BBC Folk music award-winners Ross & Ali play Edinburgh’s Traverse

ELEVEN dates in to a 16 date tour it’s fair to expect BBC Radio 2 Folk Award 2017 winners Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton to be hitting their stride by the time they arrive at The Traverse to play a Soundhouse session on Monday.
Ross Ainslie & Ali HuttonRoss Ainslie & Ali Hutton
Ross Ainslie & Ali Hutton

The dynamic duo, better known as just Ross and Ali, head to Edinburgh to will play a host of new music from their latest album Symbiosis II, which was released to huge critical acclaim last year, as well as music from their debut album Symbiosis, and the duo can’t wait.

Hutton says, “We absolutely love being on tour, there’s nothing better for us than playing to a live audience.

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“We’re really looking forward to playing Soundhouse at The Traverse and seeing fans old and new there on Monday.”

For the gig, the pair will be joined by Jenn Butterworth of the Kinnaris Quartet on guitar and Croft No 5’s Paul Jennings on drums/electronics.

Symbiosis II was released last spring to rave reviews, much to the delight of the pair who met when they were just 12 years old, playing in the Vale of Atholl Pipe Band.

There they were guided by one of the most influential pipers in the last 30 years, Gordon Duncan, who instilled in them a great passion for playing pipes with other instruments.

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They went on to play in many leading Scottish bands including the Treacherous Orchestra, Old Blind Dogs, Salsa Celtica, with Dougie Maclean, Shooglenifty and Capercaillie.

It wasn’t until 2016, after much encouragement from fellow musicians and fans alike, that Ainslie and Hutton joined forces to form one of the most formidable duos in Scottish folk music.

They won the best duo category at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2017 and were nominated for the same award last year.

Now recognised as one of Scotland’s finest traditional musicians and composers, playing pipes, whistles and cittern, A prolific collaborator, he has performed with Kate Rusby, Blue Rose Code and Carl Barat, amongst others.

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Multi-instrumentalist Hutton has also performed and worked alongside some of the most respected musicians around including Carlos Nunez.

Ross & Ali, Traverse Bar, Cambridge Street, 8 March, 8pm, £11, 0131-228 1404