2008 Artist Profiles
Old Blind Dogs
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One of the original cutting edge outfits in Scotland pushing the boundaries of the folk music revival and now 2007 winners of the folk band category in the Scottish Traditional Music Awards. Previously they had won “band of the year” in 2004.
"The skill, talent and verve with which they played, belied their laddishness ……. Folk is the new rock and roll."
Shoots and Roots Festival, April 1999 (Evening News).
Over the years Old Blind Dogs have evolved and grown into one of Scotland 's favourite folk bands. In the early days, the line-up consisted of: Jonny Hardie, Buzzby McMillan, and Ian Benzie, along with Dave Francis on percussion and Carmen Higgins on fiddle . Since then their line-up has included Davy Cattanach (percussion), Fraser Fifield (adding to the band’s cutting edge sound with tasty jazz licks on the sax and superb playing of the small pipes) Graham 'Mop' Youngson (ex – Wolfstone, percussion), Jim Malcolm (voice, guitar, harmonica) and, Paul Jennings (percussion).
The current line-up consists of Jonny Hardie (fiddle, mandolin, guitar vocals) Rory Campbell (ex - Deaf Shepherd on small pipes and whistles), Fraser Stone on percussion and Aaron Jones (bass, bouzouki, guitar, vocals)
How has their music been described? Traditional ballads with groove. Up-tempo dance tunes. Pipe tunes with inexorable energy. Wafting airs and wild rumpus. Something for everyone. A glorious blare of sound.
Albums: New Tricks, Close to the Bone, Tall Tails and Legacy (1992 – 1996) Five (1997), The World's Room, Fit (1999 – 2001) Gab O Mey (2003)
Lamond Gillespie and Cormac Cannon
Lamond Gillespie plays the fiddle and was lucky enough to grow up in a thriving London irish music scene which included muscians such as Brian Rooney, Brendan Mulkere, John Carty and a host of others. This scene had its roots in the giant music makers of the 50s, 60s and 70s e.g. Bobby Casey, Willie Clancy, Michael Gorman, Margaret Barry, Gabe Sullivan, Danny Meehan, Martin Byrnes, Jimmy Power, Julia Clifford, Reg Hall etc. He has made solo appearances on Irish music TV shows 'The Pure Drop' and 'Geantrai' and the radio show 'Ceilidh House'. He has also made a well received recording 'Traditional Irish Music from London' with John Blake and Mick Leahy (and guest appearances from Brian Rooney and Tommy Maree), of which BBC Radio Scotland's '/Travelling Folk'/ had to say: "You can't fault the playing, it's just fantastic - reminds me of The Favourite, Holloway Road, in the 1970's"
Cormac Cannon began learning the tin whistle from Mary Bergin at a young age and was introduced to the uilleann pipes by Tommy Keane, later benefiting from regular exposure to other prominent pipers during annual visits to the Willie Clancy summer school. He has a keen interest in the music of the older pipers and fiddle players, particularly the music of Clare and Kerry, and a preference for the sound of the flat-pitched pipes. He has toured and taught in Ireland, Japan and throughout Europe, recorded for radio and television, and performed for Na Piobairi Uilleann as part of their ongoing series of recitals in The Cobblestone, Dublin.
Although both living in Scotland, the two met for the first time in 2007 at a recital in Dublin organised by Na Piobairi Uilleann at which Cormac supported Lamond and his regular musical collaborator John Blake. A late pint and tune in the Cobblestone after the gig laid the foundations of a friendship that has been cemented by regular meetings in Glasgow and Edinburgh and a shared appreciation for the music of the great players of earlier times, which (they hope) informs
the music they play together.