First
Things First - Album Reviews
This is an incredible debut solo from Ailie Robertson. Her credentials
are astounding for a young musician of 24 years. I really struggled
to find enough words to put across my praise for this magnificent
debut. It's moving, beautiful and totally original. It is a masterful
album that combines Irish and Scottish influence as well as an
undeniably clever contemporary twist. Ailie shows that the Celtic
harp can be just as at home with guitar, bass, percussion and
piano as it can be as a solo instrument. This album will take
you to places you have never been before, quite simply it is
mind-blowing!
Folk Radio UK
2nd March 2009
First Things First by Ailie Robertson
First things first - this
is a superb, innovatively-arranged set of tunes delivering a
burgeoning, rich, warm sound. The eleven thoroughly fresh-sounding
arrangements feature not only Ailie's clarsach, but also percussion
(the cajon sounds excellent!), guitar, bass and piano. For me, "˜First
Things First" demonstrates above all else just how good
the clarsach can sound in a band setting. Through lively reels
to exquisite slow airs, Ailie's playing effortlessly combines
a vigorous, refreshing sense of "attack" with real
emotion and poise.
The music leads you on a sinewy, seductive
journey, starting with the deceptively languid-yet-funky groove
of opening tune "˜The Exploding Bow" through
to gorgeously expressive, poised tunes like the self-penned "Sands
of Hosta" (inspired by a walk on a glorious North Uist beach).
The bold freshness of these arrangements delivers the "WOW" factor
big-time with a sparkling take on Donald Morrison's slip jig,"Donald,
Willie & His Dog". Here, the fabulous combination of
instruments explodes into a rhythm-packed crescendo of Flamenco-style
handclaps. Piper Allan MacDonald's wonderful tune 'Na Goisidich/The
Gossips' gets equally fresh, funked-up treatment, and the effect
is stunning!
A wonderful debut solo release by this young Scottish
musician who isn't afraid to fuse contemporary, jazz-inflected
playing with the traditional Scottish and Irish playing techniques
developed over the years. This is gorgeous stuff.
FOLKING.COM
21st Feb 2009
One of the Superb young harpists determinedly reviving
the popularity of the harp, Ailie Robertson combines supreme
technical expertise with rich invention and a desire to challenge
both herself and her instrument. A member of band The Outside
Track, a harp teacher and long adept in both folk and classical
music, she has won numerous awards in Scots traditional music
circles. Yet she has surpassed herself with her evocative and
constantly surprising debut album, blending her own tunes with
the Scots and Irish tradition, boldly taking it in new directions.
One of the most exciting new stars emerging from the Scots folk
scene.
Properganda
21st Feb 2009
First Things First, the debut solo recording from Scottish
harper Ailie Robertson, is a satisfying combination of past,
present and future, as she places the ancient over-tones of the
clarsach in a modern setting and imagines new directions for
the harp.
Robertson's numerous awards and performances have brought
her much attention so far, but this recording definitively marks
her rising status, and she is set to become an important figure
in future conversations about the harp. The taste and balance
exhibited in First Things First reveals that Robertson has the
ability to record music which is both detailed, virtuosic and
accessible, ensuring her a widespread audience.
Her virtuosity
is audible throughout the recording, but never over emphasised.
Except for the solo tracks 'Spirit' and 'Sands of Hosta', the
harp is always equally weighted within unified arrangements.
This is a solo album that relies heavily on, and is greatly
complimented by, the support of great accompanists. Paul Jennings
cajon and percussion playing have a strong influence on a number
of tracks; his intro to 'Donald, Willie and His Dog' sets a background
which is wholly organic, but creates a strong electronic feel
with its drum-loop quality. Duncan Lyall (bass) and James Ross
(piano/harmonium) both support and lead the harp, creating beautiful
moments on tracks such as 'Ho Ro Mo Bhobag an Dram', moments
which evoke the open-awareness of a jazz trio. Finally, Ewan
Robertson's modest yet incisive guitar playing is ever present;
his six strings sounding at times almost like an extension of
the harp.
The studio work has managed to capture the nuances
of the instruments so that they ring with a clarity which usually
only reaches the performers' ears. Each time you listen, the
sound seems alive and not just a reproduction of a studio event.
Both Robertson's harp and Lyall's piano sustain so beautifully
at times that you can almost feel their physical presence.
The
combination of instrumentation and arrangement styles give a
diversity to the tracks without becoming distractingly eclectic.
Robertson's music has too strong a footing for that to happen.
These foundations are further revealed by the inclusion of five
of her own compositions 'Swerving for Bunnies', 'Good Spirits',
'Ray & Kevin's Reel', 'Sands of
Hosta', and 'The Angels Share' showing that Robertson is able
to add to both the repertoire of the harp and traditional music
in general.
As a debut album, this is inevitably a showcase of
ability. However, there is nothing here which does not belong.
The note has been struck; both First Things First and Ailie Robertson
will sustain for quite some time to come.
JMI
9th October 2008
THE
SURGE of wonderfully creative tradition-inspired musicians from
Scotland continues apace with this absolutely stunning debut
album from harpist Ailie Robertson. Her credentials are already
impeccable and impressive, with numerous awards to her name.
She plays music from the Scottish and Irish tradition, as well
as her own compositions. While the harp is always centre stage,
very significant contributions are made by percussionist Paul
Jennings, Duncan Lyall on bass, guitarist Ewan Robertson and
pianist James Ross.
Ailie pushes the boundaries of harp technique
in exciting but always intensely musical ways.
Donald, Willie
and his Dog just swings along with lots of interesting effects,
as do the Angus Jigs. Joyous, lively and forthright tracks, such
as jazz-tinged The Exploding Bow, are balanced by a couple of
slow airs for solo harp, where the beauty, the poise, the pauses
and the lyricism took my breath away.
With First Things First,
Robertson earns herself a place among the cream of Scottish musicians.
Delyth Jenkins - TAPLAS The
Welsh Folk Magazine
26th September 2008
Shattering preconceptions about the fragility
of her chosen instrument, Scottish debutante harpist Ailie Robertson
basks in a heady excavation of the driving rhythms that lie dormant
between the strings. Forget misty images of lovelorn maidens
at lattice windows. Instead, step into a world where Robertson's
harp jousts (alongside the energising confidence of fellow Scots
harpist Catriona McKay) with percussion, bass, guitar and piano.
Her opening salvo, The Exploding Bow, sets the tone for a funky
excursion around a trio of contemporary jigs, the final one written
by Robertson herself. Another of her original compositions, Good
Spirits, is paired cannily with a reel, The Humours of Scariff.
The tunes revel in the unpredictability of newfound company.
Robertson's genius is in straddling the Irish and Scottish traditions
with a fresh-faced and utterly bearable lightness of being.
Download
tracks: Spirits, The Exploding Bow
by Siobhan Long, Irish Times
22nd September 2008
Good heavens, Ailie Robertson of Scotland can play the harp!
So, there are lots and lots of harp players, right? Correct.
But, now, Ailie Roberts becomes the third in a full trio of the
best of the best in the music. There are the unparalleled Michelle
Mulcahy and Maire ni Cathasaig---and now comes Ailie with her
debut album, First Things First. How many musicians do you know
who have graduated with a Master's from the Limerick University
Irish music program? Well, there ARE several, aren't there? But,
how many also have an undergrad degree in Genetics from Oxford?
I suspect we have just narrowed the field noticeably. In short,
Ailie has chosen to follow her heart and hands into the music,
and all of that is on display with this album. Don't make the
mistake of thinking all harpists sound the same. Wrong. Wrong.
She is a superior musician, understands the tradition, has her
own style and is at home in trad as in the jazz idiom. The amount
of major awards she has won for her harp playing would fill this
column. The awards don't tell the story. Her music does, and
the album is on Lorimer Records. Google them, or Ailie. Get this
album. We are playing it constantly on the public radio show.
This is wonderful. A major, new star.
LIVEIRELAND
23rd August 2008
Young Scottish harpist Ailie's pedigree is already impressive:
five times National Mod Gold Medallist, erstwhile member of the
Scottish Harp Orchestra, Na Clarasairean, and currently member
of international six-piece band The Outside Track (who have been
delighting UK festival audiences over the past year, and whose
CD I reviewed in Stirrings 133). Inevitably, Ailie's debut solo
CD is a more intimate affair, with an at times quite laid-back
atmosphere that's both soothing and invigorating. Ailie's instrument
is the clarsach (the small harp whose recent resurgence has been
led by the likes of Corrina Hewat and Patsy Seddon), and its
unique and definitive sound-world is captured here in a demonstration-class
recording that manages to convey all the relevant nuances and
timbres in due perspective without sounding at all clinical or
sterile. Each of the eleven tracks brings its own special delights,
starting with the almost jazzy insouciance of the opening set
of jigs, where the rippling joy of the harp line offsets James
Ross's classy piano embellishments and the crisp, busy percussion
backing (Paul Jennings on cajon). The playing is sprightly, yet
with an enviably relaxed precision of attack that holds the listener's
attention throughout - and this quality applies equally to the
slower-paced items on the disc, notably the gorgeous slow air
Spirits (co-written by Angus Lyon and his father), which forms
its centrepiece. The Irish and Scottish hornpipes that are wedded
together on the gently swinging Marry Me Now set are a model
of delicate playing, with Ailie's deft syncopations and skilfully
bent 'blue notes' enticingly complemented by guitar (Ewan Robertson)
and bass (Duncan Lyall); these same two musicians bring an exhilarating
sense of drive to the tricky time-signatures of Ailie's own tune
Good Spirits in the ensuing set. Ailie's slower-than-customary
treatment of The Favourite Dram brings out its inherent beauty
in a way I've not heard on any other recording of the tune, while
her own composition Sands Of Hosta (written after a long beach
walk on North Uist) is both genuinely tranquil and introspectively
evocative. And you can hear Ailie taking the harp technique into
hitherto-uncharted areas of innovation and expertise on tracks
such as the infectious Angus Jigs set: the closer you listen,
the more detail there is to revel in. First Things First is a
thoroughly charming disc, replete with both a consummate finger-dancing
intelligence and an irrepressible joie-de-vivre.
by David Kidman, Netrhythms
2nd August 2008
Ailie Robertson's aim with First Things First was to put the
harp in a contemporary sounding 'band' setting and I think she
has succeeded with that. I didn't know what to expect when I
first put the cd on, but from the word go I was captured. Not
only is she a great player, but she also shows all the potential
of the harp. From mellow and subtle slow airs to almost rock
like tracks, her playing is spot on. Yes, the harp is indeed
a very delicate instrument, but in the skilled hands of Robertson
it can also be transformed into an instrument as potent as an
electric lead guitar. Alongside the harp the cd features guitar,
bass, piano/harmonium and cajon/percussion - all played by very
competent musicians. There's no doubt, though, that this is a
solo album for the harp. The other instruments are along to make
up the band setting.
There's a good mix of tunes on the cd, ranging
from traditional Scottish and Irish tunes to newly composed tunes.
Several of which are Robertson's own compositions, proving she
is not only a gifted and original musician, but also a gifted
composer. Beautiful slow airs almost leave you in a trance from
which you are catapulted the next moment by fast and heavy rhythms.
Three tracks, which epitomize the cd, are Ho Ro Mo Bhobag An
Dram (The Favourite Dram) followed by Donald, Willie and His
Dog and Spirits - They have it all: The impeccable and delicate
harp playing followed by the wake up call of rough and fast harp
picking and rhythmic drums and hand claps and back into a slow
air when its best.
Ailie Robertson set out to prove a point and
this she has done: This beautiful cd works!
DANISH IRISH
2nd August 2008
AILIE Robertson's debut CD confirms the major promise that the
Edinburgh harpist has shown in the course of picking up an armload
of prizes at successive National Mods. If that implies a strictly
traditional approach, then think again. The harpist is pushing
the instrument in fresh and contemporary-sounding musical directions,
and the band setting that she adopts here with James Ross on
piano, Ewan Robertson on guitar, Duncan Lyall on bass and Paul
Jennings on percussion is a very effective complement to her
own virtuoso technique and expressive interpretations in the
role of lead instrumentalist. Her lovely, evocative execution
of slow airs is particularly impressive, but she is equally intent
on underlining the fact that the harp is also an appropriate
vehicle for flying jigs, reels and polkas, all dispatched in
vibrant, sure-fingered style.
by Kenny Mathieson, The Scotsman
22nd July 2008
"a player of Ailie's class has the ability to tear your
heart out" - Maverick
"This new album is wonderful.
A really talented harp player, Ailie Robertson, with a fresh
take on the music. Who said all harp music sounds the same? A
real contender for Newcomer of the Year." Chicago Irish-American
News
Wow! Harp player, Ailie Robertson has just released
First Things First. What a brilliant debut! We're listening to
this repeatedly. Wow!" LiveIreland.com
"Get ready,
gang. We'll be playing this a lot in the next few months. A stunning
debut called, First Things First. Scotland gives us a real winner.
Listen to this..." American Public Radio
10th July 2008
Award winning harp player produces debut CD sprinkled with magic
and joy
Under the tutelage of the likes of Wendy Stewart,
Patsy Seddon and Corrina Hewitt there has been a resurgence of
interest in Scotland and elsewhere in the clarsach or small harp.
This has lead to a new generation of exciting young players who
are determined to explore all the new possibilities of this ancient
instrument. One of the foremost in this set is Ailie Robertson,
from Edinburgh, who has taken time from her busy teaching and
playing schedule to produce First Things First, her first album.
From the smooth jazz rhythm introduction to the opening The Exploding
Bow and throughout the entire album there is evidence of a confidence
in the instrument and material that allows Ailie to take a mixture
of traditional and contemporary tunes and bend them to her musical
whim. For this recording Ailie has gathered around her a set
of extremely talented young Scottish musicians consisting of
Paul Jennings (cajon / percussion), Duncan Lyall (bass), James
Ross (piano and harmonium) and the BBC Young Musician of the
Year, Ewan Robertson (guitar) who provide an excellent springboard
for her flights of celtic fancy. The album was co-produced by
acclaimed clarsarch player and broadcaster Mary Ann Kennedy and
feel of this album is very much that of a 'live' performance
with no sign of overdubs and with the harp, thankfully, to the
fore in the mix. There's also a vague theme running through the
album with tunes like The Favourite Dram, Good Spirits and The
Angels Share all referring to the distilling and enjoyment of
whisky, which can be a bad thing. The clarsach, when played properly,
can be one of the most versatile instruments in the world and
this album has tunes like Swerving for Bunnies, and The Flutterat,
with their complex time changes which fairly skip and dance and
bring the inevitable smile. Alongside these are tunes like the
self-composed Sands of Hosta and the beautiful, haunting Spirits
by Angus Lyon and his father which in the hands of a player of
Ailie's class has the ability to tear your heart out. Simple
hornpipes like President Garfield's start off played more or
less straight before evolving into the syncopated and extremely
modern take on Marry Me Now. It is this intelligent juxtaposition
of the old and new, ancient and contemporary along with the sheer
standard of the playing which makes this CD so vibrant and compelling.
Maverick
4th July 2008
'First Things First' - an outstanding mix of passion, power
and gentle reserve. Ailie Robertson is a fine musician of that
there is no doubt. She's also individualist and inventive, and
takes her virtuoso harp skills in directions many ignore or are
too afraid to try. Her debut solo album reflects that, it also
proves the clasarch is not simply a solo instrument, in Ailie's
hands it's equally at home leading a band. Ailie's album'First
Things First' is a golden opportunity to hear a harp played with
flair, precision and consummate skill, plus passionate drive
and gentle reserve. There's so much depth to her music it could
take a long time to discover it all, but keep listening you'll
love the journey.
Ailie's list of awards is enough to recognise
her skill. There's many clichés you could use such as
'old head on young shoulders', and'talent beyond her years' but
they don't come close. Simply listen to this album to hear a
harp played as never before. You know without doubt you're listening
to inspired genius. Ailie effortlessly blends traditional Scottish
and Irish jigs, contemporary tunes, airs, hornpipes, reels, and
polkas with her stunning original compositions. On 'First Things
First' Ailie also enlists the help of Paul Jennings on cajon
and percussion, Duncan Lyall on bass, Ewan Robertson on guitar
and James Ross piano and harmonium.
Everyone will find some favourites
on 'First Things First' : these are mine. The album opens with'The
Exploding Bow' - three gentle jigs, the third being Ailie's 'Swerving
for Bunnies', which in her words 'reflects rabbit avoidance'
! love it. 'The Favourite Dram' usually rattles along but Ailie
slows it down and creates a tranquil melody woven around harp
and piano. 'Spirits' is an outstanding air and once more Ailie
proves (were it needed) how delicately her fingers can touch
the harp. The tone alters dramatically with 'The Humours of Scariff/
Good Spirits' the second being Ailie's own composition to (in
her words) celebrate the joys of whisky drinking. Amen to that.
Another of her compositions is Sands of Hosta (my favourite on
the album) it's just exquisite that's all you need to say. This
is quite simply music for the soul.
Ailie's standing as an accomplished
exponent of the clasarch precedes her, this album will only strengthen
that reputation. If the day wraps its problems too tightly round
your shoulders then listen to'First Things First' and let the
unwind begin.
by Tim Carroll - FolkWords
4th July 2008
These innovative, assured and beautiful arrangements place the
young Edinburgh harpist at the forefront of the current evolutionary
surge in Scottish musical technique and accomplishment. It's
not just the molten fingering in the flying, percussively driven
reels and dance grooves, or the relaxed precision in clever variations
of traditional pipe tunes. But it's especially in the slow and
medium tempos, as in the re-paced 'Favourite Dram' with James
Ross's arresting piano chords, that her harp exerts its undeniable
and inexorable tug at the heart strings.
Download this: Spirits
by Norman Chalmers - Scotland on Sunday
Other Reviews
The Outside Track But Right On Course
"Having heard them perform live and been mightily impressed, I'm pleased to say The Outside Track has produced their eponymous first CD. This band is a fine example of how young musicians can take 'traditional' acoustic folk music, ensure it continues to evolve and yet remain true to its roots. The minute you listen to them you just
know they're going a long way. 'A Kiss in The Morning' has some
hauntingly beautiful vocal harmonies entwined with flute, clarsach and fiddle, 'Sheliah's Spectacles' further showcases the intricacies of their instrumental work, and 'The Lonsome Hen' is another fine example of their vocal talents with outstanding harmonies and wonderful phrasing, once again their instruments weave a web around their words. So who are these talented folk? There's Norah Rendell who plays flute with a degree of style and sensitivity envied by many, Fiona Black who plays accomplished, entrancing piano accordion, and Alan Jordan who provides the sharp guitar work with a distinct jazz influence to his playing. Tricia Clark (remember the 2005 BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award) is a class act on the fiddle with a natural distinctive style, and finally, Ailie Robertson who has the most delicate of touches and makes the Scottish harp come alive in her
hands. It's little wonder that between them the members of The
Outside Track have gathered an impressive tally of awards. These young folk combine their instrumental abilities with intricately balanced vocals, which blend seamlessly to deliver some of the freshest traditional music I've heard in a long time. They deserve success – I've
a feeling it won't be a long wait to hear it happen."
- Tim Carroll, FolkWords
"Each player is evidently both alert and fully responsive to the ebb and flow of dynamics required by the contours of the tunes. There's no sense of formula to the arrangements, and no hard-and-fast role delineation with regard to allocation of melody or front-line, and this makes for some enchanting and sprightly interplay and swopping-round of parts"
- David Kidman
"This supremely talented set of young multi-national
musicians blend to make a joyous sound. This eclectic combination
buzz and fizz together, producing modern acoustic folk music of the very highest quality.
The album kicks off with a sparkling set of reels showing to great effect the superb fiddle of Patricia Clark interplaying with the flute of Norah Rendell. The set-up of flute, fiddle and clarsaich brings to mind early Chieftains and the playing is of as high a quality. Next up is the first song Thaney, a Karine Polwart song in the old ballad tradition that builds slowly into a really powerful finish. Another set of tunes follows, based round the accordion and harp to beautiful effect. In this, as in the others instrumentals, there are the sudden stops and changes in tempo that turn a straightforward rendering into a fascinating listening
experience. The only Irishman in the group, Alan sings a beautiful
Gaelic Do Thugas Gra Clelbh Duit, followed by a Cape Breton fiddle tune then a song from Alberta.
And so it goes on throughout the album, Irish songs run hand-in-hand with Galacian harp tunes; traditional songs alongside contemporary ones. The mix of nationalities and experience gives rich picking for choice of material and The Outside Track have selected well, playing to both the group's and their individual strengths. This is a superb debut album from a precociously talented group of musicians where the singing and playing is of the highest standards and the overall mood one of joyous exuberance."
- Kevin Moug, Maverick Magazine
“Her synthesis of Irish, Scottish and contemporary harping technique into an individual style represents the realisation of otherwise unimagined possibilities for the Celtic harp.”
– Niall Keegan
“Quite simply, this girl is a star”
– Norman Mitchell, Head of Music GWC
“Your harp playing takes my breath away and makes me weepy! That's a good thing! I honestly don't think I’ve ever heard anything so beautiful in all my years”
- fan in Florida, USA
“An act worthy of particular mention was Ailie Robertson, who played the harp so beautifully”
– The Unicorn Folk Magazine, July 2006
“Wonderful Stuff!”
– John Kirkpatrick, Bellowhead
“Very sophisticated and accomplished…gorgeous, beautifully-placed chords”
– Lynne Heraud, New Roots Adjudicator
“ Beautiful playing, demonstrating marvellous control of touch and tone”
– Benji Kirkpatrick, New Roots Adjudicator
“Virtuosic Clarsach playing”
– John Duncan, Chairman of ESU Scotland
“Played to absolute perfection!”
– Anne MacDearmid |
