Album Notes

This album plots a young percussionist's journey into the melodic world of Celtic music, whistles and bagpipes. Chris Gray's first love appeared as he studied great drummers playing street, jazz, Afro-Cuban, Middle Eastern, and African styles. Somewhere along this journey Chris was charmed by the ancient yet timeless quality of the Celtic traditions. He studied the Scottish snare, then quickly moved to the Great Highland Bagpipes and the folk traditions of Scottish music. From these haunting nine note melodies and ancient droning chords, his melodic interest grew. He studied fiddle tunes, the tonal ranges available in modern Bodhran styles and the complex modalities and time signatures in Eastern European and Middle Eastern music. After a few summers in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Chris was further influenced by the lilting Scots-Irish dance music and the playful mix of the Celtic traditions as they travel the world. While studying at Bowdoin College, Chris learned to play the Uilleann Pipes, the Great Highland Bagpipes, Irish whistles, the Middle Eastern riqq, doumbek, daff, and the African djembe and balafon. He has sampled much of this in this album featuring Celtic music and piping traditions from around the world. Chris plays all the instruments with the exception of the piano in Hardiman’s Fancy.

Inspired by the music of the Chieftains, Malinky, Cantrip, Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas, this album offers the unique perspective of an exceptional percussionist who has learned to also play Celtic melody instruments in traditional arrangements and original compositions. Piob More explores the ancient influence of the Celtic traditions as they travel the world, from the melodies of Scotland, Ireland, Estonia, Sweden, and France's Brittany, to rhythms that extend beyond the Celtic countries into Africa and the Middle East.