Blair Douglas

Behind the Name

Macmeanmna

THE parallels between the Skye-based composer, accordionist and keyboards player Blair Douglas and his late friend, singer-songwriter Michael Marra are striking. In his note to his air for Marra, Douglas says: “He touched souls with his powers of observation and penchant for championing the underdog.”

Douglas could just as easily be describing himself. Like Marra, Douglas is often moved to compose and he observes the essence of peoples’ characters in soulful melodies. These thirteen splendid tracks celebrate neighbours and poets, soldiers and rock stars, priests and footballers, even a cockerel, and they naturally encompass the worlds of pipe band, ceilidh band, Cajun dance floor and African chant.

Marshalling string section, horns, guitars, pipes, harp and mandolin, Douglas adds details such as the very Italian interlude in his salute to Scottish-born footballer Giovanni Moscardini with masterly flair but also says much in a few notes. His pibroch for the Skye-born heroes of Festubert, if it hasn’t already, is surely destined to enter the tradition, as will many another composition here.

Rob Adams