Description
Tom Ward is a highly regarded musician on the Scottish music scene where he is a leading exponent of the concertina. He has taught the instrument to various musicians and has been invited to music festivals to do workshops on the concertina.
On the album Tom plays concertina, guitar, Scottish small pipes and whistle, and also sings on a couple of tracks, while Brian Miller guests on guitar on one track.
Tom started strumming the guitar when he was a teenager but later developed a love of the concertina, which became his instrument of choice. He went on to buy several concertinas, including a bass concertina, bought from Ronnie Browne of The Corries, and is the one played on the last track of the album. Tom is a latecomer to the pipes and says he is still learning the basics of playing them. He is even more of a latecomer to the whistle which he bought specifically to play on the track - 'She Moved Through The Fair'.
Over the years Tom has played a variety of concertinas for different purposes and in different 'line-ups', too numerous to mention but including a duo with ace fiddler Chuck Fleming.
The album was recorded in Kitchen Table Studios, Edinburgh, but Brian Miller's guitar on 'Dill Pickle Rag' was recorded at Back Room Studios, Penicuik. Sleeve design by John Slavin of Designfolk. Photographs for front cover and inlay by Tom Ward. Tom also produced the album.