Fraser Fifield
One of Scotland's most compelling instrumental performers. Described by the Sunday Herald as having “emerged as one of today's outstanding talents” and by Jazzwise magazine as “an outstanding product of the Scottish jazz-folk scene who at one moment can blow a low whistle like Charlie Parker steaming his way through ‘Ko-Ko’ and at the next knock out an air on a sax like a Highland traditionalist”, he's consistently been collaborating as a whistle/sax/bagpipe player with a list of bands and artists at the forefront of the Scottish music scene since the mid 90s.
He has released 6 albums of original music on his Tanar label. Songlines magazine commented upon on, 'Stereocanto' in 2009; “ it’s the interplay between intellectual construction, fleeting modal improvisations and sheer emotional sensuality of the music that makes this such a satisfying, and strikingly unified, piece of work”. Other recordings are Honest Water, 2001, Slow Stream, 2005, Traces of Thrace 2008 and Esotero, 2013.
As a multi-instrumentalist Fraser performs on Highland Bagpipes, Border Pipes, Low Whistles, Soprano Saxophone, Bulgarian Kaval and percussion, a combination of instruments which starts to explain some of influences heard in his music which has taken him throughout Scotland and internationally, England, Wales, France, Spain, Poland, Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Sardinia, USA, Hong Kong, Azerbaijan. Argentina and India.
His unique style has been developed while playing and learning in the company of many great musicians including Zakir Hussain, Salsa Celtica, Old Blind Dogs, Afro Celt Sound System, Capercaillie, Hidden Orchestra, Mr McFalls Chamber, Nedyalko Nedyalkov, Nordanians, AleMoller/Aly Bain/Knut Riersrud/Eric Bibb , Red Note Ensemble, Inge Thomson, and many others to date.
'Hands Up for Trad' presented an 'Ignition Award', for innovation traditional Scottish music, to Fraser in Feb 2015.
