Sandy Bell's is a bar in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located on Forrest Road, in the Old Town area of the city. It is known locally and internationally for its live traditional music sessions. [1] [2]
Sandy Bell's original name was 'The Forrest Hill Buffet', later becoming 'The Forrest Hill Bar'. The bar's current name derives from the building’s 1920s owner Mrs Bell; the origin of the name 'Sandy' is, however, uncertain. [3]
Sandy Bell's gained notoriety during the Scottish Folk Revival of the 1950s-1970s, when musicians playing traditional Scottish music would regularly take part in music sessions there. [4] Musicians who frequented the bar at this time included Phil Cunningham, Barbara Dickson and Billy Connolly. [5]
A fortnightly magazine called 'The Sandy Bell's Broadsheet' was published during this period by pub regulars including Ian Green, founder of Greentrax Records. Editorial meetings took place in the pub, which also served as its correspondence address. [6]
During the revival, and until his death in 2002, Sandy Bell's was regularly visited by the folklorist Hamish Henderson. [7] Sandy Bell's is located close to the University of Edinburgh, where Henderson worked at the School of Scottish Studies. A bust of Henderson is displayed above the bar in Sandy Bell's. [8]
During the 1970s an album entitled Sandy Bell’s Ceilidh was recorded on the premises, including performances by Aly Bain, Dick Gaughan and The McCalmans. [9] The McCalmans and Aly Bain lived nearby during this period, and musicians who wanted to keep playing after Sandy Bell's closed would sometimes congregate in their flat to do so. [10]
(James) Hamish Scott Henderson was a Scottish poet, songwriter, communist, intellectual and soldier. He was a catalyst for the folk revival in Scotland. He was also an accomplished folk song collector and discovered such notable performers as Jeannie Robertson, Flora MacNeil and Calum Johnston. Born in Blairgowrie, Perthshire on the first Armistice Day 11 November 1919, to a single mother, Janet Henderson, a Queen's Nurse who had served in France, and was then working in the war hospital at Blair Castle. His name was recorded at registration as James but he preferred the Scots form Hamish.
Barbara Ruth Dickson is a Scottish singer and actress whose hits include "I Know Him So Well", "Answer Me" and "January February". Dickson has placed fifteen albums on the UK Albums Chart from 1977 to date, and had a number of hit singles, including four which reached the top 20 on the UK Singles Chart. The Scotsman newspaper has described her as Scotland's best-selling female singer in terms of the numbers of hit chart singles and albums she has achieved in the UK since 1976.
The Boys of the Lough is a Scottish-Irish Celtic music band active since the 1970s.
Richard Peter Gaughan is a Scottish musician, singer and songwriter, particularly of folk and social protest songs. He is regarded as one of Scotland's leading singer-songwriters.
Jean Redpath MBE was a Scottish folk singer, educator and musician.
Greentrax Recordings are a Scottish record label that specialises in Scottish traditional music.
Aly Bain MBE is a Scottish fiddler who learned his instrument from the old-time master Tom Anderson. The former First Minister of Scotland Jack McConnell called Bain a "Scottish icon."
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.
Nick Keir was a Scottish musician from Edinburgh, Scotland, who is best known for his work with The McCalmans. More recently Keir emerged as a singer-songwriter, producing three solo albums and performing as a soloist with The Tolkien Ensemble. Keir regularly played in both Scotland and Denmark at folk festivals and on tours, both with The McCalmans and also at solo gigs.
Philip Martin Cunningham, MBE is a Scottish folk musician and composer. He is best known for playing the accordion with Silly Wizard, as well as in other bands and in duets with his brother, Johnny. When they played together, they would egg each other on to play faster and faster, and try, light-heartedly, to trip each other up.
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.
The Coleherne Arms 1866 public house was a gay pub in west London. Located at 261 Old Brompton Road, Earl's Court, it was a well-known music venue from the 1950s, and a popular landmark leather bar during the 1970s and 1980s. In 2008, it was rebranded as a gastropub, The Pembroke.
Malinky is a Scottish folk band specialising in Scots song, formed in autumn 1998.
"Peerie" Willie Johnson was a Scottish folk guitarist and bassist. He was respected as an influential and innovative musician in the Shetland folk scene. Since 2005 there has been a "Peerie" Willie Guitar Festival" each year on the islands.
Savourna Stevenson is a Scottish clàrsach player and composer.
Jim Reid was a Scottish folk musician who was born in Dundee. Many of his songs are about his home town of Dundee and the people and places of the surrounding county of Angus.
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.
Arthur Argo (1935–1981) was a Scottish traditional folk musician, promoter and collector and the great grandson of Gavin Greig.
Rachel Sermanni is a Scottish folk musician from Carrbridge in Strathspey. She has toured with a number of well-known folk and indie artists in the United Kingdom. Her debut studio album was released in September 2012.
Alex Hodgson is a Scottish folk singer/songwriter signed to the record label Greentrax Recordings. In his early professional career, Alex was the drummer and lead vocalist of The Last Resort alongside working as a technician at Edinburgh City Art Centre and then Preston Lodge High School however began to focus on his solo career after his first album launch with Greentrax Recordings 'Jeelie Jars and Coalie Backies' in July, 2010. His second album 'The Brig Tae Nae Where', was met with positive reviews by the Scottish Folk scene and several tracks were used for local historical exhibitions. Notably including 'The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh exhibition in Musselburgh Museum, Scots Language Centre and on the album 'The Music & Song of Great Tapestry of Scotland' which also featured The Proclaimers, The Battlefield Band, Gordon Gunn and Alastair Mcdonald.
55°56′46″N3°11′29″W / 55.9461°N 3.1913°W
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