SCOTTISH CELTIC HARMONICA
DONALD BLACK – SCOTTISH CELTIC HARMONICA Donald Black and Friends are hosting this concert, with all funds raised being donated to the Renfrew & Gallowhill SNP.
Donald Black, “the instrument’s foremost exponent in Scottish Traditional Music” (Scotland on Sunday) hails from Benderloch, Argyll, Scotland. He received his first harmonica (mouthorgan) at the tender age of four. His roots are firmly steeped in the West of Scotland Pipe and Gaelic tradition but his repertoire extends well beyond this to embrace the idioms of Ireland, Shetland Isles, Nova Scotia (Canada) and mainstream Scotland.
Donald is totally self-taught and with his own unique style and mastery, has played a very significant part in the harmonica having been given a new respect and acceptance; meaning afficianados, professionals and reviewers taking it seriously as a significant part of the Scottish Traditional Music scene.
Using mainly the tremolo and 10-hole diatonic harmonica as lead instrument, his live performances of thoroughly challenging jigs, reels, marches, hornpipes, strathspeys and emotionally charged slow airs/laments have delighted audiences in his native Scotland, as well as England, Italy, Germany, Lithuania, Denmark, Russia and the U.S.A. – see www.donald-black.com/live/reviews
Donald has recorded five albums to considerable acclaim; one of them being a joint venture with the highly respected multi-instrumentalist Malcolm Jones of Scottish Celtic – Rock Band Runrig – see www.donald-black.com/albums/reviews – and is mentioned in four books on the instrument:- The Encyclopaedia of the Harmonica by Peter Krampert, Harmonicas for Dummies by Winslow Yerxa, Die Mundharmonica by Cristoph Wagner and Five Cents and a Boxtop by Nashville’s legendary harmonica player Charlie McCoy “ the most recorded harmonica player of all time”. Donald was very honoured to have been invited to guest on Charlie’s latest Celtic Dreams album after which Charlie reciprocated by guesting on Donald’s latest Bho m’ Chridhe (from my Heart) album project. Over the years Donald has made several TV appearances and enjoyed extensive radio-play both at home and abroad
Currently, live performances are usually that of a three-piece line-up:- ie.,with Donnie Mackenzie (acoustic guitar) and Martain Skene (keyboard/accordion) joining Donald on an array of harmonicas – the DONALD BLACK BAND.
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