Songlines Magazine Debbie Koritsas *****
Shetlander Chris Stout makes a hugely ambitious statement with ‘Devil’s Advocate’, a recording that reinforces his status as one of Scotland’s major innovators. His seemingly restless quest to explore the wider tradition is evidenced by his very personal interpretation of wonderful tunes collected over the years from Scandinavia, Ireland, France and his Scottish homeland. These include a sparkling version of ‘Bambodansarna’, a fabulous tune by Swedish nyckelharpist Olov Johansson, a superb jig by Breton pioneer Jacky Molard, and a moving traditional Shetland tune, ‘Auld Swaara’.
The quality of Stout’s own compositions consistently astonishes. He hit the ground running in 2007, launching his commission for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra ‘DynrÖst’ at Celtic Connections Festival. Some of this critically acclaimed commission is captured on this recording. ‘DynrÖst’ is dramatic, swirling, emotive and pioneering music, a gorgeous fusion of the Celtic tradition with the jazz and classical genres. He has never been afraid to go ‘left field’ with his own writing, and the title track epitomises this beautifully with its angular, shimmering twists and turns. His tunes embrace every nuance of musical expression, including agonisingly beautiful album closer ‘DynrÖst’, a tune that would wrest an emotional response from the hardest heart. There’s such empathy between harp and viola here, the latter hauntingly expressed, with saxophone lending the subtlest texture.
A musician of Stout’s status is able to draw upon the support of Scotland’s ‘A’ list of traditional musicians, and he collaborates here with Fraser Fifield, Catriona Mackay (with whom he recently recorded the exquisitely innovative album ‘Laebrack’), Neil Harland and Malcolm Stitt. Fiddle, viola, saxophone, piano, harp, double bass and guitar conspire throughout ‘Devil’s Advocate’ to create a passionate, fluid, very adventurous sound that remains true to tradition whilst innovating, challenging, and testing boundaries with its strong jazz leanings. Highly recommended
The Scotsman (Gaelic) ISEABAIL T NICDHÒMHNAILL
SANN o Ghreentrax a thàinig an CD ùr aig a' Chris Stout Quintet Devil's Advocate (CDTRAX305). Sann á Sealtainn a tha Chris agus tha e air cliù a chosnadh mar shàr fhìdhleir ann an grunn de chòmhlain, agus mar neach-ciùil a tha fìor chruthachail. Còmhla ris air an CD ùr tha Fraser Fifield (sagsofòn), Catrìona NicAoidh (clàrsach agus piana), Niall Harland (beus fhidheall) 's Malcolm Stitt (gitàr).
Tha an CD a' tòiseachadh 's a' crìochnachadh le pìosan ciùil o Dynröst, a rinn Chris airson Celtic Connections am-bliadhna. Tha buaidh jazz agus ceòl o thaobh an-ear na Roinn Eòrpa gu math follaiseach anns a' chiad fhear dhiubh, 's tha a' bhuaidh seo ri chluinntinn uair is uair tron CD.
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Tha pìosan a tha gu math tradiseanta ann am faireachdainn ann cuideachd, mar eisimpleir san t-sreath phort The Rant, ach tha an dòigh sa bheil iad air an cluichd a' tarraing air iomadh nòs. Cluinnear aig toiseach an t-sreatha Nanny is Andrew, còmhradh-ciùil innleachdach eadar an fhidheall 's an sagsofòn.Tha e fìor inntinneach an-seo a bhith a' cluinntinn mar a tha ìre os cionn ìre a' dol ris a' cheòl gus an crìochnaich e le ruidhle beòthail Sealtainneach air a chluichd ann an dòigh eadar-dhealaichte on àbhaist. Tha an luchd-ciùil air an CD seo sònraichte math, agus còrdaidh an dòigh cluichd aca ri luchd-èisteachd a tha dèidheil air an nòs ùr. Chanadh feadhainn nach eil ro dhèidheil air a leithid gu bheil an ceòl fada ro fhìnealta
The Irish Times Siobhán Long
Getting his retaliation in first (with a knockout title), Chris Stout and his quintet put their shoulders to a wheel that navigates an underpopulated border- land where traditional, classical and jazz music don't so much collide as eye one another up with deep suspicion. Stout's visceral Shetland Island fiddle style was honed with Fiddlers' Bid, with the Finlay MacDonald band and on his 2004 solo CD, First O' the Darkenin'. Devil's Advocate pursues an even more pioneering route, taking classical idioms by the scruff and bending them until they mutate into something altogether more primal. The Rant is a jig medley that captures the inventive charisma of both Stout's own compositional flair and his ear for pairing the old with the disturbingly new. The stuff of genius in the making. www.greentrax.com
The Living Tradition Magazine Alex Monaghan
Chris Stout's debut album was always going to be a hard act to follow. Devil's Advocate does a pretty good job, but despite the extra four musicians it doesn't quite have the wow factor of First o' the Darkening. This is still a very fine recording: the title track and the set of Shetland reels pack a fair punch, and the kick-start to Aith Rant is superb. Mr Stout can also spot a good tune from other traditions: Lorient est Grand and Talaimh an Éisc both provide the finishing flourish for Chris' own compositions. The final track, Dynröst, is a beauty too, with Catriona McKay's harp and Fraser Fifield's sax contributing to the full atmospheric sound. There's first class accompaniment throughout from Malcolm Stitt and Neil Harland on guitar and double bass.
So what didn't I like? Not too much, really. The overlong introduction to Bambodansarna which in itself is a splendid melody. The similarly lengthy lead-in to Nanny and Andrew. The fact that Auld Swarra is polished off in under three minutes, a brusque dismissal of this grand old Shetland air. Slightly too much sax, and not quite enough of Chris Stout's fiddle. These minor criticisms, and a couple of tracks which didn't grab me, make the difference between Devil's Advocate being a "nice-to-have" and a "must-have" CD. Still well worth a listen, though.
The List Kenny Mathieson
Fiddler Chris Stout has long been involved in genre-crossing projects, including an interest in both improvisation and electro-acoustic composition. His quintet reflects some of that eclecticism in a context that is firmly rooted in the music of his native Shetland, but informed by an exploratory contemporary sensibility. The album includes two extracts from ‘Dynröst’, premiered at Celtic Connections in January with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, but arranged for quintet here.
The distinctive instrumental line-up, featuring Stout’s fiddle and the darker viola alongside Catriona McKay’s clarsach and Fraser Fifield’s soprano saxophone, gives the music its own sonic and textural qualities, underpinned by Malcolm Stitt’s guitar and Neil Harland on double bass. The music reflects the development in the quintet’s group interaction since their debut CD two years ago, and the vibrant playing injects life and spirit into both slow airs and up-tempo jigs and reels.
The Scotsman
THE Shetland fiddler's follow-up to First o' the Darkenin' is an even stronger outing, and reflects the development in the quintet's interaction since that debut. The distinctive instrumental line-up, featuring Stout's fiddle and the darker viola alongside Catriona McKay's clarsach and Fraser Fifield's soprano saxophone, gives the music its own particular sonic and textural qualities, underpinned by Malcolm Stitt's guitar and Neil Harland on double bass.
The fiddler is rooted in the music of his native Shetland, but adds a contemporary sensibility, and the vibrant playing from all concerned injects life and spirit into both slow airs and up-tempo jigs and reels. Tunes from Scandinavia, Brittany, Ireland and Scotland add variety to the material. The album is topped and tailed with extracts from Dynröst, premiered at Celtic Connections in January with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, but arranged for quintet here.
The Shetland Times Lisa Ward
AFTER receiving rave reviews for their first album, First O' The Darkenin', the Chris Stout Quintet have returned with their second offering.
This time round the quintet have really established their sound. The album encapsulates everything that has come to be associated with the name Chris Stout.
As a live musician Stout's main strength has always lain in an uncanny ability to fuse a huge range of influences into one seemingly effortless sound, and there is no doubt that the nine tracks on this album are an attempt to capture this on CD as well.
The result is nothing if not eclectic, with every minute of music containing a nod toward influences a far-cry from what one might expect from a man raised playing traditional fiddle in Fair Isle. Yet that's not to say that the album isn't grounded firmly in it's traditional roots.
The instrumental line-up, including Fraser Fifield on saxophone, Malcolm Stitt on guitar; Catriona Mckay on harp and piano and Graham Steven on double bass, gives the group it's own unique sonic quality. And the pairing of Stout's fiddle with Fifield's saxophone is particularly innovative, providing a beauty and depth which, at times, is almost haunting.
And though the quintet touch on everything from jazz to world music, they always seem to have the Isles in mind. This is no more apparent than on the album's opening track..
Originally written as part of Dynröst, a commission by BBC Scotland for a performance by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at Celtic Connections 2007, the skirling title track has been arranged here for the smaller scale of the quintet.
McKay's jarring vamping combined with Stout's complex phrasing is borderline progressive and sums up the sheer musicianship of the group. Yet the piece is packed with lilting melodies and soaring harmonies that demonstrate all the spirit and flair of traditional music.
But it is not until the second track, Bambodansarna, that the group's unique instrumentation is highlighted. Written by Swedish composer Olov Johansson, the piece is driven by McKay's dreamy harp and Fifield starts the piece with a sax melody which trickles like water over pebbles.
The third track, Auld Swaara, is the shortest on the album and arguably the most traditional. Fans of more traditional fiddle will most likely find Stout's unaccompanied performance of this slow piece to be the strongest point on the album. But for those who have grown rather tired of this sound, it does get a little wearing.
Thankfully things pick up again on the next two tracks, Phil's Tune and a set of jigs entitled The Rant. These tracks manage to straddle the boundary between traditional and contemporary fiddle music far more successfully and are guaranteed to get the foot tapping.
Things slow down again for the next track, which is a set of two tunes, Fisherman's Prayer and Talaimh An Eisc. Once again the highlight of the track is McKay's distinctive harp style, which stands as the perfect accompaniment to Stout's beautifully sweet melody.
The next two tracks, The Sheriff and a medley of reels called Nanny and Andrew, stand well beside each other as a representation of a more traditional sound against a contemporary adaptation. And the closing track, Dynröst, also written for the aforementioned BBC Scotland Commission, serves the album with a much-needed slow performance involving the whole quintet.
Overall, listening to Devil's Advocate is a little like making a trip into Lerwick and finding that a pyramid has been seamlessly erected in the middle of the Market Cross – - it's exotic, interesting, beautiful and at times even a little strange, but it's still home.
