The Harriet Earis TRIO

Andy "Wal" Coughlan - Double Bass, electric bass, acoustic guitar, glockenspiel, harmonica, keyboard, footsteps.

Harriet Earis - Celtic Harp, laughter

Sam Christie - Drums, djembe, percussion, drum programming, kitchen knives.

 

The Tunes

01.  The Congress Reel
The album had to have at least one fishy title. Fish feature highly in Wal's diet and many recording sessions have been interrupted by the New Quay fishman driving up outside to deliver the latest catch. And if Sam’s not drumming, he's likely to be off fishing on a deserted Welsh pool. This trad Irish reel seemed to play itself over the bass Wal had composed.

02.  Cadair Idris
According to Welsh legend, if you spend a night on the summit of Cadair Idris in Snowdonia you will come down either a poet or mad. Sam tried this out one night in December for the sake of a radio programme about the mountain. Storm force winds got up over night and he barely made it down again the following morning. The storm noise at the start and end was recorded by Sam at the summit and this track was put together a few days afterwards. The piece is a mixture of a trad Welsh tune named after the mountain, some Siberian chantins and erm a Beatles tune. Is it mad or poetry.
 
03.  Finbar Finnegan's
A tune by London-Irish step dancer and accordionist, Denis. He taught Harriet the tune on tour in Scotland after a rather wild concert gig in a pub on visit in the Outer Hebrides.

04.  Take 5 / Unsquare dance
An unknown audience member came up after a concert and suggested that the trio should try unsquare dance. He said he thought it'd suit, although he added it might prove difficult for the drums. That was a red rag to a bull for Sam, so of course the track had to be learnt. Harriet downloaded the Dave Brubeck version from the Internet in the small hours as soon as she got home. It was recorded and out on Radio Wales a few days later. Any more good tune ideas out there send them along on a postcard please.

05.  Laughing Wolf
Harriet's favourite animal is the wolf and this cheerful march from Scottish pianist Paul Machlis seemed to fit Wal's bass part, composed just after New Year on the 2nd Jan. The jig was made up to go with bass part and had the dubious distinction of being jotted down on paper made from Sri Lankan elephant dung.

06.  Kitchen Devils
Sam put this track together from samples made from all the noises you can get from a Kitchen Devil Knife. He got bored one evening! This traditional tune had to be put to it, given the name. It's a well-known Scottish Strathspey. Harriet then composed the reel to go with it and Wai created the bass riff. Cutting edge stuff!

07.  Earl of Hyndford
An 18th century Scottish fiddle tune meets Dr Who.

08.  From the Crooked Tree
Wal's mum is buried in a Swansea graveyard overlooking Mumbles Bay. The headstone lies five rows down from the crooked tree. The sight of the headstone set against the glorious views makes the most contrasting image you can imagine.

09.  Postal Piper
Harriet composed this reel to go on top of a Norwegian tune learnt in a session. Ragnarok is an Old Norse word for the doom of gods, where the world ends and is reborn. The second tune was composed for a postman in Co. Kerry, Ireland and was first played by Colman on Uilleann pipes down the phone to the post office.

10. Swimming in the Glasffrwd
The Glasffrwd is a very cold, peaty Welsh stream that Harriet swims in. Alan Burton, a piper in the West Country, composed the next tune. Harriet got it from the London-Irish band Mise. The last reel was gleaned from German-Irish band Deirin De. This set has been dubbed the curse as every time it's been played or recorded the recording machine has totally freaked out. Beware!

11. Aussie Piper
Essex guitarist Jonny Dyer composed this tune for piper Vicki Swan whilst she was in Australia and emailed it to her. The last reel is by Scottish accordion wizard Ian Lowthian.

12.  Are Friends Electric?
Wai was Gary Numan's bass player for many years and never gets tired of playing the wonderful riff in the classic hit Are Friends Electric? now known by us as our friends eccentric. Evil suggestion is from an Irish-Italian band The Birkin Tree Both pieces are designed around a tritone, meant to be the devil's interval and seemed to fit together nicely.

CREDITS

All music composed, arranged and played by Sam Christie, Andy, Wal Coughlan and Harriet Earis unless otherwise stated.

Thanks to: Ren, Meike, Ifor, Amelie, Irene, Roser, Tom and Sarah. All those who've taught us tunes we've used here: Tim Dowd,Cheyenne Brown, Colman Connolly, Denis Mcdermott, Ian Rowlands, Vicki Swanand Jonny Dyer. Bethan Frieze and Sid Thomas for musical contributions. All the other musicians who we've worked with and who have inspired us! Suzanne Bevis for teaching Harriet the harp, Martin Levan at Red Kite Records. Harry Roser at Wild West Wales creative agency for the photos, Bridserow Studios for recording, mixing and mastering, Connolly designs for the sleeve design www.connollydesigns.com.     

For information on bookings and concerts see: www.harrietearis.com