking out. I'm not generally a big fan of arranged traditional songs, but they seemed to get it just right - and several of them are traditional texts set to Tony's own tunes.
There is another poignant aspect to this for me: Not long after buying and losing that cassette, I went off on a journey that began with cycling from Edinburgh to John O'Groats. On a campsite in Fort Willam, I met a couple who were musicians - a mandolin/whistle player and a guitarist/fiddler - and we spent an evening playing tunes, as the midges devoured us. When I started one of the Ossian tunes, they joined straight in, and it turned out taht they had been listening to The Best of Ossian in the car on the way there, and it was an ld favourite of theirs too. So we played through the whole album together (they were fine singers as well). We swapped addresses and parted next morning. I always hoped our paths would cross again at some point. Some 10 years later, I had a week's work in NE Scotland, near where the said couple came from (as it transpired, the same village). I asked around if anyone knew them. Eventually, I heard that they had moved to Ireland and, whilst there had been involved in a serious car accident, in which one of them was killed and the other badly injured. Somewhere, I still have a tape of the three of us playing that night on the campsite (marred, alas, by my own).
So, here's to two fine musicians gone before their time - Tony Cuffe and Carol Lawrie.
Sad anniversary...Tony Cuffe
Sad anniversary...Tony Cuffe
10 years ago today, we lost a great Scottish musician, singer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Tony Cuffe. I still play many of the tunes I learned from his playing - here are a couple I’ve posted here in the past :
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/6521
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/9650
and still my favourite solo Scottish recording ever - no one today even comes close :
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display.php/2302
There are quite a few recordings of Tony freely available to listen to on a website called “raretunes” - you should be able to “Google” it.
Those of you who knew or met him, please join me in raising a glass and / or playing a tune or singing a song in his memory.
# Posted on December 18th 2011 by Kenny
Re: Sad anniversary...Tony Cuffe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH8JmB9Buq4
Enjoy.
# Posted on December 18th 2011 by Johnny Jay
Re: Sad anniversary...Tony Cuffe
Well said, Kenny. George still ends every Friday session in The Tass with Sae Will We Yet. A fine singer; sad to say, I never met him.
m.d.
# Posted on December 18th 2011 by emmdee
Re: Sad anniversary...Tony Cuffe
A great musician and a great person, who was always kind and generous to learners and students.
# Posted on December 18th 2011 by AlBrown
Re: Sad anniversary...Tony Cuffe
Here's to a fine musician and kind friend, never to be forgotten.
# Posted on December 18th 2011 by Paul Groff
Re: Sad anniversary...Tony Cuffe
Forty-seven years was way too few.
# Posted on December 19th 2011 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: Sad anniversary...Tony Cuffe
A sad loss, gone too soon, leaving proof of talent and passion and a wealth that remains for all...
# Posted on December 19th 2011 by ceolachan
"When First I Went To Caledonia"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5ssR3aF-0E
Having Cape Breton and Nova Scotia in our blood, and coal in the family too, I have to add this ~ with the lead-in of a bit of story telling and humour... The big 'C' was no stranger to the island...
# Posted on December 19th 2011 by ceolachan
Re: Sad anniversary...Tony Cuffe
I never had the opportunity to meet Tony, which is something I regret, but I spent many an evening listening to George and Adam sing his songs and tell stories about him. He sounded like a fabulous fellow, and I have spent a lot of time listening to his recordings.
I also love that a little tradition like singing "Sae Will We Yet" at the end of a session lives on, and I hope it continues.
# Posted on December 19th 2011 by MapleLeafScot
Re: Sad anniversary...Tony Cuffe
I bought a cassette of The Best of Ossian about 16 years ago, when I was just discovering Scottish and Irish traditional music. I learned all the tunes from the album, but unfortunately, it got lost shortly after, during a move. Just a few months ago, I decided I could bear the deprivation no longer and downloaded the whole album in MP3 format - and it sounded just as good as ever. I am not familiar with any of Tony Cuffe's other work, but if it's on a par with Ossian, it's got to be worth seeking out. I'm not generally a big fan of arranged traditional songs, but they seemed to get it just right - and several of them are traditional texts set to Tony's own tunes.
There is another poignant aspect to this for me: Not long after buying and losing that cassette, I went off on a journey that began with cycling from Edinburgh to John O'Groats. On a campsite in Fort Willam, I met a couple who were musicians - a mandolin/whistle player and a guitarist/fiddler - and we spent an evening playing tunes, as the midges devoured us. When I started one of the Ossian tunes, they joined straight in, and it turned out taht they had been listening to The Best of Ossian in the car on the way there, and it was an ld favourite of theirs too. So we played through the whole album together (they were fine singers as well). We swapped addresses and parted next morning. I always hoped our paths would cross again at some point. Some 10 years later, I had a week's work in NE Scotland, near where the said couple came from (as it transpired, the same village). I asked around if anyone knew them. Eventually, I heard that they had moved to Ireland and, whilst there had been involved in a serious car accident, in which one of them was killed and the other badly injured. Somewhere, I still have a tape of the three of us playing that night on the campsite (marred, alas, by my own).
So, here's to two fine musicians gone before their time - Tony Cuffe and Carol Lawrie.
# Posted on December 19th 2011 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Sad anniversary...Tony Cuffe
Unfortunately, Tony Cuffe had died before I came across his music... but I absolutely love Wendall's Wedding, and I think of him every time I play it.
Why do all the good ones die young?
# Posted on December 19th 2011 by rudall
Re: Sad anniversary...Tony Cuffe
CMO,
Here's another early album to seek out
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display/1620
The vocals are shared here although there is a great version of "Sae will ye yet". It's a fine recording of its time.
# Posted on December 20th 2011 by Johnny Jay