"One of the original cutting edge outfits
in Scotland continuing new roots revival!"
"The skill, talent and verve with which
they played, belied their laddishness and the
crowd responded with thunderous applause. Folk
is the new rock and roll." Shoots and Roots
Festival, April 1999 (Evening News).
Over the
years Old Blind Dogs have evolved and grown
into one of Scotland's favourite folk bands.
In the early days, the line-up consisted of:
Jonny Hardie, Buzzby McMillan, and Ian Benzie,
along with Dave Francis on percussion and Carmen
Higgins on fiddle . In 1992 Dave and Carmen
left, and Davy Cattanach joined the band (playing
percussion),
and they toured as a four piece for several
years. During this time they recorded four great
CDs
with Scotland's record label KRL - New Tricks,
Close to the Bone, Tall Tails and Legacy.
In
1996 Fraser Fifield became the fifth member
of the Old Blind Dogs, adding to the bands cutting
edge sound with his tasty jazz licks on the
sax
and his superb playing of the small pipes.
Their first album as a quintet - entitled Five,
aptly
enough, and released in 1997 - completed their
five-album deal with KRL. Then in early 1997
Graham 'Mop' Youngson (ex - Wolfstone) replaced
Davy Cattanach with his funky, hard-hitting
rhythm kit. The band was busy in 1998 touring
in America,
Germany, Spain, Denmark and the UK.
1999 saw
Old Blind Dogs embracing the New Year with a
new and evolved line up. lan Benzie retired
from the band in January, 1999. Fraser Fifield
also moved on to develop other musical projects.
The Old Blind Dogs continued on with the introduction
of another great Scottish singer and songwriter
Jim Malcolm and Rory Campbell (Deaf Shepherd)
on small pipes and whistles. Jim Malcolm is a
performer of traditional Scots music and song
with particular strong links to the ballads of
Perthshire and Angus. In addition he is a fine
exponent of simultaneous guitar and harmonica
playing. Rory Campbell will be most recognised
through his contributions in another great Scottish
Folk band - Deaf Shepherd. Rory's piping has
been described as 'crisp and tight', 'pipe tunes
with inexorable energy' and a 'glorious blare
of sound'. With Paul Jennings on percussion,
the new Dogs line-up released two CDs "The
World's Room", and "Fit".
2002 saw the exit of Paul Jennings and the entrance
of Fraser Stone on percussion as well as the
release of their third CD for Green Linnet, 'Gab
O Mey'. In 2003 Aaron Jones replaced Buzzby McMillan,
playing bass and bouzouki. The band continued
to tour extensively through 2004 and were rewarded
for their efforts with the 'Band of the Year'
Award at the Scots Trad Music Awards in the Queen's
Hall, Edinburgh. Plans for 2005 include concert
tours in USA, Canada and Europe AND the release
of a live CD.
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