@doricloon
I see that you can catch a sneak preview of plan B's new dance piece featuring new original music by Michael Marra on Saturday 02 August 2008 at 08:00pm
Entry is free but tickets are required. These can be obtained from Eden Court Theatre Box Office on 01463 - 234 234 or on their website at
Acclaimed, Highland based dance company, plan B are welcoming everyone to a public dress rehearsal of their stunning new creation parallel | parallels.
This thrilling piece is the company’s first major show in seven years and will be finally completed during their residency at Eden Court. parallel | parallels explores the worlds of parallel universes, combing the finest dance with music by outstanding singer/songwriter Michael Marra. This is your chance to get a sneak preview of this fantastic piece of cutting edge performance before it sets off for the Edinburgh Festival and on tour.
Stay Strong - New Orleans is the song off the new Blair Douglas featuring Michael Marra on vocals backed by The Nightcrawlers from New Orleans. He delivers the song in French which adds to the heartfelt sentiments of Blair's lyrics. Wonder if it will find it's way on to Michael's setlist. Deserves to!
Got my copy of the CD today thanks to my local record shop. Yes, they still exist and we are fortunate to have them. CD is not officially released till Monday. If you can't wait till then you can hear a short selection of 4 tracks from the album including Rester Fort at Ridge Records Listening Room -
http://www.ridge-records.com/listen_blair.htm
sorry if it's a bit of a torment! Just enough to whet your appetite for the whole album which contains some wonderful music. Enjoy.
Blair Douglas releases his fifth studio album on 9 June. Following on from the 2004 album Angels from the Ashes , the new album Stay Strong/ Bithibh Laidir / Rester Fort is a mainly song based album featuring a variety of guest vocalists such as Michael Mara, Eddi Reader, Cookie Rankin, Kathleen McInnes and Runrig’s Bruce Guthro and Rory Macdonald.
Throughout his career Blair has been a cartographer of the tradition and has put down a marker wherever the musical diaspora takes root. As an accordionist he is strongly influenced by both his own rich Gaelic instrumental heritage and Cajun music culture – two strands of musical and cultural traditions closely linked, in Blair’s view. Stay Strong/ Bithibh Laidir / Rester Fort manifests this link in music and song – the language of cultural expression. Blair provided some answers to questions about the making of the album. This was part of a much larger interview published in the Runrig Magazine – The Wire, in May 2008.
THE NEW ALBUM, STAY STRONG – BITHIBH LAIDIR/RESTER FORT , IS NOW RELEASED. ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE WAY IT HAS TURNED OUT?
I am extremely happy with the album. It is always hard, when working as a solo artist, to know if the material is up to standard. You rely a lot on your own instincts and hope for the best! The singers and musicians have all been wonderful and Robin Rankin has done a brilliant job on the production side as well. When you are working with real talent, it is much easier to achieve your musical goals. I suppose now it’s a case of – ‘let the people decide!!’
AN AMBITIOUS PROJECT FROM THE OUTSET, CAN YOU GIVE SOME BACKGROUND?
The recording process began about a year ago. Sound designer Robin Rankin co-produced it with me – I really enjoy working with him. He's done a top class job on the recording and production. I decided to go with more songs this time round, and we have brought in different vocalists – Rory, Bruce, Michael Marra,
Eddi Reader, Kathleen MacInnes, Arthur Cormack, and Cookie Rankin from the Rankin Family in Cape Breton. There’s a strong Cajun/Louisiana influence to the material – I have also used the New Orleans NightCrawlers brass section, and members of the Cajun band, L’Angelus, on one song. Recordings have taken place in Skye, Glasgow, Orkney, Sweden, Louisiana, Nashville, and Nova Scotia! ALSO SOME OTHER NOTABLE PLAYERS?
Yes, the instrumentalists also include – Gordon Gunn (fiddle), Colin Tully (sax – Colin was a member of seminal Glasgow band Cado Belle), Gary West (pipes), Dougie Pincock (whistles), Eddie McGuire (alto flute), Mairi Rankin, and Wendy MacIsaac, (Cape Breton fiddlers). I’m also pleased to say that Malcolm features on it as well, plus my own children, Iain and Ceitidh!
YOUR THINKING BEHIND THE ALBUM TITLE?
The album is called Stay Strong – Bithibh Laidir/Rester Fort . Hopefully this reflects the general theme runningthrough the album, and echoes this sentiment, Bithibh Laidir and Rester Fort being the respective Gaelic andFrench translations of Stay Strong .
AND THE TRACKS?
Tracks include: Martyn in Mind – written in memory of musician, Martyn Bennett; Soldier’s Lullaby –written for Rose Gentle, whose son Gordon was killed in Iraq; Tonn nan Deur (Wave of Tears) – in memory of the family members who died in Uist during the great storm of 2005; Baile Mabou, nam Mìle Bàidh, (Mabou of the Boundless Hospitality); Rester Fort, la Nouvelle Orleans – Stay Strong, New Orleans. I wrote it in French, a new experience for me.
Hi,
According the Blair Douglas website Michael Marra is helping out on vocals on his new CD - Stay Strong -
It is due out on 09 June. More information can be found at -
http://officialblairdouglas.com/Stay%20Strong.htm
It's not the first time they have worked together. Michael sung 4 songs on Blair's "Beneath The Beret" CD.
Good review of Michael Marra's gig last night at the Blue Lamp, "deep in the Mediterrean Sea" -
Look what's turned up on Youtube. 
A younger Michael Marra singing Ned Miller's " From A Jack To A King". I remember the programme being on Grampian. Filmed at the Grand Ole Opry in Glasgow the programme also featured Rab Noakes and The Liberties with Alison Clark on vocals. Probably have the whole show somewhere in the old betamax archive. Great to see it again.
Many thanks to Hiram Hubbard for putting it up.
As Michael is playing fiddler Niel Gow in this weeks BBC Radio Scotland's drama titled " Burns and Gow" I thought you might be interested in this archive photograph from The Scotsman with Michael on the fiddle, flanked by Dick Gaughan and Brian McNeil.
Was priviliged to witness Michael Marra's gig at Fat Sams in Dundee on 27 December 2007. A rare treat it was too. At one point I counted nine musicians on stage. Loads of highlights. Alice Marra singing "Monkey Hair" was wonderful. Kevin Murray's jazz chords on guitar gave "Schenetady Calling Peerie Willie Johnson" that distintive feel. Steve Ketley's saxophone riffs and solos on " True Love" and "Peter" were great as was Gregor Philp's guitar work on "Pax Vobiscum" and throughout the set. Christopher Marra's pedal steel guitar made "Letter From Perth" and "When These Shoes Were New" that extra bit special and his guitar playing was a joy. The vocal harmonies throught out were outstanding and The Hazey Janes proved a wonderful backing band. Michael himself was in great form and the setlist included a whole raft of songs from his extensive back catalogue. Monkey Hair, Farlow, Scribbled Down Drunk and Posted Sober, O' Fellow Man, Pax Vobiscum, Constable Le Clock,Julius, Gaels Blue, Letter from Perth and When These Shoes Were New ( Take Me Out Drinking Tonight 
were all additions to his normal setlist. At nearly two hours in length with over twenty songs and outstanding musicianship throughout made this an awesome gig. For next year's hometown gig can I request that the Gaels Blue Orchestra reforms and they play the entire "Gaels Blue" album "live" and then some!
The set list as I remember it was -
First Half
1. Mac Rebennack's Visit to Blairgowrie
2. Bob Dylan's Visit to Embra
3. Grace Kelly's Visit to Tannadice - Hamish
4. Farlow
5. Scribbled Down Drunk and Posted Sober
6. Chain Up The Swings
7. Monkey Hair - Alice Marra vocals
8. Schenetady Calling Peerie Willie Johnson - Kevin Murray guitar
9. O Fellow Man - Kevin Murray guitar
10. Frida Kahlo's Visit to the Taybridge Bar
11. Niel Gow's Apprentice - Kevin on mandolin and Christopher on Guitar
Second Half - with band
1. Don't Look At Me
2. Pax Vobiscum
3. Constable Le Clock
4. True Love
5. Angela Gunn
6. Julius
7. Peter
8. Gaels Blue
9. Letter From Perth
10. All Will Be Well
11. When These Shoes Were New - Take me out Drinking Tonight
12. The Lonesome Death Of Frances Clarke
The band members were -
Michael Marra - vocals ,keyboards, guitar and harmonica
Christopher Marra - vocals, guitars, pedal steel guitar, keyboards and harmonica
Alice Marra - vocals, guitars and keyboards
Matthew Marra - bass guitar
Gregor Philp - vocals, guitars and keyboards
Kevin Murray - guitars and mandolin
Andrew Mitchell - vocals, guitars and keyboards
Steve Ketley - saxophone
Ian Murdoch - Drums
Scots Jazz vocalist Sylvia Rae Tracey has recorded a couple of Michael Marra songs on her latest album titled " Up From The Skies" . The songs she has shown the great taste to cover are " Up Jumped the Moon" and "Under The Ullapool Moon" . You can download mp3s of these tracks or indeed the whole album by visiting http://www.tentotenrecords.com/ . Sylvia also covers three Sandy Wright songs on the album.