Celtic harpist Rachel Hair’s second trio studio release, with Jenn Butterworth (guitar, vocals) and Cameron Maxwell (double bass) perfectly illustrates the wide sonic spectrum of these three instruments and how to combine them to great effect in cleverly styled contemporary arrangements founded on intricate interplay. Self composed tunes are interwoven into sets with a slip jig from the Manx tradition, …

Having recently taken up the harp, I was thrilled to have this new release from the Rachel Hair Trio for review. From the slick, minimalist artwork to the refreshing mix of traditional and original compositions, it is clear that this ensemble are delivering a very modern take on one of Scotland’s most traditional instruments. As well as her many performing …

If you enjoy the sound of the harp and want to hear it at the top of the mix and also played with exceptional flair and poise, then the Rachel Hair Trio’s latest release is the record for you. Certainly amongst this country’s finest exponents of the Celtic harp, Rachel manages to capture on disc the same sort of atmosphere …

The Rachel Hair Trio returns after a recording absence of six years with their second album, the simply titled Tri, which is Scottish Gaelic for ’three’. Unlike their 2009 debut No More Wings, the three musicians play everything on this release without relying on guest performers, in an attempt to capture their true sound. With inspiration for the collection’s original compositions drawn …

This is the welcome second album from a trio consisting of sparkling Scottish harp (Rachel Hair), guitar/vocals (Jenn Butterworth) and double bass (Cameron Maxwell). They perform bright, rhythmic arrangements of traditional tunes (Scottish, Irish, Manx and Norwegian) and contemporary, jazzy material composed by members of the band. The album has a well-judged balance of sequencing between old and new, gentle …

Thus far, Rachel Hair’s previous recordings – two solo and one with the trio – have slipped under my personal radar, but I’m very pleased that this one came to my attention. Hair’s a harpist of real delicacy and clarity, who takes the Scottish tradition and, with guitarist/vocalist Jenn Butterworth and double bassist Cameron Maxwell, tweaks it ever so slightly …

Trì is Gaelic for three and this album from harpist Hair and her two bandmates, Jenn Butterworth on guitar and vocals and Cameron Maxwell on double bass, showcases three stringed instruments expertly balanced with each other, finely contrasting in tone and bursting with melodic energy. A nice mix of traditional and contemporary material ranges from jazz pianist Tom Gibbs’s quirky …

The name is new to me, but my interest was stirred by the instrumental line-up: harp (Rachel Hair), double bass (Cameron Maxwell), guitar and vocals (Jenn Butterworth). The track list intrigued too, its eight tunes and three songs combining original and contemporary material with traditional Celtic sources. Rachel Hair’s ‘Jigs for Mann’ set opens the CD in sparkling style. In …

Trì is Gaelic for three, and only three instruments – namely Rachel Hair’s harp, Jenn Butterworth’s guitar and the double bass of Cameron Maxwell – appear on this album, with Butterworth’s voice featuring on three songs. The musicians coax from their three instruments a range of sounds: the double bass, for instance, adds a drone like bagpipes only much deeper, …

Rachel Hair, hailing from Ullapool in the inordinately beautiful north-west of Scotland, is a young and gifted exponent of the clarsach (Scottish harp) who first came onto my radar almost a decade ago with her unpretentious and sensitively configured debut CD Hubcaps and Potholes, which did a lot to convince unbelievers of the potential and strength of the clarsach as …