JIMMY YOUNG
Jimmy is originally from the West Coast of Scotland and has spent the last twenty years as a professional musician and composer. He is also founder of the House Band and RUA, the only group/artiste to have won the NZ Music and Entertainment Awards Best Folk Album of the Year twice since it�s inception. (1990/91 for The Commonwealth Suite and 1995/96 for Harbourlights as well as being runners-up 1991/92 for Live in the Cathedral .) These albums strongly featuring his compositions and skills on the Northumbrian Pipes (a small bellows-blown pipe from the borders of Scotland) and other wind instruments such as his simple-system flute made in London c 1830.
Having toured extensively, some of the highlights would be The Edinburgh International Arts Festival, Celtic Connections Glasgow Scotland, the Millennium Celebrations for Santiago de Compostella in Galicia N. Spain and the Lorient Inter-Celtique Festival in Brittany, France, the largest Celtic festival in the world. Also composing the audio soundtrack for the new Hokanui Moonshine Museum in Gore, a subject dear to his heart and palate! After a year of living/playing overseas, he is now back in NZ where he has lived with his family for the past 11 years.
His latest work, Pipeworks, released world-wide on August 1st 1999 by the Scottish record label Greentrax, was recorded in Edinburgh last year. The main focus of the album was bringing together different types of bagpipes and recording them for the first time. The CD�s subtitle, The End of the Rainbow Suite, is dedicated to Greenpeace, the crew of the Rainbow Warrior and Fernando Pereira who lost his life in the explosion that sank the Warrior in Auckland harbour. This features many of the finest Celtic musicians working in Scotland today playing almost as a small chamber orchestra with pipes, cellos and fiddles joining with mandolins, mandolas and African percussion to form a unique fusion of contemporary influences and Celtic roots.
Jimmy Young-'Pipeworks�
Greentrax-CDtrax 171
This fascinating album features the Northumbrian, Border and Scottish Smallpipes played by Jimmy Young, Iain MacInnes and Iain MacDonald. Also featured are members of Shooglenifty, Tannahill Weavers, Ossian and the members of Rua (Young�s� regular band, based in New Zealand.)
The album includes the End of the Rainbow Suite-a tribute to the crew of the Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior that was blown-up in Auckland harbour. This suite takes up the first seven tracks of the album and contains some very powerful music-from the opening Warriors� Reel with all three players playing together (an awesome sound I�d love to hear live) to Exodus where Jimmy is joined for a duo with Ron Shaw on cello. This is a beautiful arrangement of the Irish air Anac Cuin with the cello accompanying the melody with arpeggios before taking the melody away itself. The suite ends with Young�s own tune Burial at Sea-dedicated to Fernando Pereira who was killed in the explosion on the ship-followed by a reprise of the opening reel. His playing is incredibly moving.
After the suite there are a couple of songs, one sung by fellow Rua member and wife, Denny Stanway, and the other by Billy Ross. The album closes with an air written by Young inspired by his first meeting with his wife.
The first time I listened to this CD I realised that there was something very special about it. With each subsequent hearing, the more my first impression is reinforced. An exceptional album.
Phil Berthoud
Traditional Music Maker, England.
Jimmy Young, founder of Scots/New Zealand Celtic outfit Rua and original member of the House Band recorded "Pipeworks" on a recent visit to Edinburgh. "Pipeworks" combines the "End of the Rainbow Suite" dedicated to the Rainbow Warrior and a reunion with ex-House Band and early Rua compatriot Iain MacLeod (Shooglenifty). Young is a Northumbrian Pipes virtuoso and a composer of highly evocative music within the traditional idiom. 'The Warriors Reel" features Northumbrian, Scottish Border Pipes and Scottish Smallpipes in glorious unison while "Sir William Hardie's Watlzurka" evokes an almost Elizabethan atmosphere and "Full Rigged" attacks with all guns blazing. Composition wise "End of the Rainbow Suite" recalls Shaun Davy's "The Brendan Voyage" but with a distinctly more traditional flavour. Denny Stanway's plaintive vocals capture the sense of loss in Sandy Denny's "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" and �Denny's Air � closes with a resigned beauty. "Pipeworks" is music brimful of energy and creative spirit signifying Jimmy Young's massive contribution to the development of Celtic music.
John O'Reagan. Irish Journalist for the Irish Traditional Music Magazine.
Jimmy Young/James Wilkinson - Yaza Sunday 28 November 8pm - reviewed by Alec Davidson.
The full-house audience at Yaza were treated to a very fine performance as part of a three week tour of both islands. Jimmy is promoting a new album recently released called Pipeworks. It promises to place him at the forefront of 'piping' albums for its musical production and arrangements of tunes old and new.
Right from the opening set I was reminded of the depth of music that comes from Jimmy Young. Steeped in the tradition, Jimmy has created his own unique style on the Northumbrian pipes, the flute and whistles. Throughout the evening he played a number of his compositions which sit easily alongside any great tunes you care to remember. His jig for Maurice Spence in its slow form is the sort of tune I could happily listen to played eight, nine, ten times through - such is its smoothness.
Jimmy was ably backed and enhanced by the straight out stunning guitar skills of James Wilkinson. His background and experience in other musical fields such as jazz I think combines well with his technical mastery to produce a very tasty and exciting blend. He worked lovely chord progressions into the tunes with at times a sharp, staccato attack and at others, a light, feathery sensitivity. Never again will I be locked into the mindset that your right hand must sit somewhere over the sound hole!
As well as the tunes we were also given some fine songs sung in James' own unique, theatrical style. These were well accompanied by Jimmy - a task not as easy as he makes it look. It takes skill to come up with a tune line that feels as if it has always been there. Even when it is never the same twice.
It is not often you are treated to an evening of music where your attention has to be equally divided between the musicians. This was the case for me. Both James and Jimmy have an ability to be very professional, serious performers while appearing to take nothing seriously. There was great humour in the whole evening and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. This was celtic music equal to anything you would hear - anywhere!
PIPEWORKS is an exceptional album, a step above the rest. It�s moving, well thought-out, and beautifully arranged. It�s a must for any proper Celtic collection.
Patrick O�Donnell, Folk Tales, America.
Pipe-lovers and listeners who like some classical influence will enjoy the ensembles.
Dirty Linen Magazine, Canada, 2000.
The list of guest musicians on �Pipeworks� is considerable and includes such Scottish stalwarts as pipers Iain MacDonald and Iain MacInnes, Iain MacLeod (Shooglenifty), Billy Ross (Ossian), John Martin (Tannahill Weavers) plus from New Zealand Denny Stanway (Rua�s singer and Jimmy�s wife), Davy Stuart, Jon Hooker and James Wilkinson (all members of Rua). Jimmy believes this is the first time Northumbrian, Border and Scottish Smallpipes have played together on a recording!
This album is a thoroughly delightful recording. Some beautiful piping with as it states above, a variety of pipes. Arrangements are wonderful including a beautiful pipe piece arranged with viola and fretless bass in the background. The �end of the Rainbow Suite� is a beautiful piece of music and a fitting tribute to the Greenpeace activist who lost his life in Auckland harbour. It�s sure to be picked up by one of the Grade 1 bands for a treatment at some time in the future.
The Tartan & The Green Piping Magazine, Ireland
Pipeworks is a solo recording by a master of the Northumbrian Pipes diversifying from his normal role as leader of the band Rua.
The Oban Times, Scotland
Pipeworks� first seven tracks comprise the �End of the Rainbow Suite.� Although, several suites have been composed for pipes of various sorts, seldom have the results been so pleasing. Even standing apart from the story it aims to tell, this is great music and there is much here that Highland pipers might add to their repertoire.
Five stars!
John Gillis
Prairie Pipe Band Association Magazine
Winnipeg, Canada.
The album is a joy to Scottish ears from start to finish. On this excellent CD, we hear masterly playing on each and every track by outstanding piping talents like Jimmy Young, Iain MacDonald and Iain MacInnes.
Janet Wilson
The Scots Heritage Magazine
Pipeworks is a carefully and cleverly composed work that weaves subtle themes back and forth through the melody line, building into something that takes Scottish traditional music to a new dimension.
It is an outstanding piece of work that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, particularly Resurrection which takes the form of a thrilling reprise.
Drew McAdam.
Evening News/Scotsman, Edinburgh, Scotland
As a musician of traditional Irish folk, I welcomed the chance to close my eyes and let Jimmy transport me to the beautiful lands of my home. An incredibly versatile musician, he has mastered all of the traditional Celtic wind instruments, from the Northumbrian pipes to the old favourite-the tin whistle. He played us a mixture of original compositions and traditional tunes and filled the spaces between with jokes in his classic Scottish accent.
Jimmy Young & James Wilkinson,
Harbourlight Theatre 25th November 1999
Live Review By Helen Guerrero.
Jimmy Young & James Wilkinson
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