Scottish
fiddle master Alasdair
Fraser and California composer/keyboardist Paul
Machlis have woven a spell
for audiences across North America
and Europe since 1984, intricately
blending Scottish tradition with
contemporary arrangements and improvisations.
The duo's richly expressive playing
transports listeners across a broad
musical spectrum, ranging from haunting
laments in the Gaelic tradition,
to classically-styled airs and wild,
raucous dance tunes.
While
their acclaimed 1987 release The
Road North "jumpstarted
the Celtic New Age fusion that exploded
in popularity in the 1990's" (All
Music Guide), the duo's most recent recording Legacy
of the Scottish Fiddle, Volume One goes,
as Fraser says "back to the well," celebrating
three centuries of Scottish tradition.
With their Celtic sextet Skyedance,
Fraser and Machlis have released three
albums, including the most recent, Skyedance
Live in Spain, which captures
some of their dynamic stage presence.
Most of their recordings are available
on Fraser's own label, Culburnie Records,
founded in 1986 with the release of the
first Fraser/Machlis duo album, Skyedance,
which features lush, eloquent arrangements
of Gaelic melodies. Paul Machlis's Culburnie
release The
Bright Field includes many
of Paul's own compositions.
"Alasdair
Fraser is recognized throughout the world
as one of the finest fiddle players Scotland
has ever produced. His name is synonymous
with the vibrant cultural renaissance that
is transforming the Scottish musical scene," raved
SCOTS Magazine, and the San Francisco Examiner
called him "the Michael Jordan of Scottish
fiddling." He has appeared on numerous
nationally televised programs in Scotland
and the U.S., and plays on some of the
most popular movie soundtracks of all time,
including Last of the Mohicans and Titanic.
Through his recordings, fiddle courses
and concerts, Alasdair Fraser has inspired
legions of listeners and learners worldwide.
Alasdair's Valley of the Moon Scottish
Fiddling School, a summer camp held
annually in the northern California redwoods,
will celebrate its 20th year in 2003.
Born
in 1955, Fraser was raised in the village
of Clackmannan in central Scotland. There
he studied violin technique at school with
his revered teacher, William Fernie, while
simultaneously being steeped in Scottish
traditional music at home. After winning
Scotland's coveted National Mod Fiddle competition
two years running while still in his teens,
Fraser made frequent BBC TV and Radio appearances
and toured throughout the US and Europe.
Fraser's University of Edinburgh Honours
Degree in Math and Physics led to 10 years
employment with British Petroleum as a petrophysicist,
a profession that Fraser left in 1986 to
pursue a full-time career in music.
Fraser
met pianist/composer Paul Machlis in 1983,
while giving a Scottish music workshop in
Paul's hometown of Berkeley, California.
Paul had been active in Scottish dance band
circles for many years, and when Alasdair
asked if there was a pianist in the house,
Paul volunteered, sparking a 20-year partnership
that has produced seven recordings and numerous
concert tours.
FOR
BOOKINGS AND INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Culburnie Records, PO Box 219, Nevada City, CA 95959
Ph:530/292-4219, Fax:530/292-4352, Email: usinfo@culburnie.com
Order
Culburnie T-shirts online.
Buy our albums in quantity from our distributors.
