Rare Air

Last updated
Rare Air
Also known asNa Cabarfeidh
GenresCeltic folk
Years active1970s–1991 (1991)
Labels Green Linnet Records, Flying Fish Records

Rare Air, formerly Na Cabarfeidh, was a Canadian band that played an eccentric mix of instruments, including bagpipes, flutes, whistles, bombardes, bass guitar, and keyboards. [1] Its first two albums were released under the name Na Cabarfeidh and the following four under the new name, Rare Air.

Contents

History

The group was founded in the late 1970s as a Celtic folk music band, was originally led by bagpipers Grier Coppins and Pat O'Gorman. [2] [3] The name Na Cabarfeidh means "the Cabarfeidh" in Gaelic, referring to the Cabar Feidh Pipe Band in which they had both played.

In 1982, Na Cabarfeidh released an album produced by Sometimes We Do This Musical Productions. At the time of album, the band included Ian Goodfellow, Grier Coppins, Richard Murai, Patrick O'Gorman, and Trevor Ferrier. The instruments on this album were Great Highland Bagpipes, acoustic guitar, long drum, whistle, bombarde, biniou koz, peaucloche, voices, cylinder drums, and tabla. The song Bretonia was based on a melody of a Breton love song, "J'ai travaillé la longue des jours," as sung to the band by Pierrig Hercelin of Les Fougerets. Their sound was a fusion of Celtic, rock and a Caribbean beat.

After the band's second album, Rare Air, Goodfellow left, and the band changed its name to the more easily pronounced Rare Air. [1] In 1985, the group released Mad Plaid on the Flying Fish label. [4]

Rare Air toured the world, and extensively in the southern United States. Their early music took the sounds of Celtic music from Scotland, Ireland, Brittany and North America and combined it with funky bass rhythms and driving polyrhythmic percussion. [5] [6] In 1990, two of the four founding members, Trevor Ferrier and Richard Murai, left to pursue their own musical interests, and the band changed musical direction with the addition of Christian Frappier, Jeff Gill and Rich Greenspoon. Rare Air's music became more jazz-oriented and it was soon tagged with the "jazz fusion" label.

After the last album, Space Piper, the group disbanded.

Discography

Related Research Articles

Bagpipes Musical instrument

Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Scottish Great Highland bagpipes are the best known examples in the Anglophone world; however, people have played bagpipes for centuries, and they occur throughout large parts of Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, including Anatolia, the Caucasus, and around the Persian Gulf. The term bagpipe is equally correct in the singular or plural, though pipers usually refer to the bagpipes as "the pipes", "a set of pipes" or "a stand of pipes".

Great Highland bagpipe type of bagpipe native to Scotland

The Great Highland bagpipe is a type of bagpipe native to Scotland. It has acquired widespread recognition through its usage in the British military and in pipe bands throughout the world.

Music of Scotland overview of music traditions in Scotland

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.

The traditional music of Galicia and Asturias, located along Spain's north-west Atlantic coast, are highly distinctive folk styles that have some similarities with the neighbouring area of Cantabria. The music is characterized by the use of bagpipes.

Celtic rock is a genre of folk rock, as well as a form of Celtic fusion which incorporates Celtic music, instrumentation and themes into a rock music context. It has been extremely prolific since the early 1970s and can be seen as a key foundation of the development of highly successful mainstream Celtic bands and popular musical performers, as well as creating important derivatives through further fusions. It has played a major role in the maintenance and definition of regional and national identities and in fostering a pan-Celtic culture. It has also helped to communicate those cultures to external audiences.

<i>Voyager</i> (Mike Oldfield album) 1996 studio album by Mike Oldfield

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.

Gaelic Storm Celtic band

Gaelic Storm is a Celtic band founded in Santa Monica, California in 1996. Their musical output includes pieces from traditional Irish music, Scottish music, and original tunes in both the Celtic and Celtic rock genres. The band had its first big break in 1997, appearing in the blockbuster film, Titanic and recording songs on the movie's soundtrack. Their most recent album, Go Climb A Tree, was released on July 28, 2017.

Peatbog Faeries Scottish Celtic fusion band

The Peatbog Faeries are a largely instrumental Celtic fusion band. Formed in 1991, they are based in Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.

Celtic fusion, any modern music which incorporates influences considered "Celtic", or Celtic music which incorporates modern music. It is a syncretic musical tradition which borrows freely from the perceived "Celtic" musical traditions of all the Celtic nations, as well as from all styles of popular music, it is thus sometimes associated with the Pan-Celtic movement. Celtic fusion may or may not include authentic traditional music from any one tradition under the Celtic umbrella, but its common characteristic is the inspiration by Celtic identity.

Seven Nations is a Celtic rock band that formed in New York City in 1993. The name comes from the seven Celtic nations, including Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, and Galicia. The band tours extensively and has played in many diverse venues, from small bars to concert halls. They were previously known as Clan Na Gael, but lost that name due to a trademark dispute. At just that time, they got a huge sponsor, allowing them expanded notoriety.

Bad Haggis is a Celtic band with roots in Scottish music. The American group is led by piper Eric Rigler, who has played on dozens of movie soundtracks. A tune by Bad Haggis was used in the first season of Crossing Jordan, and pipes and whistles played by Eric Rigler are still heard regularly on the show.

Gordon Duncan was a bagpiper, low whistle player and composer, born in Turriff, Aberdeenshire.

Eric Rigler American musician

Eric Rigler is an American player of the Uilleann pipes, Great Highland Bagpipes, and tin whistle. He performs as a solo artist and with the band Bad Haggis, and has been featured on a number of movie soundtracks. He has been described as "the most recorded bagpiper of all time". He has been playing all forms of bagpipes and tin whistles since he was a child, performing solo, with bagpipe bands and other musical groups.

Fred Morrison Scottish musician

Fred Morrison is a Scottish musician and composer. He has performed professionally on the Great Highland Bagpipes, Scottish smallpipes, Border pipes, low whistle, Northumbrian Smallpipes and uilleann pipes.

Mark Saul born March 9, is a Celtic fusion musician from Melbourne, Australia. He plays bagpipes, wooden flute, and tin whistle.

Red Hot Chilli Pipers band that plays Celtic rock

Red Hot Chilli Pipers are a Celtic rock band from Scotland. Formed in 2002, they became popular internationally in 2007 after winning the BBC talent show When Will I Be Famous?

Prydein (band)

Prydein is an American Celtic rock group formed in 1999. They are notable for their use of bagpipes in a rock band setting. They were formed in Burlington, Vermont, and have released five albums to date. Prydein has played many major festivals up and down the East Coast and the Midwest United States, including the Celtic Classic, New Hampshire Highland Games, and the Detroit Highland Games, and have been featured at the Eastern States Exposition for five years and the New World Festival for 10 years.

Triddana is an Argentinian Power Folk Metal band formed in 2011, after several members departed from Skiltron. Triddana's music is a fusion of Scottish and Irish folk and powerful pure metal. The name of the band is taken from the Irish word "troideanna", which means "Fights" or "Battles". The current lineup consists of Juan José Fornés, Pablo Allen, Diego Rodríguez (bass) and Joaquín Franco (drums).

Treacherous Orchestra

Treacherous Orchestra are a Scottish 12-piece Celtic fusion band. The band blends Scottish traditional music with other influences such as folk, rock and punk. Instruments used include bagpipes, accordion, bodhrán, fiddle and tin whistle as well as guitars, bass and drums. The Guardian described them as "a Scottish folk big band, celebrated for their furious live performances and impressive musicianship". They first played together at Celtic Connections in 2009, and were nominated for the Scottish Album of the Year awards in 2015.

References

  1. 1 2 3 " Na Cabarfeidh Rare Air". AllMusic Review by Richard Foss
  2. "Older but still useful". Green Man Review, 28 May 2000
  3. "AlgomaTrad Family Music, Dance and Arts Camp founders insist that although raw musical talent is sweet, passion is key for anyone primed to learn the craft". Sault Star, By Pauline Clark, August 14, 2015
  4. Reviews: Pop - Recommended. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 12 January 1985. pp. 101–. ISSN   0006-2510.
  5. June Skinner Sawyers (2001). Celtic Music: A Complete Guide. Perseus (for Hbg). pp. 310–. ISBN   978-0-306-81007-7.
  6. "Music Review", The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Kentucky, March 19, 1989, Page 8. via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Great Highland Bagpipe". The Canadian Encyclopedia David Waterhouse. 02/07/2006
  8. " Rare Air Mad Plaid". AllMusic Review by Richard Foss
  9. 1 2 "Artists > Rare Air" . Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  10. "Green Linnet". The Irish Music Review.