Album Notes

Phil Cooper plays fingerstyle guitar. He is influenced by the traditional fiddling techniques, particularly of Scotland. This is a set of primarily traditional celtic fiddle tunes adapted for guitar. There is some additional keyboard, percussion, flute and bass added.

Phil Cooper grew up with folk music, opera, and Evangelical Lutheran church music. He began his career as a guitarist in 1969 with a Sears Silvertone guitar, a photocopied sheet of chords, and a Phil Ochs songbook. Exposure in college to the folk-rock of Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention led him straight back to traditional ballads and the vigorous finger-picked guitar playing of Richard Thompson, Martin Carthy, Nic Jones, Dick Gaughan, and Bert Jansch. Phil performed in the 1970's with guitarist Brent Chilton and fiddler Kirk Chilton. In 1981 Depot Records released his solo album "Hawk in the Morn." Since 1982 Phil has travelled, performed, and recorded seventeen albums with singer Margaret Nelson, who shares his enthusiasm for a strong story paired with a lovely melody. Phil is also an ardent admirer of traditional Scottish fiddle music, and has recorded two CD's of his guitar settings of music from the Fraser, Skye, and Gow collections of fiddle tunes.