Syzygy by Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas
Click here for other albums by Fraser & Haas: https://www.culburnie.com
SYZYGY: "the joining of any two entities without losing the individual characteristics of either one.” This word has SO many meanings and is derived from the Greek and Latin words describing a state of "conjunction". Spending time with syzygy will whisk the enquiring mind into the realms of astronomy, mathematics, biology, computers, Jungian philosophy and symbolism, gnosticism, yin yang, rhythmites, tides, and the subtle metric power of a poem. Then, most surprisingly perhaps, one encounters the concept of the "Caledonian antisysygy" - a condition claimed for Scotland by G. Gregory Smith in 1919 to describe the clash of extremes at the heart of the Scottish mind and character.
While none of the above was on our minds while writing this music, the word kept calling to us as a way to describe what we strive for in our fiddle and cello duo of over 20 years. This, our sixth album together, marks a culminating point on our musical journey. The compositions are original, shared equally, and enable us to celebrate our contrasting backgrounds, experiences and world views while engaging in a dance-like celebration of two instruments in deep and playful conversation. This album showcases our continuing compositional direction towards the ultimate combination of minimalism and richness, seeking moments of both sophistication and vigor while relishing the ancient and modern. The tunes are rooted in tradition as always - weddings, newborns, bicycle mishaps, Scottish landscapes, Nordic heroes, Broadway, family, myths, jesters and troubadours - and then there's that antisyzygy again - a "zigzag of contradictions"!
15 brand new tracks, one hour of music: lie back and think of SYZYGY, or get up and dance and celebrate the idea of the coming into alignment of opposing forces everywhere.
Syzygystically yours,
Alasdair & Natalie
Make sure you check Alasdair & Natalie's upcoming tour dates at https://alasdairandnatalie.com/tour-dates
Tracklist
| 1. | A. Lien of Alesund | 3:45 |
| 2. | Sweglish, Modally Challenged | 4:02 |
| 3. | Tollhouse Tumble. | 3:24 |
| 4. | Moccasin Walk, Ackley Lake | 3:19 |
| 5. | Emerson | 3:59 |
| 6. | The Dreamer and the Jester | 5:13 |
| 7. | David & MIchelle's Wedding. | 4:25 |
| 8. | Iain of Hundalee, Rocco & Ruadh | 4:49 |
| 9. | Antisyzygy | 3:44 |
| 10. | Rest & Be Thankful, Start Your Engines | 4:56 |
| 11. | La Llegada de Los Trovadores | 3:27 |
| 12. | The 3-Stringed Uke | 3:42 |
| 13. | Double Tonic | 3:49 |
| 14. | Broadway for Greg & Tim | 4:08 |
| 15. | Caledonian Carolina | 2:58 |
Credits
Alasdair Fraser: fiddle
Natalie Haas: cello
License
All rights reserved.
Alasdair Fraser is one of the greatest carriers of the Scottish fiddle music tradition, a fiddler whose warmly expressive playing, mastery of his instrument and deep understanding of his native music as a venerable and continually evolving art is an inspiration to generations of musicians on both sides of the Atlantic.