In this the first of a series of interviews concerning Scotland, its culture and traditions we start to discover it’s musical heritage with Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas.
Fiddle and Cello have a strong tradition in Scottish, 18th century music. In a reinvention of the classic musical marriage between big and small fiddles, Natalie Haas (on cello) and Alasdair Fraser (on fiddle) have become well renowned for their near-telepathic interplay and powerful music. Together they play tunes both from the 18th Century, the age of poet Robert Burns, to modern day compositions by Fraser himself.
In this edition of Radio Curious we speak with Natalie Haas and Alasdair Fraser at our studio in Ukiah, California on March 15th, 2009. We began by asking what was so special about the coupling of the fiddle and cello in Scottish music?
Natalie Haas and Alasdair Fraser have recorded a number of albums including their latest ‘In The Moment’ – all of their albums can be purchased from Alasdair Fraser’s own label ‘Culburnie Records’ at www.culburnie.com
The book Alasdair Fraser recommends is “Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a time” by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
The book Natalie Haas recommends is “The Soloist” by Steve Lopez
