Album Notes

After living on a boat as a child, Ben Edom won an art competition at age 11 and bought his first guitar. He played Rock, Blues, Jazz, Classical and Contemporary as well as Scottish and Irish Folk music, in bands and solo, taking him from Scotland to Europe, the USA and Australia.

He now delights in focusing on Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitar, (both steel and nylon string) on which he has developed an infectious and exciting repetoire incorporating a wide spectrum of Celtic, Jazz, Classical and Contemporary styles. Always finding and developing the mood and essence of a tune, from soulful and ancient Gaelic Airs to the driving rythms that make guitar mastery a joy to hear, his deep love of music shines through, blending passion, beauty, pride and humour in every note.

A decade in Australia playing with some of Queensland's best fiddlers, pipers, dulcimer players and harpers including singer/harper Debra Carey, put him in great demand for recording and performing at venues as diverse as Irish pubs, exclusive weddings at 5-star resorts and musical theatre to the Woodford International Folk Festival. Ben and Debra's band Celtic Soul drew in many talented musicians and they released their CD 'A Crofter's Heart' at the Australian National Celtic Festival.
Returning to Scotland to play in the millennium Ben gigged around the Highlands with Celtic Folk band Carnyx during 2000 featuring at the Linn Gu Linn Festival at the Royal National Mod and appearing on BBC TV.

Ben was invited to play at the Ullapool Guitar Festival in concerts alongside John Renbourn, Clive Carroll, Adrian Byron Burns, Robbie McIntosh and the late Isaac Guillory. The enthusiastic response from the audiences, guitarists and festival organisers led to Ben recording his album 'SPINDRIFT' which was released in June 2001 through Celtic Soul Records. Other recent appearances have included the Edinburgh Festival, The Heart of Scotland Festival, Celtic Connections and Gosport & Fareham Easter Festival. 2002 sees Ben touring Scotland, England and Wales, including the Cambridge Folk Festival, Gainsborough Festival, Portpatrick Folk Festival, Isle of Jura Festival, concerts at Brodie Castle and other various concert venues, as well as folk clubs throughout the UK.

This years highlight was at the Cambridge Folk Festival where Ben was featured on Brian McNeill's Showcase on the Radio 2 Stage, alongside Altan, Fiddler's Bid, Salsa Celtica, Cara Dillon, Rory McLeod, Alison Brown, La Volee D'Castors, Slide and Emily Slade.

'SPINDRIFT' has received enthusiastic reviews and airplay on radio from Inverness to the South Coast of England including Frank Hennesey's Celtic Heartbeat on BBC Radio Wales.

Ben has justcompleted working on 'The Complete Songs of Robert Burns' CD Series with Dr Fred Freeman and musicians such as Marc Duff, John Moran and John Nicols. The series is soon to be released on Linn Records.

Current projects including working with Ross Kennedy, one of Scotlands great singer/guitarists and Debra Carey a leading Harpist and Gaelic Singer in the group Dileas. Of course, this is on top of working on his next album due to be released in 2004.

Ben is a dedicated believer in the relevance and power of Acoustic Music. As a solo Acoustic Guitarist he is one of that small band of musicians committed to keeping music live, passionate and honest, interpreting real music from his Scottish roots and other cultures with heart, soul and guitar mastery that touches his listeners lives.

'I believe my music reflects my deepest inner feelings from it's pure traditional roots to it's best contemporary fruits.'