Release Date: 12 May 2017
Label: Haystack Records
Packaging Type: Digipak
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 5051078952826
Genres: Folk Scottish Folk
Description
It's not every day that one of the world's best known, best loved folk festivals invites an artist to preview their debut album, but that's what happened to Ross Couper and Tom Oakes in 2017.
OK, so the duo in question is far from an emerging act: Ross Couper and Tom Oakes have been playing together for almost a decade, their gig totalizer exceeding the 1,000 mark, but Celtic Connections knew that this debut album would offer something special. After all, this is a duo that has earnt its stripes and shaped its sound on the road.
Ross and Tom are virtuosic musicians that understand that simplicity is key. Whereas virtuosity alone can leave audiences bereft of any real connection, simplicity involves the listener, reeling them in. it makes the virtuosity, when it appears, virtuous.
Starting with a simplistic name, Fiddle & Guitar, the album adheres to their simple formula: two musicians, two instruments, and a powerful, compelling compendium of tunes they have honed over the years. There are no guests, no overdubs.
In short, this is a fitting debut. It's as a listener would find them on stage: a blisteringly, high octane set on a high profile stage, where listeners cannot quite comprehend that it's just two musicians in front of them.
Tracklisting
The Teacups
The Tweed Project
The Teacups
Will Finn & Rosie Calvert
Ross Couper & Tom Oakes
Gavin Davenport
The Teacups
Monster Ceilidh Band
Julie Fowlis, Eamon Doorley, Zoe Conway, John McIntyre
The Golden Tree
Mairearad Green & Rachel Newton
Various Artists
Laura Jane Wilkie
Rachel Newton
The Golden Tree
Kris Drever
