Composer/keyboardist Paul
Machlis played
Scottish country dance music
for years in his Berkeley,
California, hometown before
embarking on his long-running
collaboration with renowned
Scots fiddler Alasdair
Fraser. Since 1983,
the acclaimed duo has woven
a spell for audiences across
North America and Europe, creating
a fine and intricate blend
of Scottish traditional fiddle
music and contemporary arrangements
and improvisations. Their landmark
album SKYEDANCE(Culburnie,
1986), featuring ancient Gaelic
melodies underscored by rich
harmonies, and a subsequent
acclaimed album, THE
ROAD NORTH (Narada,
1988), established Fraser and
Machlis at the cutting edge
of Celtic music. These two
releases have contributed tracks
to best-selling Celtic compilation
albums with nearly two million
in combined sales. Their latest
release, LEGACY
OF THE SCOTTISH FIDDLE: Volume
One, features melodic
masterpieces from 250 years
of Scottish tradition.
Paul Machlis recorded his own Celtic-inspired compositions
on three of his own albums, including THE
BRIGHT FIELD (Culburnie 1995), which
features a "Celtic chamber music" ensemble of Machlis
on piano, with Alasdair Fraser on fiddle, William
Coulter on guitar, and Barry Phillips on cello.
In 1996 Paul joined the Alasdair Fraser Band, inspiring
the band's name change to Skyedance.
With Skyedance, Paul has toured extensively, capped
by headline performances at major Celtic festivals
in Europe and North America. He contributed compositions
and arrangements to the band's two releases: WAY
OUT TO HOPE STREET (Culburnie 1997),
and LABYRINTH (Culburnie
2000).
In addition to exploring Scottish music, Paul has
performed and recorded Bulgarian music and contra-dance
music with a variety of groups, and has published
a book of fifty of his original tunes.
Visit
Paul Machlis' own website for
additional information..
Reviewers say:
"Machlis is a piano player with a delicate and tender
touch and a composer of tender and stirring music drawn
from the Scottish idiom ... Evocative, fluid, warm
... a joy to listen to" - Galway Edge
"This could be my album of the year ... in a word
-- marvelous" - Living Tradition
"A beautifully expressive and emotional album ...
a powerful work with Machlis' playing more forceful
and dominant than ever. Spell-binding compositions
combined with the artists' virtuosity make this an
indispensable addition to your collection" - Dirty
Linen
"A wonderfully lyrical pianist with a lovely touch...music
to captivate and hold the interest... A great album" -
Folk Roots
"A richly compelling collection" - Rock n' Reel
"A near flawless album...the overall effect of this
moving and diverse music is quite simply beautiful" (Pulse,
Australia)
Culburnie
Records, PO Box 219, Nevada City,
CA 95959,
Ph: 530/292-4219; Fax:
530/292-4352; Email: usinfo@cul
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Paul Machlis