Breathe Deep WIP

This is a tune I wrote for Amy Thatcher when I was away. I guess its about longing? 
I played an Armstrong Octave Mandolin, a Northfield NF-5FS and a Miyazawa flute.
I recorded it with Ian Stephenson one afternoon who kindly mixed it.

Far From You

track written by Rory ogden for Chester and the Fog . My mandolin trio from Newcastle

Blood on the Terraces

I managed to borrow my friends gorgeous AKG C414 XL II again, think I'm in love! So the tune I played here is called the Wedding Reel and its by Donald Shaw, composer of great tunes. It's become a main staple of sessions UK wide. The challenge was trying to think of some interesting to do chord wise. Nothing spectacularly interesting but there's a tri-tone sub and some interesting voicings of suspended chords in the B part. Then there some aimless soloing at the end, i had to comp a few takes together so it sounds disjointed but I didn't have much time to record it. I recorded it on the nice mic and Cubase artist and Komplete Audio sound card, nowt fancy (apart from the mic).

Wedding Reel

Northfield NF-5s mandolin, Bowerman Ten8r Octave Mandolin recorded on Neumann TLM102 my new mic. First tune is a session staple here in Newcastle called Pinnacle Ridge by the amazing Roger Pepe the one man session and the second is a tune I wrote for a very special little boy.

Pinnacle Ridge and Stefan's

I love the album "instrumental" by Kathryn Tickell - it's full of great playing and fantastic arrangements. I decided to cover a few of the tracks from the album to see what I can learn from these top class folk instrumentalists. I've tried to replicate the arrangement nearly exactly without going over board.

(everything played by me apart from Amy Thatcher on Accordion Bass)
Mandolin - Northfield F5s
Octave Mandolin - Bowman Ten8r
Clarinet - Buffet B12
chimes and other effects from www.freesounds.com
Accordon - Pigini
Recorded on AKG C515 and Neumann TLM 102

Alan And Catherines Wedding By Kathryn Tickell cover

half way through doing a cover of Rip off Pharoah by Kathryn Tickell and it's baby decides to be a part of the recording

trying to record a cover with Baby

My fellow Chester and the Fog band mate came round the other day . The amazing 5 string fiddle player Robbie Sherratt. Whilst away in Finland for a year he composed, arranged and reworked a whole folk tunes and songs album based on Staffordshire - his home county. He then came back and recorded the project with Ian Stephenson and called it 'provenance'. I've got it and its a belter, unusual arrangements with unusual instrumentation accompanied occasionally by his distinctive bass voice.  He's about to leave for the second time to study a masters in Finland for 2 years but before he left he asked whether he could pop over and 'jam' a couple of the tunes from the album for a video on youtube. Obviously I agreed and here's the result. You can buy his album here - http://robbiesherratt.com/shop

Stafforshire Folk Tunes by Sean Heeley - Potters Hay / Morris Dance with Robbie Sherratt

So haven't played flute in aaaagggeeeesssss so I thought I'd learn a few Jigs off the lads in Pons Aelius . This set is in a few odd keys and I had fun trying to learn all of Sam Partidges flutey stuff. Didn't spend any time editing this really so its rough as old ropes but that's the spirit of the thing eh. So its the band on the left and me on the right in the mix.

Pons Alias - Mollys Jigs (feat. me On Flute)

Here's a track I recorded with Tom Fletcher. He wrote the composition and we recorded it live at Blank Studios. It's unedited, unmixed and unmastered... I think it sounds good though.

TD Fletcher- Slow And Fast Tune

Steffy played the piano on this one, it's all his graft. Pretty mint.

Kieran Szifris

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