A new book exploring the history of art in Dundee has been launched at the University of Dundee.

The illustrated Independent & Individualist – Art in Dundee 1867-1924 has been written by the University’s museum curator Matthew Jarron and explores in detail the period when Dundee was recognised as one of the major art centres of Britain. In the late 19th century, the city staged the largest exhibitions of art outside London and hosted some of the most ambitious private art collections in Scotland.

Mr Jarron said: "This is the first time that Dundee’s art culture has been studied in depth. I’ve looked at the major artists and exhibitions, but also tried to explore the social, economic and political background to that extraordinary era, which has many parallels to today’s cultural developments in the city."

dundee.ac.uk/museum

Lau fiddler Aidan O’Rourke and concertinist and traditional music activist Simon Thoumire, pictured, pay a Celtic Connections tribute on Saturday, January 23 to the Strathspey and Reel Societies that proliferate around Scotland and have played an important part in nurturing fiddling talent as well as other instrumental abilities for over a hundred years. O’Rourke, who played with Oban and Lorne SRS, and Thoumire have written two of four new compositions - fiddler Shona Mooney, of the Shee, and pianist Jennifer Austin are providing the others – to be played by the Strathspey and Surreal Society, a 21-strong group comprising top fiddlers including Chris Stout, Jenna Reid, Adam Sutherland, and Laura Wilkie, of the Glasgow jazz-funk-folk big band Fat-Suit. The concert takes place at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and begins at 1pm. celticconnections.com

Edinburgh’s Playtime jazz sessions return this Thursday when guitarist Graeme Stephen and drummer Tom Bancroft present a programme of new music with special guests, harp virtuoso Catriona McKay, Oene Van Geel, the violist with Dutch string quartet Zapp4, and bassist Mario Caribe. The sessions take place fortnightly in the intimate loft space above the Herald Angel-winning Outhouse bar, in Broughton Street Lane. The music begins at 8pm.

playtime-music.com

Glasgow Guitar LaB presents the second in its informal guitar nights on Tuesday, January 19 when Phil Robson appears at La Bodega in South Street. Now based in New York, Derby-born Robson became established on the UK jazz scene with fusion band Partisans and singer Christine Tobin in the 1990s. He has gone on to record with top American players including saxophonist David Liebman, bassist James Genus and drummers Billy Hart and Jeff Williams and won the Jazz Musician of the Year title at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards in 2009.

philrobson.net