Guitar Season 2010

Now in its seventh year, the festival pays homage to Shetland guitarist Peerie Willie Johnson, whose pioneering use of jazz styles are now widespread in Shetland music.

The full programme of events can be found here.

As well as the festival weekend, which runs from 17th to 20th September, this year there will be a whole season of concerts throughout the autumn, with a visiting guitarist making their way north each month.

This year’s festival weekend concerts are being held in Symbister, Sandwick and Lerwick, as well as educational workshops in schools, with music from some fantastic artists including another of Shetland’s world-renowned guitarists, Ian Bairnson.

Originally from Levenwick and now based in Spain, Ian grew up in Edinburgh before becoming probably Shetland’s most successful rock guitarist.

He is perhaps best known for being part of bands such as the Alan Parsons Project and 1970s hit makers Pilot, but throughout his career has played with a veritable who’s who of artists from a wide genre of music, including Paul McCartney, Kate Bush (he played the guitar solo on her number one hit ‘Wuthering Heights), Mick Fleetwood, Sting, Tom Jones and many others.

His innovative and fluid playing has been likened to that of guitar heavyweights Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and David Gilmour.

Ian, who has said his playing was definitely influenced by Peerie Willie, said he is looking forward to playing at the festival and that it will be “special.”

He said: “I can tell you that I always look forward to “comin’ hame”, but to play in front of my ain’ folk is special.

“I miss Willie because I always, always visited him – still, I have plenty stories about our early sessions and friendship.

“This will be the first time I will have played a set without a band, an acoustic set, and a lot of musical styles that I’m not generally associated with. In short, I have the typical Shetland appreciation of all kinds of good music.”

Ian Bairnson

Another visiting guitarist is jazz musician Jim Mullen. The Glasgow-born London based jazz guitarist is described as having a distinctive fusion style, and picks with the thumb rather than a plectrum.

Winner of awards including best guitar in the British Telecom Jazz Awards Best Guitar for 1994 and 1996, in the Post Office Jazz Awards 2000 and in the Hamlet Cigar British Jazz Awards 2002, he started his musical career aged 8, when he got his first guitar.

In 1975 he met sax player Dick Morrissey and began a 15-year association that produced seven albums and became one of Britain’s top club bands. After the demise of the Morrissey Mullen duo he worked with jazz vocalist Claire Martin and formed a series of quartets.

Now in his sixties, Jim has built up an impressive repertoire. As a sideman he is in demand by visiting U.S. stars like Gene Harris, Mose Allison, Jimmy Smith, Weldon Irvine, Percy Sledge, Teddy Edwards, Plas Johnson, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Terry Callier.

The festival weekend gets started on Friday night with a concert in Symbister Hall, Whalsay, where Jim Mullen will play, supported by local jazz guitarist Norman “Girsie” Goudie and his All Stars. The same night, Ian Bairnson will play a homecoming concert in Sandwick at the Social Club, with support from Hot Club de Fladdabister, a group that features well-known musicians Brian Nicholson and Maggie Adamson.

Saturday’s concert at the Town Hall will see both the visiting guitarists on the same concert bill, together with a solo spot from Brian Nicholson.

Bar facilities will be available at each of the concerts.

Jim Mullen

Sunday evening will round off the festival weekend with a chat show style “An Evening With…” event at the Garrison Theatre where the festival performers will share anecdotes, demonstrate playing techniques and share a tune or two on the stage.

All events start at 7.30 and tickets priced £10 (£8 concessions) are available from Shetland Box Office, Islesburgh Community Centre, Lerwick  – 01595 745 555

Shetland Arts music development officer Bryan Peterson said, “Each year we try something different to keep the format fresh, and Sunday’s  ‘An Evening With…’ will provide a chance for the performers to give an insight into their backgrounds and unique playing styles. There were so many guitarists who wanted to perform this year we decided to offer local audiences a whole season of top class guitar concerts”

Upcoming Peerie Willie Guitar Season concerts include John Etheridge (22 to 24 October), the Lulo Reinhardt Quintet (Wed 24th November) and the Michael Janisch Quintet (17 to 19 December).

Links

Ian Bairnson

http://www.ianbairnson.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Bairnson
http://www.theavenueonline.info/site1/bios/bairnson.htm
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Ian+Bairnson
http://www.shetland-music.com/prominent_artists/artistes/ian_bairnson_%28pilot_and_alan_parsons_project%29/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artists/cd5a063f-2fd2-4271-956c-56678df04db5
http://shetlopedia.com/Ian_Bairnson

Jim Mullen

http://www.jimmullenjazz.co.uk/
http://www.jazzreview.com/articledetails.cfm?ID=1254
http://www.musicweb-international.com/jazz/2002/Aug02/Mullen_Burns.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Mullen
http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com/the-player-mainmenu-131/4071-jim-mullen-guitar
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=11047
http://www.answers.com/topic/jim-mullen-1
http://www.jazzeddie.f2s.com/Jazz%20Guitar%20UK.htm
http://www.buymrbongo.com/terrycallier/the-band/jim-mullen/

The 2009 Shetland Guitar Festival will take place between Friday 18th and Sunday 20th September with concerts in Unst, Lerwick, Brae and Bigton, educational events in schools throughout Shetland and the Classic Guitar Show and Trade Fair on Sunday 20th in Islesburgh Centre.

Known locally as the “Peerie Willie” Guitar Festival, the Shetland Arts event is dedicated to the memory of the late Peerie Willie Johnson, the highly regarded Shetland guitarist who pioneered the jazz influenced accompaniment style now prevalent in traditional Shetland music. Willie was influenced by the jazz musicians he heard on the radio as a young man, particularly guitarist Django Reinhardt, and this years festival has a “Gypsy Jazz” theme as tribute.

The festival gives audiences a chance to experience world-class performers playing a variety of styles on one of the world’s most popular and versatile instruments. As well as the visiting artists, the festival line up boasts some exceptional local players and young up and coming musicians.

Visiting artists

Visiting artists include: Lulo Reinhardt, great grandnephew of the late great Django; Itamar Erez, an Israeli guitarist, pianist and composer; Brian Gore, an American steel strung acoustic player; and Havana Swing, a Scottish ‘Hot Jazz’ quintet featuring three guitars, double bass and clarinet. Visit the Shetland Guitar Festival page for more information.

Concerts

On Friday 18th in the Garrison Theatre, Lerwick, Lulo Reinhardt, Itamar Erez and Brian Gore will play a range of solo, duet and trio pieces. The three guitarists are currently on tour together under the International Guitar Night moniker, a project that aims to bring together interesting and innovative guitarists to exchange musical ideas, highlighting the virtuosity and diversity within the world of acoustic guitar. Young local guitarists Adam Johnson from Brae and Jonny Polson from Lerwick will support them.

The festival will also be heading north to Baltasound Hall on Friday 18th where Havana Swing will perform their trademark brand of ‘Hot Club de Paris’ inspired jazz. They will be supported by last year’s Young Fiddler of the Year Maggie Adamson accompanied by well-known local guitarist Brian Nicholson, and young Unst guitarist Megan Burns who recently won over the crowds with her performance at UnstFest. The concert will be hosted by Unst based comedian and guitarist Sandy Nelson.

Then it’s south on Saturday 19th to the Bigton Hall where Lulo Reinhardt and Itamar Erez will headline, with support from Norman Goudie and Friends, a band rumoured to include prominent local musicians and jazz stalwarts Jack Robertson and Drew Robertson.

In Lerwick on Saturday 19th, in the opulent surroundings of Lerwick Town Hall, audiences will have another chance to see Havana Swing perform, supported by Maggie Adamson and Brian Nicholson.

Also on Saturday 19th, in the Long Room of Busta House Hotel, there will be a special acoustic performance by Brian Gore and Shetland Young Musician of the Year, singer Erin Sandison. The two musicians have been collaborating on songs by exchanging musical ideas across the Atlantic via the Internet and the Busta concert will be the first time they have played together. They will be supported by Adam Johnson and Jonny Polson.

All concerts except the Garrison Theatre will have bar facilities and under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

Tickets

Tickets costing £12 (£10 concessions) for all concerts are available from festival sponsors High Level Music, 1 Gardie Court, Lerwick, 01595 692 618 and Shetland Box Office, Islesburgh Community Centre, Lerwick – 01595 745 555. Box Office customers can buy tickets by credit card over the phone and collect them at the venue.

Classic Guitar Show and Trade Fair

As part of this year’s festival, the first Shetland Classic Guitar Show and Trade Fair will be held on Sunday 20th September. The show will feature a range of guitars including vintage, historically significant, hand made and unusual instruments. The trade fair will give visitors a chance to try out guitars, amps and effects pedals from manufacturers including Skyinbow, Moon Guitars, Ibanez and Fender. There will also be workshops hosted by artists performing at this year’s festival and an open stage concert to allow Shetland’s aspiring young guitarists to take to the stage and show off their skills. To exhibit guitars or perform on the open stage contact Bryan Peterson at Shetland Arts on 01595 743 843 or Brian Nicholson at High Level Music on 01595 692 618

There will be a £2 entry charge payable at the door.

High Level Music and the Research Fishing Company sponsor the Shetland Guitar Festival

On a cold, grey, windy night an enthusiastic crowd gathered at the North Ness, Lerwick to see the first turf dug out on the site of Mareel, Shetland Arts’ long awaited Cinema, Music and Education Venue which will be up and running early in 2011.

At 6.30 pm, on Wednesday 25 May, to the strains of Europe’s ‘The Final Countdown’, Sandy Cluness, Shetland Islands Council Convener, donned a hard hat and climbed aboard a bright yellow digger to break the first ground.  The building phase of the £12 million venue was under way.  Mr. Cluness who has always been a staunch supporter of Mareel said it is‘one of the most exciting projects we’ve seen in Shetland for a very long time.’

Local construction firm DITT Construction Ltd has been awarded the contract and representatives of the company were on site to join in the celebrations.  The building has been designed by Gareth Hoskins Architects and funding has come from Shetland Islands Council, European Regional Development Fund, The Scottish Arts Council Capital Lottery Fund, Shetland Development Trust, Highland Islands Enterprise and the Gannochy Trust.

The crowd then moved along the waterfront to the Shetland Museum and Archives where Shetland Arts Director, Gwilym Gibbons, thanked everyone for their support in getting Mareel to this stage.  In particular he mentioned his colleague, Kathy Hubbard, Arts Development Manager with Shetland Arts, who was instrumental in raising funding.  Indeed, Kathy told of the very first meeting when the possibility of such a venue was only a dream.  A party atmosphere took over, refreshments were served, and music was provided by young local band, Brack da Brod, well known performers Sheila Henderson and Brian Nicholson

Thus begins the next stage of Mareel.  A webcam is sited so that you can watch the progress of the building on www.shetlandarts.org

For more information call:
Gwilym Gibbons, Director of Shetland Arts on 01595 743843
Peter Tait, Director DITT Construction Ltd on 01595 692733

Note to editors:

The funding package secured by Shetland Arts Development Agency to design and build Mareel consists of contributions from the following partners:
Shetland Islands Council   £5.19m
European Regional Development Fund  £2.82m
Scottish Arts Council Capital Lottery Fund £2.12m
Shetland Development Trust   £0.965m
Highland Islands Enterprise   £0.965m
Gannochy Trust     £0.050m