The Simon Howie Scottish Dance Band

Description

This is Simon’s fourth commercial album. 1989 was a vinyl then he had CD’s released in 1996 and 2006.

The band was formed by Simon Howie and his brother Angus, back in the early 1980’s. As young teenagers they ran around the countryside playing at any event that would have them. While they learned their trade as young musicians, the standard of the band members who joined them improved greatly and this helped their skills, not only as musicians, but in the craft of entertaining the paying customers and making better music.

This album is full of all the things that Simon loves to hear in a Scottish dance band, a strong and assertive melody line with a solid back-line rhythm section. He is quick to say that the band sound comes from a foundation of friendship and camaraderie which has been built up with the same guys over the past 30 years. Robert and Duncan Black, Alison Smith, David Scott and Neil Macmillan are all household names in the Scottish music scene and need no introduction.

Simon is a Perthshire famer’s son and the love of all things agricultural was a source of inspiration for him in the same way that it was for many of his musical heroes. People like Ian Powrie and Jimmy Blue, legends of the 1960’s and 70’s, all trace their roots back to working the land. Simon’s dad, Angus snr, was a great music lover and this percolated down to his sons due to his musical pals being regular visitors to the family farm in Dunning.

This album is a mark in the sand for Simon, but it is the culmination of 40 years of inspiration from the very best musicians in Scotland.