|
Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZANDERSON, Alistair(b 18 Mar '48, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, UK) Concertina, Northumbrian pipes and melodeon player, composer; learned from pipes masters such as Billy Pigg, in turn passing on knowledge to younger musicians. Began playing blues with schoolmates including Dave Richardson (later with Boys Of The Lough); took up English concertina '63; part-time with the influential High Level Ranters from '64; LPs with them included Northumbria Forever '68 on Topic, then The Lads Of Northumbria '69 and Keep Your Feet Still Geordie Hinnie '70 (Tyneside music hall songs) on Leader. Went full-time after first solo LP Plays English Concertina '72 on Trailer, followed by High Level and A Mile To Ride '72--3 on Leader and LP plus book Concertina Workshop '74 on Topic. Other Ranters LPs included The Bonnie Pit Laddie '75 (two-disc set of mining songs, probably the best historical treatment of such songs ever made), Ranting Lads '76, Four In A Bar '79, all on Topic. His own traditional LPs began to include self-penned music; good examples of late work are Traditional Tunes '77, Corby Crag '78, Dookin' For Apples '79 (on Front Hall USA), tradition-based linked series of tunes Steel Skies '81 (Flying Fish USA), all on Topic in UK; this last work was his masterpiece, showing a delightful range of ideas and an impressive accommodation of original music in a traditional idiom. Also produced LPs of various Northumbrian pipers on Topic: Cut And Dry and Cut And Dry II late '70s; worked with Kathryn Tickell on her Borderlands on Black Crow and anthology of Northumbrian music and poetry From Sewingshields To Glendale on MWM, both '86. Festival administrator (Rothbury from '76, South Bank Summer Folk from '83); wrote and performed music for Sargasso Sea segment of Anglia TV's Survival natural history series. The Grand Chain '87 on Black Crow had two sets of musicians; a Geordie hootenanny on one side, more like Steel Skies on the other. He formed Syncopace, with Penny Callow (cello), Ian Carr (guitar), Martin Dunn (flute, piccolo, whistles) and Chuck Fleming (fiddle, mandolin); an eponymous album appeared '91. Anderson has been responsible for perpetuating the folk and piping traditions of Northeastern England by seeking out older masters and encouraging young musicians to take up trad. instruments, his contribution immeasurable. |