Alex Hodgson - Jeelie Jars 'n' Coalie Backies

Alex Hodgson is a singer-songwriter from the East Lothian town of Prestonpans. He carries on the fine tradition of Prestonpans song writing from the late Davy Steele. He has travelled extensively - playing in South Africa and Bahrain, and even for the Queen on several occasions. Here he sings a mix of trad and self-penned songs.

Willie's Gon' Tae Melville Castle; Isobelle; Mercat Fair Lass; Fisherow Belles; Inveresk; Witch Hunt; As A Come In By Fisherow; The Shearin'; Jock O' Hazeldean; Blantyre; Mary Let Me Tak' Ye Dancin'.

Alex was a finalist in the 'Burnsong' song writing competition in 2005 and 2009 and since then he has appeared live on the BBC Radio Scotland hogmanay show and with Robbie Shepherd's popular BBC Radio Scotland programme `Take The Floor'. In addition, he sang at the Scottish Parliament, the Queen's Ghillie Ball at Balmoral, the Waterside Theatre, Capetown, South Africa, and has appeared at the Caledonian Society Ball in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

He has a keen love of Scottish variety theatre and has himself appeared locally in many amateur stage productions. His interest in storytelling has also seen him appearing at Newton Mearns Storytelling Festival and workshops at the City Arts Centre, Edinburgh, and he also entertains children. If that is not enough, Alex appears on Forth 2 Radio programme 'The Rest of Scottish', presented by Kenny Hutchison, and performs a new song weekly live. He has also presented `The Sunday Gaitherin' on Radio Borders . Alex is a born entertainer!

Alex recorded this album in Castle Sound Studios, Pencaitland, under the guiding hand of producer Kenny Hutchison and the magic fingers and ears of engineer Stuart Hamilton. The session musicians read like a `whose who' of Scottish music, including Kenny Hutchison (piano, Hammond organ, accordion and synth) who is a vocal coach, broadcaster, music teacher and musical director and leader of the Edinburgh band The Flavours; Calais Brown (guitars and mandolin) is also a member of The Flavours, he has toured with The Mavericks, played in many Edinburgh bands and sessioned in Nashville; Kevin McGuire (double bass) has played in many Scottish bands for years and more recently toured with both Karine Polwart and Eddi Reader; Jim McDermott (drums and percussion) has performed with Simple Minds, Gun, Deacon Blue, The Silencers and Del Amitri and was the drummer on BBC TV's `Tutti Frutti'; David Paton (bass guitar) spent most of the 70's as leader of Pilot, toured long-term with Elton John and has appeared with many others including Paul McCartney; Tony Kime (violin) gained a music honours degree and was a BBC recording engineer but is now retired and arranges music for strings; Jennifer Leitch (backing vocals) has a background in musical tneatre and James Mackintosh (ukelele) can be heard regularly in Edinburgh venues.

For Jeelie Jars 'n' Coalie Backies Alex has written seven of the eleven songs and his love of the Lothians, in particular, but Scotland in general, are etched in the lyrics of his songs. His deep love for his wife `Isobelle' shines through in that track; `Mercat Fair Lass' is based on the history of local fairs and The Merest Cross of Prestonpans, which still stands today. The beauty of a field of red poppies inspired the wonderful 'Inveresk' on the outskirts of Musselburgh; `Witch Hunt' is the story of witches hunted down in East Lothian; `Fisherrow Belles' looks at the women who were the backbone of the fishing industry in the glory days; 'Blantyre' is in memory of the miners of Scotland's worst mining disaster of 1877. 'Mary Let Me Tak' Ye Dancin' is a humorous look at his parents' dancing days and visits to the `picture house' or cinema.

Of the four traditional songs 'Willie's Gon' Tae Melville Castle' and `As A Come in by Fisherrow' further reflects the history of the Lothians and The Shearin' and `Jock o' Hazeldean' are fine examples of good Scottish songs.

This is a particularly good album, not only because of Alex's fine voice and his song writing skills, but also the excellent arrangements of the music by Kenny Hutchison and the outstanding execution by the session musicians, giving new life to the traditional songs, and full justice to Alex's own songs. The whole album is clearly traditional in style but has a very modern feel to it.

Scots songs, traditional music, by this male folk singer.

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