The Dawning marks another significant step for Graham Mackenzie in a career that has already achieved more than seems feasible for a 30-year-old. He wasn’t even in his teens when he became the youngest-ever winner of the Danny Kyle Award in 2004, and both his playing and his compositions have regularly been rewarded with similar recognitions ever since. It’s been six years since the release of his first solo album, Crossing Borders, but he’s been far from idle during that time, actively pursuing the collaborations that have become his stock in trade. Like many Scottish and Irish fiddlers/violinists, from the outset, he was playing both classical and traditional music, the classical more recently finding an outlet with the French baroque ensemble Les Musiciens de Saint Julien. Tradition-wise, he’s been busy with Assynt, the trio he formed with piper David Sheddon and guitarist Innes White, a second album is due soon. In search of other inspiration, he was involved from the outset with the Grit Orchestra, the group of musicians that so memorably achieved what was long considered impossible, bringing Martyn Bennett’s music to live performance. In a related vein, he’s worked with The Undivided, a folk/jazz fusion project fronted by Mike McGoldrick and Neil Yates, two musicians who now return the compliment by playing on The Dawning, with Mike also heavily involved as album producer alongside Graham.
All these experiences have encouraged Graham to make The Dawning a more varied album when compared to its predecessor, which he described as being “centred around string quartet writing”. The difference isn’t immediately apparent as the first track, a set of three reels opens with a violin and piano passage that re-establishes one of the great strengths of the earlier album, the uncanny rapport between Graham on violin and pianist Jim Molyneaux. That relationship is again at the heart of the new album, and it’s no surprise when, as the first tune of the set evolves, they are joined by the acoustic guitar of Innes Watson, also reprising his rôle from Crossing Borders. His guitar rhythms, along with bass lines from James Lindsay, are vital components of all the arrangements. Here, the guitar leads the way as the tempo quickens for the second and third tunes of the set.
The pace slackens for the next piece, Earn River, delightfully atmospheric fiddle, piano and a paired back arrangement that allows the bass to fill much of the space along with a hint of the McGoldrick flute. Bridge Street Reels follows, a piece that radically changes the mood of the album when the piano chords that had accompanied the fiddle melody for the best part of a minute are supplemented by bursts of brass. This is jazz multi-instrumentalist Neil Yates bringing trumpet, sax and flugelhorn into the mix, a contribution that develops during the remainder of the track, at times pushing the arrangement towards big band territory as the brass punctuates the melody lines. It’s what an anonymous Times reviewer of the Grit Orchestra called “parping brass”, and it’s so appropriate I just had to borrow it. In three other pieces, The Road to Monalea, The Beatons of Mabou and Josh’s Jigs, the brass takes on a similar rôle, most prominently in Monalea, the fourth part of which is a Liz Carroll tune, Lizzie in the Lowground. Here the brass lets rip, trumpet to the fore, and the tune really swings in an arrangement definitely reminiscent of a 1940s big band. Surprising? Yes. Uplifting? Certainly; and thoroughly enjoyable. For Josh’s Jigs, the brass section is expanded a little, with Glasgow-based jazz saxophonist Matt Carmichael joining in the fun.
Ardtun is a much more sedate piece, written by Graham during a stay on Mull, but at least one brass instrument finds a place. The tune’s opening is notable, just bass and keyboard in which Jim forsakes his piano for an electronic equivalent. I suspect he also does this in other arrangements, but it’s likely not so noticeable within the more complex mixes. Neil’s contribution to the later parts of Ardtun, flugelhorn lyrically duetting with Graham’s fiddle, gives the brass sound a startlingly different context, one that injects a comforting warmth into the piece. Mike McGoldrick’s flute has been in the background during most of the tracks mentioned so far but comes more to the fore on Belmaduthy and Cula Bay. Both pieces build around fiddle and flute duets with Cula Bay also notable for its atmospheric keyboard lines and Innes introducing an electric guitar.
Graham’s exceptional musical talent has long been recognised, and it has opened doors to a wealth of opportunities. A first degree at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester didn’t just hone his performance and composing skills in classical music by day but also led him into Manchester’s predominantly Irish pub session scene by night, where a firm friendship with Mike McGoldrick was established. A friendship that later helped open up the world of folk/jazz crossovers for Graham. A placement at Cape Breton University was a bonus, introducing him to a different style of fiddle playing and forging more long-lasting friendships. Into this heady mix of influences and opportunities, Graham has brought another vital quality, the vision to realise what could be achieved. The Dawning is such a richly textured collection of music; it truly is an album that continues to reward each listen, you can imagine how often I’ve listened to it, and I’m still hearing new delights. Graham and the six musicians he assembled can proudly take their place in that select but growing group who have succeeded in fusing the styles and techniques of the folk tradition with the structures of jazz. And, with Graham’s violin, there’s just a glimpse into the classical world as well. They have created music that delights and intrigues in equal measure but, above all, is just hugely enjoyable.
The Dawning Track listings:
- The Contradiction Reels
- Earn River
- Bridge Street Reels
- Belmaduthy
- The Road to Monalea
- Ardtun
- Cula Bay
- The Beatons of Mabou
- Josh’s Jigs
- Kirkhill