Hamish Napier

Music:

Member Since: 27/08/2006
Band Members: HAMISH NAPIER QUARTET PICSSome of the recordings here that play on this page are a recent project of mine THE HAMISH NAPIER QUARTET. 'Taybank', 'Radio Sweethearts', 'Catch and Kiss' and 'Absynthe Makes the Heart Grow Fonder'. 'Taybank' and 'Radio Sweethearts' were recorded at Strathclyde University BAAM Studios by brilliant engineer Barry 'Spad' Reid , and then mixed by Spad in his own studio. The line up for this recording was drummer Michael Law (The Fortunate Sons) , double bassist James Lindsay and fiddler Adam Sutherland (Session A9). None of the music here is on general release and tunes here were written by ROSS AINSLIE (Taybank Shenanigans), GORDON DUNCAN (Clueless) and ALY BAIN (Andy Broon's). 'Radio Sweethearts' was written by JOHN MCCUSKER and JOHN MILLER. Weegie rhythm maestro Ifedade Thomas joins us for the live sets "Absinthe makes the Heart Grow Fonder" (ROSS AINSLIE) and "Catch and Kiss" (DAVIS MILLIGAN). These were recorded at a corporate gig (our first gig), where were the house band for a prize-giving ceremony called 'The Modern Scottish Apprenticeship Awards 2008"!The set of 3 original flute tunes is named after the middle reel entitled 'Offensive Doctor Flute Pervert'. The first is the 'Minerva Street Waltz' and the last one is 'Unfortune-ventura'. The recording was made at a live gig with me on wooden flute, fiddler Shona Mooney (The Shee) and the fantastic Innes Watson (Rule of 3) on guitar.I also play wooden flute with Màiri Sìne Chaimbeul on her MACMEANMNA release 'Thall an Loch Aillse'.The tin whistle set features a great John McCusker tune 'The Shetland Molecule', a tune by Brian Finnegan entitled 'Hamish Napier's' and a traditional Irish jig 'Loch Gowna'. Ali Hutton plays guitar and bodhran.The Eddie Reader track 'Comin' Through the Rye' is from her rerelease of her Burns' recordings 'The Songs of Robert Burns - Deluxe Edition', and features a Mairearad Green tune 'The Dram Behind the Curtain'. As well as her full studio band, the track features the great Anna Massie Band, plus me on piano and whistle.Corrie dick (drums), James Lindsay (bass) and Leo Forde (electric guitar) join me on the soul jazz classic 'Cold Duck Time'. These are some of my fellow classmates from the BA Applied Music course at Strathclyde Uni. We play on the first Thursday of every month at Gallus, 80 Dumbarton Road, Glasgow.
Influences: PIANO: Brian MacAlpine (Session A9), Andy Thorburn (Blazing Fiddles), John R Burr (Alison Brown Quartet), Russell Ferrante (Yellowjackets) and David Milligan. SINGING: Paul Brady, Dougie MacLean, Nic Jones, Don MacLean, Ray Charles, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Dan Tyminski and Justin Currie (Del Amitri)FLUTES AND WHISTLES: Brian Finnegan (Flook), Mike McGoldrick, Marc Duff (Capercailllie), Seamus Egan (Solas), Matt Molloy, Fraser Fifield, Niall Keegan, Iain MacDonald, Kevin Crawford (Lunasa), Diarmaid Moynihan (Calico), and Rory Campbell (Old Blind Dogs)
Sounds Like: BACK OF THE MOON EUROPEAN TOURSThe press said..."MY PERSONAL STANDOUT SONG WAS [HAMISH] NAPIER JNR'S BEAUTIFULLY MODULATED, ACHINGLY POIGNANT RENDITION OF [SCOTS SONG] GIN I WAS A BARON'S HEIR, BLENDING AN APT BOYISH LIGHTNESS WITH AN INTENSITY OF YEARNING THAT RAISED A MAJOR LUMP IN THE THROAT." The Scotsman, Hamish with 'Back of the Moon' "...HAMISH NAPIER EXCELLING ON THE QUIETER AND MORE SENSITIVE SONGS...MY FAVOURITE IS THE SONG BARON OF BRACKLEY...IS WONDERFULLY SUNG BY HAMISH, WHOSE ACCOMPANIMENT ..BOARDS IS ALWAYS EXCELLENT." Living Tradition Magazine, Hamish with 'Back of the Moon' "PIANO, FLUTE, WHISTLE, SINGING AND STEP DANCING, HAMISH NAPIER IS ONE OF THE FINEST YOUNG MUSICIANS IN SCOTLAND. A MULTI-TALENTED BUNDLE OF ENERGY, HIS MUSIC IS INVIGORATING, PASSIONATE AND STEEPED IN TRADITION. PAIR HIM WITH OTHER YOUNG MUSICIANS SUCH AS HIS BROTHER FINDLAY NAPIER, ANNA MASSIE, ALI HUTTON, ROSS AINSLIE AND INNES WATSON - ALL OF WHOM REPRESENT THE CREAM OF THE CROP - AND YOU HAVE THE MAKINGS OF A CRACKING AND ENLIGHTENING NIGHT." John Morran, Development Worker for TMSA, on The Hamish Napier Duo
Record Label: Footstompin Records (with band 'Back of the Moon')
Type of Label: Unsigned