Label – Classy Trad Records
Release Date – 24th February 2014
A new album from Patsy Reid is a rare and fine thing.
Her first solo recording since 2008, The Brightest Path combines newly unearthed traditional Scottish melodies with soaring self-penned tunes and sublime contemporary songs, displaying the full breadth of Patsy’s talents.
It was recorded in the remote Crear in Argyll (with a view overlooking Jura) with a core band of Ben Nicholls (double bass), Ewan MacPherson (guitars, mandolin and banjo), Signy Jakobsdóttir (percussion), Mhairi Hall (piano) and Mattie Foulds (drums). Playing live in such relaxed and beautiful surroundings gives The Brightest Path an organic and natural sound, despite the virtuosity present throughout its 10 tracks.
The album also features a dreamlike performance from Fraser Fifield – who Patsy describes as “the saxophone version of me”. For her part Patsy is a one-woman string quartet; playing violin, viola and cello as well as co-producing the record with Mattie.
She also sings: The River Princes by the aforementioned Mr MacPherson, Half Acre by Brooklyn band Hem and Patty Griffin’s gorgeous Kite Song.
“I love singing but I’m not a folk singer,” Patsy explains. “So I took great care to find songs that I felt I had a right to sing.”
Patsy has become one of the most admired and in demand musicians in the UK – performing and recording with Breabach, Kathryn Tickell, Zakir Hussain, Bella Hardy, Tim Edey, Treacherous Orchestra and too many more to mention.
But with The Brightest Path we finally have an album that is the complete and unique sound of Patsy Reid. Treasure it because… who knows when we’ll get another?
Artist’s website – www.patsyreid.com
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