Salute Ukraine!, Usher Hall

 A big gala event bringing together Scottish and Ukrainian musicians and writers.  Plus video messages from Ukrainians both here and back home in the war.  The number of acts was too long to list here, but it really did have something for everyone.  Scottish folk, Ukrainian pop and opera, storytelling and poetry, with three songs from the mighty Lau to close the event, before the Ukraine national anthem was sung - are there were a lot of emotional Ukrainians in the audience to add volume.  

There were a few technical hitches, but that felt entirely forgivable on such a worthy occasion, and one that had had to be thrown together at short notice.  With so many acts to cope with the sound check must have been a lengthy nightmare!  And the occasional glitch served as a reminder that this was an event with real human urgency behind it, that there are innocent people dying in this war, as we sat there and enjoyed the tunes and the words.  

Memorable.

Janey Godley - The Not Dead Yet Tour, Festival Theatre

Given her health issues, you'd expect a well paced, well structured show, that's manageable for someone on chemo treatment.  The on stage screen displayed a series of stills showing Janey at various stages of her life, at various stages of her cancer journey, and reminders of why she's become one of Scotland's most popular comedians.  Followed by the star herself, with plenty of black humour about what she's been going through, and a hilarious story of Ashley Storrie as a child.  Cue Ashley...

Storrie is a storyteller, many of them about herself and her autism, plus her love for Harry Potter and William Shatner.  Her one night stand sex story, complete with sound effects, is beautifully constructed and builds to a great comic frenzy.

A short interval and Godley was back, and in wonderful form.  Childhood memories, her autistic husband and pop star Prince, Scottish people in hammocks.  And plenty of well placed jibes at tories, and the politician that brought her to fame, the orangest president the US will ever have.  And she's still right, he is a cunt.  Then a chance to sit down while she indulged in some of her famous voiceovers, featuring cute animals and less cute politicians.  Including the recent PM who couldn't beat a lettuce.  

The show ended with mother and daughter on stage, leading the audience in song.  Sentimental perhaps, but fitting in what might prove to be her farewell tour.  Hopefully not, because her humour and sharpness are as much needed as ever.

Session A9 and Phil Cunningham - Beyond the Further Shore, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Celtic Connections

 Seven middle aged men with a lot of forehead on show.  Keyboard, guitar, percussion and four fiddles.  They began in sedate fashion, sounding like a restrained Country & Western outfit.  But that impression didn't last long as the tempo increased and the notes flowed with abandon.  And got rowdier and rowdier...

There's a real sense of drama in their orchestration, even with unlikely candidates such as Strathspeys.  A few songs thrown in two, largely North American in origin.  Guitarist Marc Clement has a surprisingly good voice for a band mostly renowned for it's instrumentals.  

They're funny guys too.  Not a lot of chat, but they made it count when they did.  But it's the music that says it all.  No wonder SA9 are one of the most respected bands in the country.

In 2021 the BBC commissioned Phil Cunningham to make a documentary about the musical links between Scotland the north of Ireland, which became The Narrow Sea, the Further Shore, broadcast in early 2022.  This performance brought the music form that show, played live by a large all-star band of some of Scotland's finest folk musicians, and a string quartet as part of the line up.

Cunningham provided introductions to each track, linking the music to place and events.  Some had soundscape intros taken from the  programme, featuring water, rowers and old engines.  Whilst it didn't raise the pulse rate as Session A9 had done, we were treated to a collection of lovely melodies, lovingly arranged.  But the highlight didn't come from the TV series, but a piece Phil had been asked to write to mark the sadness of events in Ukraine.  A stunning and moving tune, and a fitting tribute to the suffering there.

Breabach and Dervish, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Celtic Connections

 Breabach to kick off with, and their usual 5 person line up, with double bass, guitar, cajon, fiddle, whistles and Highland bagpipes.  Plus vocals from Megan Henderson, Ewan Robertson and Calum MacCrimmon, and the excellent step dancing of Megan.

Most of the set featured material from their newest album, Fàs.  Beautifully orchestrated and contemporary.  Songs about change and wind power.  And a lot of laughs - both James Lindsay and newest member Conal McDonagh can be very dry.  

And they saved the best for last, with MacCrimmon and McDonagh blowing up the bags and letting the pipes rip.  Stirring stuff to end an entertaining set.

Dervish might be a generation ahead of them, but still bring passion and wildness to their music.  Confident, relaxed, professional, funny and gifted.  It was a strong and very varied set, and every member of the six piece line up had a chance to show off their solo talents.  

But it's always Kathy Jordan's vocals that stand out above all else.  With a wide range and expressive phrasing, she always remains unmistakably Irish, no matter the material.  Dervish also brought on a bit of step dancing, importing a youngster to undertake the duties and save their energies!

For the finale they were joined on stage by Breabach for a rousing singalong to end the evening.  Great stuff.

The Ross Couper Band plus support, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Celtic Connections

 Three sets of around forty to fifty minutes each, and three diverse acts.

Opening the evening was Breton duo Jean-Luc Thomas and Gabriel Faure, playing flutes and fiddle respectively.  Eclectic and unexpected, their influences took in the traditions of their Celtic home, mixed with music from the Middle East, North Africa, Brazil and beyond, in a style that was entirely their own, and owed as much to jazz as to folk.   Thomas produces weird vocalisations during his playing, and even demonstrates use of the flute as a percussive instrument.  Both of them are shyly funny, excellent storytellers and full of surprises.  Excellent.

 The Isla Ratcliff Band followed, featuring Ellen Gira (cello) and Iona Reid (piano) accompanying the eponymous leader's vocals and fiddle.  Playing firmly in the Scots fiddle tradition, but inspired by a long stay in Cape Breton, Ratcliff gave us strathspeys, jigs, reels and a single song.  A decent enough vocalist, talented fiddler, and very smiley.  Enjoyable without being inspiring.

Which is not what I'd say about the Ross Couper Band.  Backed by young keyboard star Michael Biggins and drumming legend Paul Jennings, with an accordionist joining later, Couper can certainly do the slow and delicate stuff with great accomplishment.  But as he said himself, it's not really what anyone goes to see him for.  Fast, wild, at times astonishing, and always inspiring, Couper mixed up his own tunes with traditional material from his native Shetland in a very modern package.  Great drumming, some wonderful piano, but above all it's the energy, spectacle and passion of Couper's playing that dominates and fascinates.  That set seemed all too short...