FERGUS McCREADIE - Take Five No. 80
Can you tell us about your new album?
Of course! Cairn is the second album we’ve done as a trio, following on from Turas which we released in 2018. Turas was recorded in 2017 and we recorded this start of 2020 pre-pandemic so it’s fair to say the band had changed a lot since then! Probably the biggest difference between the two albums is the playing - not only have we all had more time to practice but together as a band we’d done our first big tour and had played over 50 gigs in 2019 leading up to the recording, so we were more in tune with each other and closer to that overall goal of sounding like one musician, rather than three. We’d also broken in the tunes a lot more - I wrote a lot of Turas in a bit of a frenzy leading up to the recording, whereas this time these were all tunes we’d gigged extensively and knew inside and out. Overall though, both albums still share that goal - a melding of all the jazz and folk music I adore, a heavy focus on improvisation and the hope that a love and nostalgia for beautiful Scotland can be communicated in the music.
What other projects are you currently involved in?
I’m on two other 2021 albums actually, which are both very different but I’m thrilled to be able to contribute a small part to them! Matt Carmichael released his debut album on the 12th of March, which also has the aim of expressing both jazz and folk influences, and Graham Costello is releasing his second album with Strata in May, which takes inspiration more from minimalism and the DIY scene in Glasgow alongside jazz - both incredible pieces of art and I’m very excited for people to hear them. There are also some other projects in the post-covid pipeline - watch this space…
What are you currently listening to and what was the last CD or download you bought?
As I’m writing this actually I’m listening to Glenn Gould playing Bach’s English Suites! I’ve been really enjoying getting more into classical music of late, especially the solo piano repertoire - I’ve always loved it but at a bit of a distance. Bach’s Preludes and Fugues, Rachmaninoff’s Preludes and Chopin’s sonatas are what have been my go-to’s at the moment, but I’ve also always been a huge fan of the Beethoven Sonatas. I’ve also been rediscovering some old favourites - Haven by Flook, Smokin’ at the Half Note by Wes Montgomery and Tales From The Hudson by Michael Brecker - and have also been seriously enjoying a deep dive into Keith Jarrett’s Sun Bear Concerts, which as a massive Jarrett fan I’m surprised I haven’t checked out already. I’m actually a vinyl collector rather than CD or downloads when I buy stuff (hipster I know) and it’s actually been a minute since I went on a buying spree, but I believe the last record I bought was Adrianne Lenkers “songs” - quite simply an unbelievably beautiful piece of art. I’m obsessed with it and her.
Of course! Cairn is the second album we’ve done as a trio, following on from Turas which we released in 2018. Turas was recorded in 2017 and we recorded this start of 2020 pre-pandemic so it’s fair to say the band had changed a lot since then! Probably the biggest difference between the two albums is the playing - not only have we all had more time to practice but together as a band we’d done our first big tour and had played over 50 gigs in 2019 leading up to the recording, so we were more in tune with each other and closer to that overall goal of sounding like one musician, rather than three. We’d also broken in the tunes a lot more - I wrote a lot of Turas in a bit of a frenzy leading up to the recording, whereas this time these were all tunes we’d gigged extensively and knew inside and out. Overall though, both albums still share that goal - a melding of all the jazz and folk music I adore, a heavy focus on improvisation and the hope that a love and nostalgia for beautiful Scotland can be communicated in the music.
What other projects are you currently involved in?
I’m on two other 2021 albums actually, which are both very different but I’m thrilled to be able to contribute a small part to them! Matt Carmichael released his debut album on the 12th of March, which also has the aim of expressing both jazz and folk influences, and Graham Costello is releasing his second album with Strata in May, which takes inspiration more from minimalism and the DIY scene in Glasgow alongside jazz - both incredible pieces of art and I’m very excited for people to hear them. There are also some other projects in the post-covid pipeline - watch this space…
What are you currently listening to and what was the last CD or download you bought?
As I’m writing this actually I’m listening to Glenn Gould playing Bach’s English Suites! I’ve been really enjoying getting more into classical music of late, especially the solo piano repertoire - I’ve always loved it but at a bit of a distance. Bach’s Preludes and Fugues, Rachmaninoff’s Preludes and Chopin’s sonatas are what have been my go-to’s at the moment, but I’ve also always been a huge fan of the Beethoven Sonatas. I’ve also been rediscovering some old favourites - Haven by Flook, Smokin’ at the Half Note by Wes Montgomery and Tales From The Hudson by Michael Brecker - and have also been seriously enjoying a deep dive into Keith Jarrett’s Sun Bear Concerts, which as a massive Jarrett fan I’m surprised I haven’t checked out already. I’m actually a vinyl collector rather than CD or downloads when I buy stuff (hipster I know) and it’s actually been a minute since I went on a buying spree, but I believe the last record I bought was Adrianne Lenkers “songs” - quite simply an unbelievably beautiful piece of art. I’m obsessed with it and her.
Click on the album covr to read our review
What is your all-time favourite album and why?
This is always a very hard question to answer - I’m going to pick a top four if that’s ok! I always cycle between picking these as my favourites - John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, The Gloaming by the Gloaming, 80/81 by Pat Metheny and The Vienna Concert by Keith Jarrett. Coltrane for the incredible energy that him and the band bring - for me, that record is improvisation and musicianship at its absolute highest intensity and dedication. That’s always a spirit that I want to recreate whenever I play anything - even if it sounds very different to what Coltrane achieved here. The Gloaming for pure beauty - that album will always hold a special place in my heart for really opening me up to the whole world of sound beyond jazz (I was a very jazz-and-nothing-else teenager). There’s nothing pretentious about it - just songs and tunes played and arranged incredibly well. 80/81 for the tunes - quite specifically, the opening 20 minute 2 Folk Songs and the two tracks that finish the album. The rest of the record is great, but again those tracks really opened up my mind to what jazz could be - it was a revelation that you could generate so much interest and vibe from quite simple harmony. And the Jarrett album - well that most often is my favourite. Much like the Coltrane record, I think it’s improvisation of the highest order. The first 40 minute tracks really must be one of the greatest musical achievements put to record, and the infinite ideas and creative zeal that Jarrett always brings is in maximum flow here.
Who has caught your attention recently that we should be listening out for?
I’m actually going to drop one of my favourite folks artists here rather than any jazz ones - I think Brighde Chaimbeul is super special. Her album The Reeling is one of the most distinctive sounding albums I’ve ever heard, and really really commits to its own aesthetic. The tune selections are great as well - I’ve heard very few people play the pipes in such a musical and expressive way. I’m looking out for anything she does next like a hawk! I also really enjoyed the debut Immanuel Wilkins album, like I know a lot of jazz fans did - that’s very exciting and very fresh to my ears. Also, I’d remiss if I didn’t shout all my fellow emerging musicians and bands in the Scottish Jazz Scene - corto.alto, AKU, Normal Willmore, Animal Society, Graham Costello, Matt Carmichael, Mark Hendry to name a few - they’re all huge inspirations to be around and play with.
This is always a very hard question to answer - I’m going to pick a top four if that’s ok! I always cycle between picking these as my favourites - John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, The Gloaming by the Gloaming, 80/81 by Pat Metheny and The Vienna Concert by Keith Jarrett. Coltrane for the incredible energy that him and the band bring - for me, that record is improvisation and musicianship at its absolute highest intensity and dedication. That’s always a spirit that I want to recreate whenever I play anything - even if it sounds very different to what Coltrane achieved here. The Gloaming for pure beauty - that album will always hold a special place in my heart for really opening me up to the whole world of sound beyond jazz (I was a very jazz-and-nothing-else teenager). There’s nothing pretentious about it - just songs and tunes played and arranged incredibly well. 80/81 for the tunes - quite specifically, the opening 20 minute 2 Folk Songs and the two tracks that finish the album. The rest of the record is great, but again those tracks really opened up my mind to what jazz could be - it was a revelation that you could generate so much interest and vibe from quite simple harmony. And the Jarrett album - well that most often is my favourite. Much like the Coltrane record, I think it’s improvisation of the highest order. The first 40 minute tracks really must be one of the greatest musical achievements put to record, and the infinite ideas and creative zeal that Jarrett always brings is in maximum flow here.
Who has caught your attention recently that we should be listening out for?
I’m actually going to drop one of my favourite folks artists here rather than any jazz ones - I think Brighde Chaimbeul is super special. Her album The Reeling is one of the most distinctive sounding albums I’ve ever heard, and really really commits to its own aesthetic. The tune selections are great as well - I’ve heard very few people play the pipes in such a musical and expressive way. I’m looking out for anything she does next like a hawk! I also really enjoyed the debut Immanuel Wilkins album, like I know a lot of jazz fans did - that’s very exciting and very fresh to my ears. Also, I’d remiss if I didn’t shout all my fellow emerging musicians and bands in the Scottish Jazz Scene - corto.alto, AKU, Normal Willmore, Animal Society, Graham Costello, Matt Carmichael, Mark Hendry to name a few - they’re all huge inspirations to be around and play with.
