Caught & Released By Pete Clark & Gregor Lowrey available from Music In Scotland.

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Caught & Released

The new album from:

Pete Clark (fiddle) and Gregor Lowrey (accordion)

This recording is in response to the many requests we’ve had during our annual ‘Troot Tour’, a venture born of our mutual passion for trout and tunes. What better way to spend a week than playing music and fishing in beautiful and remote parts of Scotland.

The tunes are:

1 Marnoch’s: A strathspey and three reels – Marnoch’s, Glen Lyon, the Pitnacree Ferryman and Glen Ogil. We're not sure who Marnoch was, but the reels are all named after places in Perthshire.

2 Donald’s: A slow strathspey by Gregor for our friend, artist Donald Mackenzie of Tarskavaig, Isle of Skye, followed by a couple of jigs, the Blue Studio and the Old Forge. The Blue studio is a wonderland of Donald’s paintings. His work is delightful and guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. The Old Forge at Inverie, Knoydart, is the remotest pub in Britain. Owners Ian and Jackie Robertson have been very kind to us during the Troot Tours, so this tune is a wee thank you. The set concludes with a reel, Sedgehead, which commemorates the time on Loch Craggie, Sutherland, when Gregor managed to embed a large artificial sedge fly in my forehead. Rather than cut the trip short, I cut the line and fished the rest of the day with an extra eyebrow.

3 Sarah: One of our favourite waltzes composed by the well-known Dumfries accordionist Max Houliston on the birth of his nephew’s daughter. While visiting Tongue during our most recent Troot Tour, Gregor and I had the great pleasure of meeting Kenny Wilson, who played fiddle in Max’s band for many years and was first to record this beautiful melody.

4 Skinner: A march, strathspey and reel by James Scott Skinner (1843 – 1927). Dumbarton Castle, the Miller o’ Hirn and Bonnie Banchory.

5 The Dean Brig: A slow strathspey by Airchie Allan (1794 - 1831) of Forfar followed by a couple of hornpipes – Banks by Parazotti and Mme. Neruda by James Scott Skinner.

6 Whisky & Beer: Music by two of Perthshire’s greatest musicians, a medley of tunes with a common theme! Niel Gow’s slow air and strathspeys Farewell to Whisky, Whisky Welcome Back Again and Highland Whisky followed by the Jig o’ Beer and the Famous Baravan by Gordon Duncan.

7 Gordy’s: Gordon Duncan (1964-2005) was an incredibly skilled musician and a gifted tunesmith. He may be no longer with us, but his music lives on. This set begins with two pipe marches, the two-four march PM Sandy Spence and the six-eight march PM Bill Hepburn. A jig and two reels follow. The Panda – named after Jock Duncan’s (Gordon’s dad) Fiat car – precedes the Ramnee Ceilidh and the High Drive. (The high drive is a wee road high above the A9 in Perthshire which follows the line of the old road.)

8 MacCzardas: Pete's first violin teacher was the inspirational Harry Grant from Saline in Fife. He introduced Pete to the challenge of Monti’s Czardas. A few years ago, while working with John Logan and other members of the Scottish National Orchestra, Pete had the idea of inserting the Fairy Dance into the middle of Monti’s masterpiece, and “MacCzardas was born!

9 Midnight Waltz: Pete previously recorded this gorgeous tune in 1996 (on his “Fiddlecase” album). It was composed by mandolin player Bobby Clark (no relation) from Texas, and Pete first heard it played by Jim Chancellor (“Texas Shorty”) in Tennessee.

10 Bruce Sandison’s: Pete composed this wee two-step for angler and writer Bruce Sandison. Bruce lives near Tongue in Sutherland and has been tremendously helpful to us during our Troot Tours. Thank you Bruce!

11 Pennan Den: This poignant slow air was composed by James Watt (1832 – 1909) who was a fisherman turned schoolteacher in the wee village of Pennan.

12 Cubanola: This rumba by Pietro Frosini is a favourite of Gregor’s and great fun to play. Pietro was a Sicilian by birth but spent the greater part of his life in the USA.

13 Tarskavaig Sunset: Three of our own tunes: Tarskavaig Sunset, a slow air, and Ian and the Argocat, a reel, by Gregor and Indiana Harris, a reel by Pete.
Tarskavaig is located in the south-west of Skye. The village hall is one of our Troot Tour venues and has a superb backdrop of the Cuillins (when they are visible) behind which the sun sets in midsummer.
Ian Smart, son-in-law of Bruce Sandison, is a gamekeeper/gillie near tongue. During our third Troot Tour, he was kind enough to transport Gregor and me on his all-terrain vehicle – the Argocat - to a distant wee loch full of wild brown trout.
Drew Harris (or “Indiana” as we call him) is quite a character! He has been extremely helpful in putting us where the trout are during our visits to Knoydart. Thanks Drew!

14 Gaelic Waltzes: A nice gentle end to the album, three of our favourite Gaelic Waltzes – My Mother by Neil MacLean and My Home and Fair Jean, both traditional, which means that the composer(s) are unknown.

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Snaps & clips from The Troot Tour 2012 with excerpts from Pete & Gregor's album, 'Caught & Released'.

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