MUSICIANS & INSTRUMENTS:
Aaron Shaw has been playing the bagpipes for over 20 years. A professional bagpiper, bagpipe teacher and recording artist, he lives in Los Angeles.
Scottish Highland Bagpipes,
Sinclair Chanter with a MacAllister Reed.
1910-1913 Henderson Drones with MacNulty reeds.
Scottish Small Bagpipes,
Made by Hamish Moore, convertible using the "A" chanter. Thanks to Eric Rigler for the loan of these beauties.
John MacAdams has over 25 years performing experience, playing everything from concert band music to bubble punk. He also plays and sings with his wife Nancy in the Irish group, Craicmore
14" Remo field snare with Remo heads.
1930's Ludwig 14" marching snare with goat skins heads and gut snare. Rebuilt By Warren Casey.
20" tenor tapan with goat skins heads. Built 1996 by Warren Casey.
A collection of snares and tom toms with Remo heads.
Assorted percussion.
Warren Casey has been a folk drummer for twenty years in styles as varied as Bulgarian, Macedonian, Greek and of course Irish and Scottish. He also builds many of the drums he plays.
22" x 16" Bass tapan with goat skin heads. Built 1997 by Warren Casey.
18" Bodhran made by Charlie Bryne in 1983, Thurles Ireland.
CREDITS:
Produced by Thistle Pricks Productions & Wicked Tinkers
Recorded by Shep Lonsdale.
Assistant recording engineer: June Murakawa.
Bagpipe recording assistant: Bill Doebler.
Small pipes loaned by Eric Rigler.
Recorded at Castle Oaks Productions, Calabasas, CA,
and Kaboom Studios, Santa Monica, CA.
Mixed by Shep Lonsdale at Kaboom Studios, Santa Monica, CA.
Mastered by Brian Gardner at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, CA.
Art Direction: Warren Casey
Design & Production: James Suelflow
Photography: Evan Hurd
Copy Editor: Jim Hull
THANKS TO:
Max and Sue Groszmann (for a home away from home)
Cameron, David, Stephen,Hank and Barbara MacAdams
Nancy Johnston (for her unsung sacrifices)
Jesse Smith
David Nigel Lloyd (for his poetry and music)
Dana Sue Collins ( for her dancing feet)
Wendy Weisenberg (for her love and support)
Linda Longserre (for her insights and enthusiasm)
Penelope Shaw and Michael Dayton
Malcolm Boyd, the College of Piping, Eric Rigler and P/M Angus MacDonald (for the lore)
Marion Weimer (for having almost enough patience)
Hector Bezanis (for the years of tapan fun)
Dwight Rowe (for your music and love)
Nestor Giorgievski (for all the life and tapan lessons)
Craicmore (for their patience)
Spike Stewart (for his vision and his eye)
C.T.Mukpo
All the goats and sheep (for their skins).
TRACKS:
1) THE BIRD SET: Three jigs about birds and the things they do.
The Hen's March / Donald MacLeod; DECD - MCPS
The Seagull / Donald MacLeod; DECD - MCPS
The Geese in the Bog / traditional
(Highland pipes, snare, tenor drum, bass tapan)
2) HUGH ROSS SET: Two fancy newer tunes from Scotland. The first was given to Aaron by Harry MacNulty; the second is from the playing of Gordon Walker at the G.S. MacLennan Contest, San Diego, 1996.
Hugh Ross of Glen Calvie: hornpipe / Stephen Connor; copyright control
Good Drying: hornpipe / R. S. MacDonald; MCPS & PRS
(Highland Pipes, snare & bass tapan)
3) SEAL SET: In the first tune, the Sea Maiden calls longingly to her friends the Selkies, hoping they'll come and cheer her. This they do in the second tune, shedding their sealskins and dancing on the beach for her pleasure.
Marion's call: slow air / Aaron Shaw; Runsk Music
Ridhil nan Ron: reel / Aaron Shaw; Runsk Music
(Highland Pipes, small pipes, snare, tenor snare, tenor tapan & bass tapan)
4) STRATHSPEY & REEL: A typical combo of competition tunes, made less so by the addition of Warren and John.
Maggie Cameron / traditional
Lt. Col. D.J.S. Murray / Lt. J. M. Allan; copyright control
(Highland pipes, snare, bass tapan)
5) THE ODD SET: "Quark Hill" came from a comment by a student regarding even timing in jig playing. The last tune is in 10/8 time - hence the name.
Cullen Bay: 5/4 march / Ian Duncan; Royal Scottish Pipe Band Assoc.
Quark Hill: 5/8 "jig" / Traditional, arranged by Aaron Shaw
Fingers and Thumbs:10/8 / Aaron Shaw; Runsk Music.
(Highland pipes, snare, bass tapan)
6) THE FERRET SET: A haunting Gaelic air in the traditional mold, followed by a well-known "new" tune that employs the dread illegal C-natural.
MacGregor of Rora: slow air / traditional
Andy Renwick's Ferret: hornpipe / Gordon Duncan; Grian Music
(Highland pipes, snare, bass tapan)
7) WALLOP THE CAT: We do not advocate cruelty to cats, hares or any other creatures, for that matter. In fact, we hope this tune is about a cat named Wallop.
Wallop the Cat: jig / traditional
(Small pipes, tapan, bodhran & hollerin')
8) 6/8 MARCHES: A couple of good-going, darkish marches in 6/8 time.
Pipe Major Donald MacLean of Lewis / Donald MacLeod; DECD - MCPS
Murdo MacKenzie of Torridon / Bobby MacLeod; copyright control
(Highland pipes, tenor snare, tenor tapan, bass tapan)
9) THE PUMPKIN'S FANCY: The Pumpkin Advisory Board asks us to remind you that October is National Pumpkin Awareness Month.
The Pumpkin's Fancy / Terry Tully; Irish Pipe Band Assoc.
(Highland pipes, snare & tapan)
10) A FLAME OF WRATH: Aaron says, "The story I was told of this tune goes as follows:
"Padruig Caogaich (Squinting Patrick) was killed by his foster brother. Patrick's other brother, Donald Mor MacCrimmon - piper to MacLeod of Dunvegan - demanded satisfaction. The chief of Clan MacLeod asked Donald Mor for a year to take care of the situation, hoping Donald would cool down. A year elapsed, and Donald - decidedly not cooled down - went with some pals to the village where Squinting Patrick's murderer should be found. Pounding on a blackhouse door, they demanded his surrender but were told he had 'gone out.' At each house they got the same response. Donald and the boys hit on the most expedient solution: they barred the doors of every house and set them all afire. Donald Mor - always quick with the pipes - improvised this tune to the accompaniment of the inhabitants' dying screams...
"Although Piobaireachd is played solo, I've always heard the pounding of a big drum in my head when I play this tune, so I thought I'd let it out."
A Flame of Wrath for Squinting Patrick: piobaireachd / traditional
(Highland pipes and bass tapan, played by Aaron Shaw)
11) AARON'S SET: The first tune Aaron wrote for the wedding of a piratical buddy of his known as Tiki King. The second tune was inspired by the crazed gyrations of a spider that Aaron disturbed on its web. The third tune was provoked by the difficulties encountered while tuning chanters in the L.A. Police Pipe Band.
The Pirate's Wedding: hornpipe / Aaron Shaw; Runsk Music
The Dizzy Spider: jig / Aaron Shaw; Runsk Music
Chasing the "F": jig / Aaron Shaw; Runsk Music
(Highland pipes, tenor tapan, tenor snare & bass tapan)
12) ROASTY SET: John goes nuts and brings an Afro-Latin flare to this piece.
Heat from the Furnace: reel / R. MacNeil; pub. Robert MacNeil Musicworks
The Master Blasters: hornpipe / Mark Saul; ISA Music
(Highland pipes, snare, percussion, bass tapan)
SPECIAL GUEST ARTISTS:
Tim Martin
Bones: Wood, made by Tom Mooney
Scott Fraser
Darabukka (T): Turkish
THISTLE PRICKS PRODUCTIONS
P.O. Box 1521, Glendale, California 91209-1521, USA
© 2000 Wicked Tinkers and Thistle Pricks Productions. All Rights Reserved. Warning: unauthorized reproduction of this recording is prohibited by federal law.
Manufactured 100% in the U.S.A.
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