Saltfishforty

"They broke the mold after they made these two." For some reason, the cliche was the first thing that came to mind when I sat down here to describe the Orcadian duo Saltfishforty. . .but you know, I don't think there ever was a mold for this kind of music. Two guys, a fiddle, a guitar, more energy than physics had previously attributed to the universe, and some pretty original ideas. Or maybe old ideas presented in new ways. Sure, 12-bar blues have been around for a while, and reels have been around for a while longer. . .but blues and reels together? In the video below, you get some idea of the sound. Here you get the duo, plus...a trombone player (Rick Taylor). Fiddle, guitar, trombone...sure!

Douglas Montgomery's fiddling (as you have seen above) is just something else. About the time you decide there is a definite Scottish slant to his playing, he slides off into the blues, or bluegrass, or maybe a bit of jazz. Never a dull moment! And Brian Cromarty's guitar keeps on driving, and driving, and just when you think it can't get any more driven--of course it does! There's a wee bit more to savour at the obligatory MySpace page.