| Grit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 13 October 2003 | |||
| Recorded | 2003 | |||
| Studio | Real World Studios | |||
| Genre | Celtic fusion | |||
| Length | 51:29 | |||
| Label | Real World Records | |||
| Producer | Martyn Bennett | |||
| Martyn Bennett chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Grit is the last studio album by the Scottish Celtic fusion artist Martyn Bennett. It was released on 13 October 2003 on the Real World label. [2]
The album was recorded while Bennett was ill and unable to play his instruments, [3] so instead he brought together samples of unaccompanied traditional Scottish folk singers, his own bagpipe and fiddle playing, and electronic drum beats. [2] [4] The opening track, Move, samples a recording of traditional singer Sheila Stewart performing Ewan MacColl’s Moving On Song. Stewart was delighted that he was taking her music to a new audience. [5] The album features many other traditional Scottish singers, including Lizzie Higgins and Scottish Gaelic singer Flora MacNeil, as well as Michael Marra narrating an English translation of psalm 118 in the track Liberation.
In Bennett's sleeve notes for Grit, he wrote, “In recent years so many representations of Scotland have been misty-lensed and fanciful to the point that the word ‘Celtic’ has really become a cloudy pigeon hole. This album was a chance for me to present a truthful picture, yet face my own reflection in the great mirror of all cultures.” [3] The album skillfully interweaves old and new sounds and has been "credited with starting the musical evolution of Celtic fusion". [3]
The album cover shows a photo of the artist standing on top of a hill, right behind a Trig - an Anagram of the album title.
Grit was re-released in May 2014 as part of the Real World Gold Series. [6] In July 2017 Real World released the album on vinyl. [7]
All tracks are written by Martyn Bennett, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Move" (Ewan MacColl, Yisrael Borochov, Bennett) | 4:10 |
| 2. | "Blackbird" | 6:10 |
| 3. | "Chanter" | 4:10 |
| 4. | "Nae Regrets" (Charles Dumont, Michel Vaucaire, Norman Newell, Bennett) | 3:50 |
| 5. | "Liberation" | 4:20 |
| 6. | "Why" | 4:30 |
| 7. | "Ale House" | 3:50 |
| 8. | "Wedding" | 5:45 |
| 9. | "Rant" | 4:31 |
| 10. | "Storyteller" (Bennett, Yussef 'ali Bakâsh) | 9:39 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Sky Blue (Martyn Bennett Remix)" (Peter Gabriel) | 5:19 |
| 12. | "Mackay's Memoirs" | 14:19 |
The opening event of the 2015 Celtic Connections festival was a new orchestral arrangement of the complete album, arranged and conducted by Greg Lawson under the title "Nae Regrets" to mark the tenth anniversary of Bennett's death. Musicians performing included the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, jazz musicians Phil and Tom Bancroft, singers Fiona Hunter, Annie Grace, Karen Matheson and Rab Noakes, and pipers Ross Ainslie, Calum MacCrimmon, Fraser Fifield and Ali Hutton. Lawson observed that "It's amazing how many people you need to accomplish what he did by himself." [8] The event was described in The Guardian as a "ballsy one-off". [9]
The song "Blackbird" was used in the soundtrack for Danny MacAskill's 2014 film, The Ridge. [10]
Scotland is internationally known for its traditional music, which remained vibrant throughout the 20th century and into the 21st, when many traditional forms worldwide lost popularity to pop music. In spite of emigration and a well-developed connection to music imported from the rest of Europe and the United States, the music of Scotland has kept many of its traditional aspects; indeed, it has itself influenced many forms of music.
Michael Marra was a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician from Dundee, Scotland. Known as the Bard of Dundee, Marra was a solo performer who toured the UK and performed in arts centres, theatres, folk clubs and village halls. While mainly known as a songwriter, he also worked extensively in theatre, radio and television. His songwriting was rooted in Scottish life and he found an audience within and beyond the folk music scene, which led to him working as a support musician for performers including Van Morrison, The Proclaimers, Barbara Dickson and Deacon Blue. His song "Hermless" was somewhat humorously suggested as a potential Scottish national anthem.
Bridget St John is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist, best known for the three albums she recorded between 1969 and 1972 for John Peel's Dandelion record label. Peel produced her debut album, Ask Me No Questions. She also recorded a large number of BBC Radio and Peel sessions and toured regularly on the British college and festival circuit. St John appeared at leading folk venues in the UK, along with other folk and pop luminaries of the time such as Nick Drake, Paul Simon, and David Bowie, among others. In 1974 she was voted fifth most popular female singer in that year's Melody Maker readers poll. Blessed with a "rich cello-like" vocal style, she is also an accomplished guitar player who credits John Martyn and Michael Chapman as her "musical brothers".
Martyn Bennett was a Canadian-Scottish musician who was influential in the evolution of modern Celtic fusion, a blending of traditional Celtic and modern music. He was a piper, violinist, composer and producer. He was an innovator and his compositions crossed musical and cultural divides. Sporting dreadlocks at the height of his performing career, his energetic displays led to descriptions such as "the techno piper". Diagnosis of serious illness at the age of thirty curtailed his live performances, although he completed a further two albums in the studio. He died fifteen months after release of his fifth album Grit.
Voyager is the 17th music album by Mike Oldfield, released in 1996 by Warner Music UK. It is a Celtic-themed album with new compositions intertwined with traditional pieces.
The Celtic Connections festival started in 1994 in Glasgow, Scotland, and has since been held every January. Featuring over 300 concerts, ceilidhs, talks, free events, late night sessions and workshops, the festival focuses on the roots of traditional Scottish music and also features international folk, roots and world music artists. The festival is produced and promoted by Glasgow Life. Donald Shaw, a founding member of Capercaillie, was appointed Celtic Connections Artistic Director in 2006.
Salsa Celtica are a Scottish group that plays a fusion of salsa music with traditional Scottish instruments, including elements of folk and jazz.
The Scots Trad Music Awards or Na Trads were founded in 2003 by Simon Thoumire to celebrate Scotland's traditional music in all its forms and create a high profile opportunity to bring the music and music industry into the spotlight of media and public attention. Nominations are made by the public and in 2019 over 100,000 public votes were expected across 18 categories.
Mouth Music is a Scottish-inspired musical project founded in 1988, whose combination of traditional Gaelic songs and music with contemporary instrumental and technological settings led them to international fame in the early 1990s.
Talitha MacKenzie is a Scottish-American world music recording artist, and historical dance and music teacher and performer. Initially known as a vocalist in the original duo Mouth Music, she has maintained a solo career. Although most associated with Celtic and Gaelic music, she performs a wide range of early music and dance, as well as her own compositions.
Donald Shaw, is a Scottish musician, composer, producer, and one of the founding members of the group Capercaillie. Shaw has composed for film and TV. In 2002, he won two Royal Television Society (RTS) awards for Best Soundtrack and Best Theme in UK television for the drama Crowdie and Cream. His score for the film Transition was BAFTA nominated for best soundtrack. In 2004, he composed Harvest, a commission for the opening night of Celtic Connections festival. He won the Scots Trad Music Composer of the Year award in December 2006.
Bothy Culture is the second studio album by the Scottish Celtic fusion artist Martyn Bennett, released in January 1998 on the Rykodisc label. After winning critical acclaim for his debut album Martyn Bennet (1996), Bothy Culture builds upon that album's mixing of Scottish Celtic music with farther, international folk music styles and contemporary electronic music. The album celebrates and draws upon the music of Bennett's native Gaeldom as well as the music of Islam and Scandinavia, with Bennett finding and emotionally connecting to the similarities between the geographically dispersed styles. It mixes the styles with contemporary electronic music such as breakbeat and drum and bass.
Mary Ann Kennedy, is a Scottish musician, singer, choral director, composer, radio and television presenter, and music producer.
Martin Swan is a Scottish multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, record producer, recording engineer and instrument designer.
Findlay Napier is a Scottish singer songwriter and teaching artist. He was a member of Scottish folk group Back of the Moon and runs music writing courses.
The School of Scottish Studies was founded in 1951 at the University of Edinburgh. It holds an archive of over 9000 field recordings of traditional music, song and other lore, housed in George Square, Edinburgh. The collection was begun by Calum Maclean - brother of the poet, Sorley MacLean - and the poet, writer and folklorist, Hamish Henderson, both of whom collaborated with American folklorist Alan Lomax, who is credited as being a catalyst and inspiration for the work of the school.
Isabella Margaret MacAskill was a heritage activist and traditional Scottish Gaelic singer and teacher, often referred to as the "Gaelic diva".
Niteworks is an Electronic Celtic fusion band from the Isle of Skye. The band are known for writing new songs in Gaelic and melding the bagpipes and Gaelic songs such as puirt a beul with techno and house beats.
Sarah Hayes is a British folk musician and multi-instrumentalist. She is a member of the indie folk band Admiral Fallow and also a solo artist.
Photos from the epic opening concert of Celtic Connections 2015.
Clips.
