HAMISH NAPIER QUARTET PICS
Some of the recordings here that play on this page are a recent project of mine THE HAMISH NAPIER QUARTET. 'Taybank', 'Radio Sweethearts', 'Catch and Kiss' and 'Absynthe Makes the Heart Grow Fonder'. 'Taybank' and 'Radio Sweethearts' were recorded at Strathclyde University BAAM Studios by brilliant engineer Barry 'Spad' Reid, and then mixed by Spad in his own studio. The line up for this recording was drummer Michael Law (The Fortunate Sons), double bassist James Lindsay and fiddler Adam Sutherland (Session A9). None of the music here is on general release and tunes here were written by ROSS AINSLIE (Taybank Shenanigans), GORDON DUNCAN (Clueless) and ALY BAIN (Andy Broon's). 'Radio Sweethearts' was written by JOHN MCCUSKER and JOHN MILLER. Weegie rhythm maestro Ifedade Thomas joins us for the live sets "Absinthe makes the Heart Grow Fonder" (ROSS AINSLIE) and "Catch and Kiss" (DAVIS MILLIGAN). These were recorded at a corporate gig (our first gig), where were the house band for a prize-giving ceremony called 'The Modern Scottish Apprenticeship Awards 2008"!
The set of 3 original flute tunes is named after the middle reel entitled 'Offensive Doctor Flute Pervert'. The first is the 'Minerva Street Waltz' and the last one is 'Unfortune-ventura'. The recording was made at a live gig with me on wooden flute, fiddler Shona Mooney (The Shee) and the fantastic Innes Watson (Rule of 3) on guitar.
I also play wooden flute with Màiri Sìne Chaimbeul on her MACMEANMNA release 'Thall an Loch Aillse'.
The tin whistle set features a great John McCusker tune 'The Shetland Molecule', a tune by Brian Finnegan entitled 'Hamish Napier's' and a traditional Irish jig 'Loch Gowna'. Ali Hutton plays guitar and bodhran.
The Eddie Reader track 'Comin' Through the Rye' is from her rerelease of her Burns' recordings 'The Songs of Robert Burns - Deluxe Edition', and features a Mairearad Green tune 'The Dram Behind the Curtain'. As well as her full studio band, the track features the great Anna Massie Band, plus me on piano and whistle.
Corrie dick (drums), James Lindsay (bass) and Leo Forde (electric guitar) join me on the soul jazz classic 'Cold Duck Time'. These are some of my fellow classmates from the BA Applied Music course at Strathclyde Uni. We play on the first Thursday of every month at Gallus, 80 Dumbarton Road, Glasgow.
Influences
PIANO: Brian MacAlpine (Session A9), Andy Thorburn (Blazing Fiddles), John R Burr (Alison Brown Quartet), Russell Ferrante (Yellowjackets) and David Milligan.
SINGING: Paul Brady, Dougie MacLean, Nic Jones, Don MacLean, Ray Charles, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Dan Tyminski and Justin Currie (Del Amitri)
FLUTES AND WHISTLES: Brian Finnegan (Flook), Mike McGoldrick, Marc Duff (Capercailllie), Seamus Egan (Solas), Matt Molloy, Fraser Fifield, Niall Keegan, Iain MacDonald, Kevin Crawford (Lunasa), Diarmaid Moynihan (Calico), and Rory Campbell (Old Blind Dogs)
Sounds Like
BACK OF THE MOON EUROPEAN TOURS
The press said...
"MY PERSONAL STANDOUT SONG WAS [HAMISH] NAPIER JNR'S BEAUTIFULLY MODULATED, ACHINGLY POIGNANT RENDITION OF [SCOTS SONG] GIN I WAS A BARON'S HEIR, BLENDING AN APT BOYISH LIGHTNESS WITH AN INTENSITY OF YEARNING THAT RAISED A MAJOR LUMP IN THE THROAT." The Scotsman, Hamish with 'Back of the Moon'
"...HAMISH NAPIER EXCELLING ON THE QUIETER AND MORE SENSITIVE SONGS...MY FAVOURITE IS THE SONG BARON OF BRACKLEY...IS WONDERFULLY SUNG BY HAMISH, WHOSE ACCOMPANIMENT ..BOARDS IS ALWAYS EXCELLENT."
Living Tradition Magazine, Hamish with 'Back of the Moon'
"PIANO, FLUTE, WHISTLE, SINGING AND STEP DANCING, HAMISH NAPIER IS ONE OF THE FINEST YOUNG MUSICIANS IN SCOTLAND. A MULTI-TALENTED BUNDLE OF ENERGY, HIS MUSIC IS INVIGORATING, PASSIONATE AND STEEPED IN TRADITION. PAIR HIM WITH OTHER YOUNG MUSICIANS SUCH AS HIS BROTHER FINDLAY NAPIER, ANNA MASSIE, ALI HUTTON, ROSS AINSLIE AND INNES WATSON - ALL OF WHOM REPRESENT THE CREAM OF THE CROP - AND YOU HAVE THE MAKINGS OF A CRACKING AND ENLIGHTENING NIGHT."
John Morran, Development Worker for TMSA, on The Hamish Napier Duo
Record Label
Footstompin Records (with band 'Back of the Moon')
Welcome to my space! I am a Scottish traditional folk musician living in Glasgow, currently studying jazz piano. I play piano, wooden flutes, whistles and sing. I was a finalist in the 'Young Scottish Traditional Musician of the Year Award 2006' and was nominated for 'Best Up and Coming Artist' at the Scots Trad Awards 2005.
Originally from Grantown-on-Spey, in the Highlands of Scotland, I have been playing music from the age of nine. My mother, Marie-Louise Napier, is a singer/composer/harpist and my older brother Findlay Napier is a singer/songwriter/guitarist.
For the seven years I was fortunate enough to play with award-winning folk quartet Back of the Moon, touring extensively throughout Europe, Canada, the USA and performing on live television broadcasts for British, French, Slovenian, Canadian and US television.
BACK OF THE MOON TOURING UK PICS
In 2003 the band won the folk band competition at Lorient Interceltic Festival, France (an award previously won by Capercaillie). In 2005 The Band were awarded the title of 'Best Folk Band' at the Scots Trad Awards and were also nominated in the 'Best Album' category for ‘Luminosity.’
BACK OF THE MOON TOURING USA PICS
At 25, I have recorded on a dozen Scottish traditional albums, some produced by leading Scottish musicians including Donald Shaw (ex-Capercaille), Martyn Bennett, (Irvin Duguid (ex-Stiltskin), Johnny Hardie (Old Blind Dogs) and BBC Scotland presenter Mary Ann Kennedy.
Left to Right:
· Gillian Frame & Back of the Moon, Foot Stompin' Records 2001 CDFSR1711
· The Complete Songs of Robert Burns Volume 11, Lynn Records, 2002 CKD 200
· Fortunes Road, Back of the Moon, Foot Stompin' Records 2003 CDFSR1720
· Luminosity, Back of the Moon, Foot Stompin' Records 2005 CDFSR1730
· In the Sunny Long Ago, Margaret Bennett, Footstompin Records 2001 CDFSR1708
· A Different Life, Emily Smith, 2005 WFRCD01
· Thall an Loch Aillse, Mairi Sine Campbell, Macmeanma Records 2007 SKYECD41
· The TMSA Young Trad Tour 2004 LIVE TMSA001
· The TMSA Young Trad Tour 2006 LIVE TMSA003
· Tale of the Howe, Rodger Lyall 2005
· Jamie Smith, Jamie Smith 2006
· How's the Craic?, Gary Innes, Skipinnish Records 2005 SKIPCD05
· Greisean Greine, James Graham, Skipinnish Records 2007 SKIPCD14
· Duan Nollaig (A Gaelic Christmas), Fiona Mackenzie Greentrax 2007 CDTRAX320D
· The Songs of Robert Burns (Deluxe Edition) - Eddie Reader, Compass, 2009
I am a music teacher at the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music at Plockton High School, a part-time lecturer at the HNC in Traditional Music at Stow College, and I teach piano on the Strathclyde Univesity BAAM course. I have also held music workshops at dozens of Celtic music schools, summer camps and festivals both at home and abroad, including;
· Celtic Connections, Scotland
· Haapavesi Folk Music Festival, Finland
· Calgary Folk Festival, AB, Canada
· Goderich Folk Festival, ON, Canada
· Pacific Institute of Piping & Celtic Performing Arts, BC, Canada
· Sunshine Coast Music Camp, BC, Canada
· Feisean nan Gàidheal (Gaelic music camps in Scotland) including Feis Rois (Ullapool), Feis an Earraich (Skye), Feis Latharna (Oban) and the touring ‘Traditional Music in Primary Schools’ program.
· The Gordon Gaitherin, Scotland
After you've finished here, you may like to hear this poem sung on myspace...
Poem 2 of 230, WalkaboutsVerse (please see my blog): WALKABOUT WITH MY PEN
Once drove an old sedan, up north, From a place in Sydney to Cairns; Then to Kuranda I went forth, By train, to look without set plans.
I browsed through the trendy market, With fresh fruits of tropical kind; Walked to the creek through lush thicket - Nature’s hand giving peace of mind.
I dined in a scenic cafe; Then, outside, as I wrote for yen, Some passing Kooris called-out: “Hey, You go walkabout with your pen.”
Request or question, I don’t know - Assured voices, elderly men. That’s now several years ago, And I’ve seen the world - with my pen.
I composed this piece for piano solo a couple of years ago after it came in the news that some refugees who had to spend the night in a freight container had died in that container that particular night.
Song....
Your heads sooo gleam'n, yeh....it's like a beak'n, you warn the ships through the night, bald, bald B@*stard and talk sooo much SH*@TE....YEH!
How's it going? have you changed your number? Are you going to Big Donalds wedding and if so are you driving down? give me a phone I'm trying to organise logistics of making it down. Cheers minge
Hi Hamish, thank you for invitation:) Check my web www. miraopalinska. com yesterday was added new "fresh" Audio Clip "SOLITUDE" .... rec last Friday the 20th Feb,in RSAMD Studio. Pozdrawiam;) Mira
Hey just to let you know im playing PIVO PIVO Just next to central station in Glasgow on the 23rd Feb, and its free :) tis 18+ and would love it if you could come along.
