Blas 2005: Session A9, Katie Mackenzie, Graham Mackenzie

6 Sep 2005 in Festival, Highland, Music

Seaboard Memorial Hall, Balintore, 5 September 2005

Charlie McKerron.

THE FIRST SURPRISE was the venue. Not, presumably, to the good folk of Balintore, who are clearly well aware that they have a terrific asset on their doorstep, and very proud of it too. For the the rest of us, though, the Seaboard Hall is quite a discovery – bright, attractive, and with an excellent acoustic (on stage as well as off, according to one of the performers).

It needed those acoustic qualities, too, since Session A9 present a complex sound image for the ears – and the sound crew – to cope with. The combination of the fiddles of Charlie McKerron, Gordon Gunn, Adam Sutherland and Kevin Henderson with guitar, accordion and snare drum (or occasionally hand drum) provides a big sound and plenty of rhythmic drive in the band’s music.

The virtuosity and expressive power of the four fiddlers is well-established, and was readily apparent as they tackled a repertoire of mainly modern tunes by the likes of McKerron, Gunn, Phil Cunningham, Gordon Duncan, Fred Morrison and the late John Morris Rankin. The interplay between the four fiddlers was simultaneously electrifying and subtly distinctive, while McKerron’s slow airs provided a respite from the up-tempo fizz of much of the set.

Copeland’s propulsive jazz-inflected drumming on a single snare drum provided both a solid base to float the music, and a relentlessly energised momentum to the rhythms. The other two players, guitarist Phil Anderson (Gordon Gunn’s regular guitar man in his own trio) and accordionist John Somerville from Croft No 5 (making his debut with the band), were both standing in as guests (for Tim Edey and Brian McAlpine respectively), but the music only rarely betrayed any hesitancy.

Her set mixed traditional and contemporary Gaelic songs in pleasing fashion, the latter bringing a distinctively different melodic and harmonic twist to the established norms.

As is the routine in these Blas concerts, two younger musicians were given an opportunity to shine prior to Session A9’s set. Graham Mackenzie from Inverness is still just a wee boy, and looks exactly that, but he is already an impressive talent, and it is easy to see why he is being tipped for great things down the line. His easy assurance and already mature musicality on fiddle were matched by a confident and well-informed manner at the microphone in introducing his chosen material.

Graham was accompanied by his mum, Alison Mackenzie, on keyboard, and there was a family connection in the second of the support slots as well. Katie Mackenzie from Dingwall is the daughter of Fiona Mackenzie, the Mairi Mhor Song Fellow and bean an taighe (compere) for the evening, and mum and daughter sang briefly together on one of Katie’s selections.

Her set mixed traditional and contemporary Gaelic songs in pleasing fashion, the latter bringing a distinctively different melodic and harmonic twist to the established norms. As well as singing beautifully, Katie demonstrated her prowess on clarsach, again mixing old and new to good effect.