Chris Stout Quintet and Quartet

Shetlander Chris Stout is widely-regarded as the leading fiddle player of his generation both in Scotland and beyond, a title he has earned through the plethora of musicians and bands he has collaborated with and more recently with the release of his stunning debut solo album First o’ the Darkenin’.  Firmly grounded in his traditional roots but never afraid to explore new territory, Chris sets himself apart not just because of his astounding technical ability and musicianship but because of his determination to take the music to new levels of innovation and experimentation.

Seldom in the scope of traditional music will you witness such a powerful combination of technical expertise and sheer musicianship, steeped in the rich Shetland fiddle tradition but taking it to exciting new levels of innovation. The quartet also features Catriona McKay on harp and piano, Fraser Fifield on saxophone, Neil Harland on double bass, and Malcolm Stitt on guitar.  The quartet omits the double bass.

The influences are clear – world, folk, jazz, Shetland to Scandinavia – but Chris Stout defies categorisation.  Perhaps it is just easier to say he is a phenomenal talent and in a class of his own.

‘Not so much live music, but music alive (Rob Adams, The Herald)’

There are some who can play like nobody’s business and set the heather on fire in the process, and there are those who are possessed to the extent that they achieve standards that are out there beyond the reach of almost anyone else.  Stout sets a new benchmark.” (Maverick Magazine)