CALUM STEWART
True North
Philippe Cousin
We left him in 2017 with his excellent album Tales from the North. Seven years on, Scotland's Calum Stewart is back with a new opus of the same quality as its predecessor, True North, again a tribute to his home region of Morayshire, east of Inverness.
After playing in the bands Mànran and Mabon, and collaborating with Breton guitarist Heikki Bourgault, Calum set about developing a more personal repertoire. In fact, he was awarded Traditional Musician of the Year 2018 by the MG Alba media.
Once again Calum brings us lush, luminous music that showcases his instrument of choice, the uilleann pipes, but also the wooden flute, another instrument on which he excels. The album features traditional melodies and five personal compositions inspired by the grandiose landscapes of his native region.
The title of this new album refers to his previous opus, which also had its roots in the region where he grew up.
Whereas on his previous CD, Calum called on a dozen musicians from Ireland, Scotland, Manx, England and Brittany, he decided to tighten his team around two Bretons: Yann Le Bozec on double bass and Sylvain Quéré on cittern. What could be more natural, given that he has lived in Brittany for many years?
The album opens with the solo track True North, a slow tune composed by Calum himself from a poem by Sophie Stephenson. This gives way to three reels in the best vein, which carry the listener along in a frenetic rhythm that gains in speed as the notes are played by this pipe virtuoso. Simply exhilarating.
Next up is Maol Dònaidh, a melody collected by Patrick McDonald in the 18th century, evoking the seal hunt common in these Highland communities. The next two tracks are composed by Calum: Scottishe Kerlou, in reference to the place where he lived for a time in Brittany. Then there's Cille Chuimein, the Gaelic name for the town of Fort Augustus, a place dear to his heart. We hear another Calum tune, Looking at a Rainbow through a Dirty Window, already recorded on his 2008 debut album.
True North ends with a march, The 72nd's Farewell to Aberdeen, followed by a strathspey, an emblematic Highland dance, and an Irish reel.
Far from being a simple interpretation of old tunes, Calum's music breathes new life into these beautiful pieces. Excellent and sublime.
Autoproduit EMCD03 - www.calum-stewart.com