Mike Vickers' Blog

Taransay – a small usually uninhabited island off the west coast of Harris in the Outer Hebrides with a bay called Corran Raa.  It also a small Scottish band, heavily influenced by the traditional music that has flowed across the North, Atlantic and Irish Seas. Moving melodies, lush harmonies, soulful vocals and inventive accompaniment (their words). The band is Janet Lees (fiddle), Jenny Smith (fiddle), Kath Bruce (piano and vocal) and Robbie Leask (fiddle and guitar). 

Corran Raa

Last evening they held a gig at 42 Royal Park Terrace a very interesting place in itself in a small road opposite the Royal Park and you can see the park through the enormous window looking south.

But back to the gig – a great evening of what I consider a wonderful mixture of Gaelic and home grown music with a distinctly jazz flavour enhanced by Kath on an electric piano – no doubt they will dispute my attribution.  They may also dispute if I relate the group to Ally Bain & Phil Cunningham; but they are certainly in the same class of fiddle playing. 

This was our first time listening and watching the group but it won’t be the last.  Following meeting Janet on a ski holiday this winter we caught up with the group through their first CD – Yes its call Corran Raa- and if you would like a flavour of the group’s why not get yourself a copy through their website (Sorry – I assure you they don’t know about this blog and I hope they will forgive me for copying the image above from their website!).