Latest News
19/01/12
Brand New Album 'Waiting to Fly'
Mike and Ali's brand new duo album is now available on CD.
please visit mikevass.com/shop
for more info
07/12/11
December Well in full flow
It is now day 7 of my December Well Project, and the time is marching on!
Please come on over to decemberwell.com
and find out whats happening! There'll likely not be an update on mikevass.com till the new year.
27/10/11
December-Well
I've just launched my new website/blog 'December-Well'
December-Well is the name of my forthcoming 2nd solo album
please visit the new website for more details:
www.decemberwell.com
19/10/11
String Theory reviewed in the Scots Magazine
Thanks to Alasdair Maclean for this lovely review in this months edition of the Scots Magazine.
'Feel free to approach String Theory with total equanimity: it’s not about quarks and particle physics, honest! Instead, thankfully, it’s Nairn multi-instrumentalist and Niel Gow Compositions Award Winner Mike Vass with an entirely self-penned album which also features his twin sister Ali on piano, plus Anna Massie from Blazin’ Fiddles on guitars, banjo and vocals; Megan Henderson of Salsa Celtica on fiddle and vocals; Angus Lyon on accordion and Rhodes; James Lindsay on double bass; Steve Fivey with drums and percussion; and Calum MacCrimmon on whistle and (perhaps inevitably) bagpipes. It would be self-evident (and even glib!) to say that with a line-up like that playing compositions like these you can’t lose; but among the tracks is one epoch-making composition, Man’s Search, inspired by Auschwitz survivor and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl’s acclaimed book, and which the Frankl Institute used to mark Frankl’s birthday. All in all, this is elegant craftsmanship by a master of the contemporary Scottish music scene.'
buy String Theory here: mikevass.com/shop
26/08/11
String Theory reviewed in the Living Tradition Magazine
Thanks to Alex Monaghan for a nice review in the Living Tradition Magazine this month
http://www.livingtradition.co.uk/magazine/currentissue
03/06/11
Brand New Record planned
After a great tour in April, and considerable demand, myself and Ali (Vass) are going into the studio later this month to record a brand new duo album. Watch this space..........
Mike and Ali on YouTube
07/05/11
Album of the week
Just a wee note to say String Theory is 'Album of the week' on Celtic Music Radio .
I did a wee interview with Ross Macfadyen yesterday morning which will be broadcast at midday today (saturday 7th May) and again at Midnight.
03/05/11
Scotsman Review
Thanks very much to Norman Chalmers for this nice review in the Scotsman
MIKE VASS
String Theory
****
Rusty Squash Horn Records RSH001CD, £11.99
Nimble and competent, if portentously titled, this album is no breakthrough in cosmic understanding, but rather a craftsmanlike work of composition and performance by one of the country's leading young fiddlers. Commissioned by Celtic Connections and performed there by a rake of his top musician pals, this is essentially contemporary Scots neo-traditional music, set alight occasionally by a harmonic and rhythmic shift into rarer orbits, including the vocally produced modality.
Download this: Cavers Of Kirkudbright
21/04/11
Tour Update
Having a lovely time on tour in England at the moment. Temp above 20 degrees C the past few days. It's Hot!
Anyway I set up the video camera in Colchester, as we were delighted that they'd set up the Steinway and Sons Grand Piano for Ali to have a go on.
and here is a wee clip from Tobar an Dualchais! A fantastic website launched last year by the School of Scottish Studies in Edinburgh.
tobarandualchais.co.uk
04/04/11
PRESS RELEASE
STRING THEORY RSH001CD
Rusty Squash Horn Records (own label)
Mike Vass releases his debut solo album String Theory this week .
Nairn Musician and Composer Vass is best known for his duo work with his sister Ali, and for his
previous work with Folk Band of the Year 'Malinky'. A gifted multi-instrumentalist, his fiddle
playing has been described as 'exceptionally expressive' (Keith Clark) 'sweet, unhurried' and
'seriously graceful' (Alex Monaghan). More recently he has gained a reputation as being one of
Scotland's top tunesmiths. He was the winner of the inaugural Niel Gow International Composition
award in 2008.
String Theory is an entirely self-penned album based on Mike's Celtic Connections commission in
2010 which was part of the festival's New Voices series. One of the highlights, the avant-garde
piece Man's Search, inspired by Viktor Frankl's best-selling book (Man's Search for Meaning), was
described as 'utterly compelling' (Barry Gordon) and was subsequently featured by the Victor
Frankl Institute in Austria to commemorate Frankl’s birthday. BBC Radio Scotland previewed
tracks from String Theory as part of their St. Andrews Day Celebration broadcast in November, and
during Celtic Connections 2011.
String Theory is an ambitious, exciting work featuring a multi-instrumental line up including fiddle,
bagpipes, accordion, guitar, banjo and piano. The record showcases some of Scotland's leading
musicians, including Anna Massie (Blazin Fiddles), Megan Henderson (Salsa Celtica) and Calum
MacCrimmon (Breabach/Unusual Suspects). The end result is a varied and engaging album.
Mike is touring mainland UK throughout April with his twin sister Ali,
(http://www.mikevass.com/gigs/), and embarks on a Scottish Islands tour in June flanked by Calum
MacCrimmon and Innes Watson. Live performances of tracks from String Theory have been filmed
for BBC Alba, to be televised later this year.
String Theory is available now from mikevass.com & iTunes
& from all good record shops from April
ends
28/03/11
CDs arrived today!
Hurray, it's been a long wait, but my CDs finally arrived from the pressing plant today!
For those of you who pre-ordered, thank you for your patience, they are on their way!
for anyone else who would like one, please visit the shop.
mikevass.com/shop
Mike
27/03/11
Brand new music video on YouTube
Well folks, I've produced my first music video, and I'm sure you'll agree it's a fine piece of work. Watch out Quentin.
see it HERE
29/01/11
Nice Review from Michael MacLennan
'Effortlessly slick, the seven-piece flew through their set in a breezy, uplifting manner, finishing off with quite the flourish.'
read more HERE
13/12/10
String Theory Tracks previewed on BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio nan Gàidheal
Tracks from the brand new album have been played been getting some airplay this past couple of weeks. Maryann Kennedy's Global Gathering show featured 'Calum James MacCrimmon' on their special St. Andrews Night Broadcast, and 'Continents Apart' was featured on Caithream Ciùil.
You can listen again here
Caithream Ciùil
23/11/10
Free Full Album Download
Hi Folks,
The Album release has had to be put back a little, I'm still hoping it'll be out before Christmas, but now you can Download the entire Record for FREE from right here on the website (through the SoundCloud widget on the front page)
Please feel free to share it around.
Consider it an early Christmas present!
arra best
Mike
soundcloud.com/mikevass
05/11/10
remember remember the 5th of November, the day i worked out how to embed the soundcloud widget on my own website - hoorah!
Mike
look above!
01/10/10
Album preview tracks
soundcloud.com/mikevass
From my forthcoming release 'String Theory'. Pre-ordering facility available very soon!
Please take a listen!
02/09/10
New Job
Next week I take up my new position as fiddle tutor at the Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop. I first did some teaching for the Workshop back in 2007, and am delighted to have been asked back.
Here is a lovely article from Mark Morpurgo of the Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop outlining my duties!
forargyll.com
15/08/10
'Wait What' Album review from Folkworld.de
Label: Greentrax; CDTRAX349; 2010; 9 tracks; 51 min
Averaging almost six minutes per track, Malinky fiddler Mike Vass and guitarist Dave Wood have produced an album of big numbers. It's smart, it's smooth, and it's probably going to win them a lot of friends. Mike plays in a sweet, unhurried style, seriously graceful fiddling, following the lead of such solo stars as Duncan Chisholm, Anna-Wendy Stevenson and Lauren MacColl. Occasionally the groove grows a little stale - the fourth time through Covering Ground, the fifth time through St Kilda Wedding - but mostly the music just flows fresh and clean.
42 Beech Avenue is a microcosm of this recording. One of seven Vass tunes here, it's a gentle slow reel handled superbly by both fiddle and guitar. The opening arpeggio riff is held for thirty seconds, just longer than is comfortable, and Mike pulls the same trick in the middle of this five-minute track: challenging, effective, and memorable. Vass and Wood are masters of understatement, letting their music simmer on a low heat. They also know how to mix the new with the old, setting some sparkling traditional gems alongside their own material.
Things do hot up in places, but fireworks are thinly spread on this album. There's a spark or two in Gion's, and the Strathfleet March kicks off three lively compositions by Pipe Major William MacDonald ending with the impressive reel The Colonel. You'll find humour and joie de vivre too in Michael Rankin's, one of many great pieces by the late John Morris Rankin. Wait, What? finishes with a truly beautiful pipe march, The 24th Guards at Anzio, and a couple of explosive Scott Skinner tunes. Mike and Dave enlist a few friends, particularly Damien O'Kane whose tenor banjo adds guts throughout and who sings a stylish version of The Hills of Donegal at half time. Exceptional control, enchanting melodies, and exemplary arrangements: this is one for repeated listening.
www.mikevass.com
Alex Monaghan
buy it here!
mikevass.com/shop
24/07/10
Summer Months
Golspie Feis and Ceilidh Trail
I spent the first two weeks of July in Golspie (Sutherland in the north of Scotland) teaching at their Feis and Ceilidh Trail - both were a great success. Thanks to Ian Murray and his team for having me back again - I look forward to next year!
Keep up with the ceilidh trail on facebook Feis Chataibh Ceilidh Trail
Malinky Canada and USA summer 2010
On Thursday I fly to Canada with Malinky to embark upon our summer tour of Canada and the USA!
for more details check out the Malinky website malinky website
26/06/10
How to make the perfect cup of instant coffee
Add water to your kettle, plug in the kettle, boil the water
Add a heaped teaspoon of instant coffee to your favourite mug (if clean)
(this quantity may vary depending on your taste)
Fill the mug up using the water from the kettle
stir
add milk if required
21/06/10
Wait What? on Take the Floor.
Robbie Shepherd played some tracks from 'Wait What?' on Take the floor yesterday.
To listen again visit the BBC Take the Floor mini site here:
www.bbc.co.uk
to purchase the album click here:
mikevass.com/shop
15/06/10
Engagement!
Congrats to my twin sister Ali and her fiancé Adam Rudd who got engaged on Saturday.
The whole family are delighted.
01/06/10
Mike Vass and Dave Wood - 'Wait, What?'
In March, Dave Wood (Who plays guitar and bouzouki along side me in Malinky) and I took our fiddle and guitar to Castlesound Studios in Pencaitland for 5 days. The result is 'Wait, What' a collection of 8 Instrumentals and 1 song. Its out on the Greentrax label (cdtrax349) and can be purchased here:
www.mikevass.com/shop
You can hear some samples from the album on the music player at the side of this page
It features the phenomenal Damien O'Kane who sang 'The Hills of Donegal', and added some gorgeous banjo and tenor guitar elsewhere on the album.
please check out Damien's own solo album which has just been released on Kate Rusby's Pure Records Label.
www.damienokane.co.uk
www.katerusby.com
www.purerecords.net
The Album also features the mighty James Lindsay on Double Bass, and the awesome Steve Fyvie on Drums and Percussion
James' bands:
Skalder myspace.com/skaldermusic
Breabach www.breabach.com
Steve's band
www.pipedown.co.uk
Hope you like the album! We certainly had fun making it.
arra best
Mike
15/01/10
Mike Vass. Super String Theory, Sunday Jan 24th 2010, 1pm Strathclyde suite, Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow
'A current favourite among scientists in search of an all- encompassing hypothesis is super string theory, according to which elementary particles are likened to the notes sounded by a violin string under varying tension. Acclaimed young fiddler Mike Vass co-opts this concept with poetic licence for his New Voices premiere, which seeks to unite the disparate elements of his own creative universe in cahoots with some of his favourite musicians. Within an eight-piece line-up including his pianist sister Ali, piper Calum MacCrimmon and multi-instrumentalist Anna Massie – with everyone also enlisted on vocals – each individual’s response to Vass’s written parts will feed integrally into the performance.'
(Sue Wilson)
Featuring:
Ali Vass: Piano, Vocals
Anna Massie: Guitar, Banjo, Fiddle, Mandolin, Vocals
Dave Wood: Guitar, Bouzouki, Vocals
Calum MacCrimmon: Whistle, Bagpipes, Vocals
Megan Henderson: Accordion, Fiddle, Vocals
Stevie Fyvie: Percussion, Vocals
Mike Vass: Fiddle, Guita, Vocals
James Lindsay: Bass
Pieces:
42 Beech Avenue and other stories of sofa surfing
Waking Life
Inspired by Richard Linklater’s film of the same name
Man’s Search for Meaning
Inspired by the Viktor E Frankl’s book about his experiences in a Concentration Camp during World War Two
Arden Street Suite
Inspired by being at home
Some wee sound clips of the previous rehearsal can be found here:
http://www.myspace.com/mikevass