Martyn Bennett

Neil McFadyen pays tribute to the man from Lochee, the bard of Dundee, the unique and irreplaceable Michael Marra who passed away peacefully at the city’s Ninewells Hospital earlier this week.

Rachel Newton’s ‘The Shadow Side’ delights beyond words. There’s something for everyone in here – innovative harp/electro-harp loops and experiments; the darkest of traditional ballads; soothing Gaelic song and enchanting vocal performances.

Watch the official video to Martyn Bennett’s ‘Move’ from his 2003 album ‘Grit‘ which was released on Real World Records. The vocals featured on this track are that of the famous Sheila Stewart of Rattray who came from a family of travellers.

★★★★★ Aye, with its excellent sleeve notes, is an invaluable release for those keen to learn more about, or introduce others to, Martyn Bennett’s work.

After several years in the making a new compilation of Martyn’s music titled AYE will be released in March 2012 it will include previously unreleased tracks!

With the release of the Afro Celt Soundsytem’s retrospective double album “Capture”, it seemed like a good time to celebrate their music and influences in another great guest mix.

This release by Mr McFall’s Chamber on the classical label, Delphian, is the result of a long planned collaboration between Martyn Bennett and Robert McFall that was never realised during tragically short life of one of Scotland’s most admired and accomplished musicians. What may be one of the most innovative albums of the year gets off to a surprising start with Martyn Bennett’s Cuillin, Part 2. It’s a challenging start …

Rebekah Findlay’s independantly released debut album, Northern Skies, is a mix of self-penned and traditional songs that showcase a multi-talented artist. The opening track, Far From Home, suggests we’re in for a mellow journey with a gentle but confident guitar providing lovely rich tones, alongside light, airy vocals. It’s soon clear, though, that Rebekah is not shy about adding some power to her voice and you begin to get a …