Ross & Ali unveil new album

Symbiosis - Ross & Ali

Ross & Ali (Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton) met in the Vale Of Atholl pipe band when they were 12 years old. The boys were guided by one of the most influential pipers in the last 30 years, Gordon Duncan.

Gordon instilled a great passion in the guys for playing pipes with other instruments and they have gone on to play in many leading Scottish bands including Treacherous Orchestra, Old Blind Dogs, Salsa Celtica, Dougie Maclean, Shooglenifty, Capercaillie. After all the years playing in different bands and line ups the guys have decided to concentrate on music together. The album features mostly self penned tunes with additions from the boys’ heroes Gordon Duncan and Martyn Bennett. This album was recorded in as live a format as possible as the boys thought it would best represent their music and catch the magic of two people playing live.

Duncan Chisholm: “There is one word that comes to mind when listening to the incredible new album from Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton, the word is connection.

Music is all about connection, it is the passing and sharing of emotions that drives us all to create. In this case you have two complete musical minds, connected first and foremost as lifelong friends. They are connected by the same ingenious teacher, connected in their outlook to life, their shared passion for pipes, for Scotland and Scottish music.

They are connected in their zest for travel, the inspiration they take from other cultures and in turn how they inspire all those who hear them wherever in the world that might be.

They represent the best of what their generation is bringing to the bright sparkling colourful music that emits from our shores in the 21st Century.

This album shows the best of what Ross and Ali are. They are two friends connected in their love of life, two friends who have travelled the world together, growing as people together while learning their craft to an outstanding level. The tunes are great, the playing is fantastic and the connection between them is undeniable……a glorious album”

Ross Ainslie is one of Scotland’s finest traditional musicians and composers, playing pipes, whistles and cittern. He is renowned for his highly acclaimed solo material, and as a skilled performer and prolific collaborator who performs regularly with bands Treacherous Orchestra – of which he is a founding member, Salsa Celtica, Dougie Maclean, Charlie Mckerron, India Alba, and with Jarlath Henderson. Prestigious industry recognition has come in the form of a multitude of award nominations including nominated at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for Musician of the Year 2013 and 2016 and for Best Duo with Jarlath Henderson in 2014.

He’s also received nods at the Scots Trad Music Awards with various nominations:

Nominated for Instrumentalist of the year in 2010

Nominated for Live Act of the year with Jarlath Henderson in 2008 and with Treacherous Orchestra in 2009 and 2010

Nominated for Album of the year in 2013

Treacherous Orchestra won Album of the year and  Ross also was Composer of the year in 2015

His debut album Wide Open was ranked 9th out of 50 in the Sunday Herald Top Scottish Albums of 2013.

Ali Hutton, from Methven in Perthshire, was inspired at the age of 7 to take up the bagpipes and rose through the ranks of the world famous Vale of Atholl Pipe Band. It was there that he was taught, alongside Ross Ainslie, by the late, great Gordon Duncan.

He has since gone on to become a successful multi-instrumentalist on the Scottish music scene. Ali has performed, and worked alongside some of the most respected musicians, and bands on the scene, such as Capercaillie, Dougie Maclean, Carlos Nunez, Deaf Shepherd, Clueless, Steve Forman, Salsa Celtica, and Shooglenifty to name but a few. During his apprentice years as a professional musician he was fortunate enough to become a member of the multi award winning bands Brolum and Back of the Moon. He toured with them for several years across Europe and North America. Back of the Moon went on to win ‘Scottish Folk Band of the Year’ at the Scottish Traditional Music Awards in 2005, and was also nominated for ‘Album of the Year’. Ali has also found himself producing some of the most well received Scottish Folk albums in recent years.

In 2007 he co-produced Maeve Mackinnon’s award winning album, Don’t Sing Love Songs. This went on to be chosen to be performed in the ‘Classic Albums’ series at Celtic Connections in 2008. In 2015 he was nominated for ‘Instrumentalist of the Year’ at the Scots Trad Music Awards, the same year in which Treacherous Orchestra won ‘Album of the year’, of which Ali was a co-producer. Ali is currently a member of Treacherous Orchestra, Old Blind Dogs, Ross Ainslie and Jarlath Henderson band, and the new duo, cleverly named, Ross and Ali.

Artists’ website: https://rossandali.bandcamp.com/ for free previews


We all give our spare time to run folking.com. Our aim has always been to keep folking a free service for our visitors, artists, PR agencies and tour promoters. If you wish help out and donate something (running costs currently funded by Paul Miles), please click the PayPal link below to send us a small one off payment or a monthly contribution.