Fraser Fifield - Stereocanto

(November 2009) 9 tracks: Stereocanto * Cabin Fever * Snakes Well * Miss Anna Marie * Angel's * Stuff The Dragon * Wrath And Love * Orreal * Lochan.

Fraser Fifield's fourth album Stereocanto is an innovative mix of original compositions, featuring his virtuoso playing on low whistle, Highland pipes, soprano saxophone, Bulgarian kaval (end-blow flute), Highland hornpipe, practice chanter and percussion.

This is layered with his own synths, beats and programming and backed up by Alyn Cosker (drums) and Graeme Stephen (guitar) - also featured are Mario Caribe (bass), Vicky Fifield (strings) and Peter Tickell (fiddle).

Fraser's creative traditional and jazz stylings, his compositions and musical language are uniquely his own. One of Scotland's most creative musicians, his distillation of influences from diverse sources has lead to a growing catalogue of critically acclaimed recordings. Fraser is also known to many for his work with various Scottish bands and musicians that cross a whole spectrum of music making, including Salsa Celtica, Old Blind Dogs, Wolfstone, Mr McFall's Chamber and many more.

"I'm aware that my opinion may be completely different from other people's – that's the beauty of music, isn't it? It unites and divides - but for me the music I started learning when I was nine years old remains at the core of everything I do." (Fraser Fifield)

"Detailed, sophisticated Scots-Balkan mix... Demands close attention and detailed listening to bring out its inner beauty... An almost sensuous beauty in its harmonies and gentle melodic motion – but its complex structure and thoughtful development only begins to reveal itself over repeated hearings... It's the interplay between intellectual construction, fleeting modal improvisations and sheer emotional sensuality of the music that makes this such a satisfying, and strikingly unified, piece of work." (Songlines)

"May have its heart in his Aberdeenshire homeland and the bagpipe training he received there, but it is music with a panoramic sweep... Coalesced into a tightly executed and truly satisfying whole... Fifield and his extraordinarily fluent and creative guitarist, Graeme Stephen, have developed an almost fraternal understanding... Their collective experience produces a group that can play with both freedom and organisation, incorporating electronic gadgetry, propulsive grooves, hard-rock menace, romantic impressionism and... Exhilarating Bhangra-style riffing..." (Rob Adams, The Herald)

"The overlap between the Scottish folk and jazz scenes has been a rich source of invention in recent years, but even in this context, multi-instrumentalist Fraser Fifield has emerged as one of today's outstanding talents..." (Sunday Herald)

"An album that's jazz, rock, a bit folk, a bit dance - and wholly amazing... If you would normally run screaming at the 'jazz' and 'fusion', relax and immerse yourself in the joy of music making that bursts out of this record..." (R2 - Rock and Reel)

"There are nine precise measures of vivacity on this album... Seductive passion and driving emotion mingle with boundless energy and inventive improvisation to deliver a work of genius..." (Folkwords)