Artist: Alasdair Fraser
Genre(s):
New Age
Celtic
Discography:
Portrait of a Scottish Fiddler
Year: 1996
Tracks: 14
Dawn Dance
Year: 1996
Tracks: 13
Alasdair Fraser is one of Scotland's most influential tradition-rooted fiddlers. A two-time winner of the open competition of the Scottish National Fiddle Championship, Fraser continues to boom the musical traditions of his homeland with his expressive and virtuosic playing. In improver to playacting more than than 50 times on BBC wireless and tV shows (and, in the U.S., on A Prairie Home Companion), Fraser has been featured on the soundtracks of such films as Titanic, Braveheart, The Spitfire Grill and The Last of the Mohicans. Fraser's 1996 album, Sunup Dance, which delineate his first all-original recording, standard a NAIRD award as best Celtic album of the twelvemonth. The album's success elysian Fraser to cast a isthmus, Skyedance, with the musicians featured on the album. The group includes Eric Rigler (a veteran of concerts and/or recordings with Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart and Michael Oldfield on Scottish and Irish bagpipes, Chris Norman (a member of the early euphony corps de ballet The Baltimore Consort and a foundation member of the international trio Helicon) on wooden flute, Peter Maund (a founder of the medieval and renascence music group the Ensemble Alcatraz and the president of the San Francisco Early Music Society) on rhythm section, Mick Linden (known for his adapting R&B and African rhythms to the bagpipes) on standup bass, and age Fraser confederate Paul Machlis on forte-piano and keyboards. Fraser and Skyedance released their first album as a band, Way Out to Hope Street, in 1997. The album included 13 mathematical group composed instrumentals and a reworking of a medley of traditional dance tunes that Fraser and Machlin recorded in 1986. Fraser has appeared as a guest during concerts by Los Angeles Master Chorale and the Waterboys.
