Scottish-born, London-based fingerstyle guitarist and songwriter Sam Grassie has shared a video for the title track of his latest EP, Jarabi, Winter has Gone, described as a marriage of celtic trad and malian blues. The album was released in January and is available to order on Bandcamp here.
Grassie’s fusion of celtic trad and malian blues is quite stunning in execution, with Iona Zajac‘s Clarsach lending a kora-like vibe and Joshua Cobb’s bass adding depth to Grassie’s engaging and vivid guitar lines. The mantra-like lyrics are actually taken from the trad song “Come O My Love”:
“The Winter has gone and the leaves turn green
The Winter has gone and the leaves turn green
Your innocent face, I wish I never had seen”
Dennis O’Brien filmed the video while they cycled across eastern Europe.
Sam shared this about the video on Instagram, also revealing that he now has a debilitating condition: The video is comprised of footage from a cycle trip that took us from Riga, Latvia to Istanbul through the Transfăgărășan mountain range in Romania. It was on this trip that I developed strange symptoms, that I ignored and kept cycling. Upon arriving home I collapsed and have had M.E/CFS since. This long lost footage provokes various emotions. Ultimately I should have gone home. However cycling and hammocking is the best way to spend your time. Go and do it this summer if you are well. If you catch a virus, rest- don’t cycle another 1500 miles to go to a psytrance festival for ten days.
It’s a beautiful gem and also our Song of the Day.
Try and catch Sam live if you can, he has some dates coming up (keep up via his Instagram here).