NEWS

May 2013

Jimi on new Frankie Millar album with big name UK music stars.....



Jimi is piping on a new Frankie Millar album due for release this Autumn.. The project features a bevvy of big name UK music
stars. 'Spike' lead singer with UK rock band the Quireboys telephoned Jimi in March to request his services.. Spike is very good friends with legendary Glasgow crooner Frankie, who has been unable to perform live since suffering a stroke some years back. The album will consist of unreleased, original Frankie songs with Jimi piping on two tracks..

The pic below shows Jimi in the studio with Frankie (left), Spike (right) and Scottish music swengali Donald Macleod (centre)





Work is also progressing very well on Jimi's new solo album project. All going well this should be ready for release by October/November this year..

2013 is shaping up as a vintage year for Jimi with piping trips to Amsterdam (twice) and Paris already in the bag. Watch this space!! Slainte!




February 2013





Work is progressing extremely well on Jimi's new album concept, with plenty original tracks and video ideas coming to fruition... Several talented Scottish-based musicians and artists are involved in the project. More will be invited soon...
Meantime, here's a new music video from Jimi, filmed in and around historic Rosslyn Chapel and castle on Christmas Eve 2012.. The chapel, of course, was made famous in the best-selling novel and subsequent hit movie 'The Da Vinci Code' starring Tom Hanks.. Some people believe the Arc of the Covenant is buried somewhere between the chapel and castle in Rosslyn Glen, a popular local walking haunt and a truly lovely place to visit whatever the season. Christian Heldt had asked Jimi to provide atmospheric background music as he proposed to his longtime girlfriend Tamsin during a walk around the glen. Said Jimi: "I've piped at hundreds of weddings over the years, but this was the first time I'd been asked to pipe at a proposal. Fortunately Tamsin said yes!
"Rosslyn Glen is full of history and stories.. There is Wallace's cave, named after the great Scottish freedom fighter who is said to have used it as a base.. Some of the trees are over 1,000 years old, there are fascinating rock formations a magical river and the castle is one of the most atmospheric in Scotland, not to mention the chapel.. All in all a great place to visit!"


Dec 2012

Number 1 (and 2) in Germany again!

Jimi is back at the top of Berlin based 'Astro-TV' music charts after a hugely successful visit to the German capital.
As this update is posted, his album 'Global Gathering' sits in the number Eins position, while his other recent release 'Scottish Pipes & African Drums' is currently number two.
Astro TV is watched across the whole of Germany, Austria and German speaking regions of Switzerland.
Jimi appeared and performed in six live broadcasts from the TV station's headquarters located on the old East/West German frontier, a stones throw from the famous former Cold War border crossing 'Checkpoint Charlie'.
Astro 'anchorman' Rainer Sommerfelt said it had been a pleasure having Jimi on the show. "His music is great and he's a great ambassador for his country. Jimi is a real cool guy with a big heart. We're looking forward to him coming back for more shows. I might even come over to Scotland and the Highlands and make a film about him"..
'Global Gathering' first reached number 1 in the Astro album chart last summer after presenter Susanne Klimt began showing music videos made by Jimi, featuring film footage of Scottish scenery and his music..
Jimi said he had been very nervous before the first show. "I've played in front of huge audiences at many festivals and also been interviewed several times for TV news programmes. However, this was the first time I had been in a TV studio.. The first time I had been asked to talk into a camera. I was also a bit worried about saying something wrong in German"..
Fortunately he soon relaxed and found the live TV experience very enjoyable. Jimi added: "I spent much of my early 30s traipsing around muddy fields playing at festivals outside German cities like Dortmund, Frankfurt and Cologne. In those days you had to sell enough cds during the day to feed everyone at night. Being flown to Berlin, put up in a nice hotel and then being asked to perform before a TV audience of hundreds of thousands is a much more preferable way of familiarizing people with the music, certainly at this point in my life"
Jimi would like to extend a special thank-you to presenter Susanne and her husband Stefan who helped organize the trip, and also took time out to show Jimi Berlin.. "Fantastic city, really friendly people, amazing history, culture and nightlife" he added. "No wonder President Kennedy famously said Ich Bin Berliner"!!!
Prost!

October 2012

Jimi is heading over to Berlin on October 31 for a string of live dates and TV appearances.
This follows the success of his album 'Global Gathering' which reached No 1 in the album chart of German TV channel 'Astro' TV and stayed there for 10 weeks in the summer.
The station are now keen to push Jimi's other recent release 'Scottish Pipes & African Drums'.
Astro presenter Susanne Klimt said Jimi's music and You-tube videos were a big hit with German audiences.. Astro TV is watched in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
"The music is wonderful and his videos show Scotland in all its beauty" said Susanne.
"They also show many parts of Scotland which ordinary tourists, traveling on a tight schedule, do not always get to see".
Jimi has made another video in advance of his visit. Entitled 'Scotland My Own' it features footage from his 'Munro bagging'exploits in the Highlands and trips to ancient standing stones in the Lowlands.. Music is a track from his 'Scottish Pipes & African Drums' album and features an arrangement of traditional classics 'Cullen Bay', 'Kilworth Hills' and 'Scottish Soldier'..





September 2012

Number One in Germany!

Jimi's album 'Global Gathering' is number one in a German music chart.
The critically acclaimed 2010 release has shot to the top of Berlin based
'Astro' TV's album chart, which features over 80 celtic/world music cds from
across Europe.
Jimi will fly to Berlin and appear live on the TV channel this Autumn, once a busy summer of
gigs and music commitments is complete.
Presenter Susanne Klimt also fronts shows on RTL and SAT1, the biggest TV stations
in Germany. She is a huge fan of Jimi's music.
'Global Gathering' is a musical tribute by Jimi to the clan MacRae whose ancestral stronghold
was Eilean Donan castle in Wester Ross, Scottish Highlands. It features a range of different
pipes, top drummers, an eclectic mix of original compositions by Jimi and also traditional Highland
tunes, some of which date back hundreds of years..
'I've been to Germany many times piping, and have always done very well' said Jimi. 'But this is
the first time I will have been to Berlin. Very exciting.
'Germany has a vibrant music scene with interest in many gendres including older instruments like
pipes. They appreciate good traditional music, but also enjoy when it's mixed up a bit with
ambient sounds or heavy grooves. They appreciate originality. A great audience.'
Susanne Klimt has been showing Jimi's You Tube videos during her show, which is watched throughout Germany,
Austria and Swtizerland.
'His films are very good' she said. 'They show Scotland at its best, and perhaps also a side which
tourists do not always get to see. His music makes the experience even more special. My audience love his
work'


August 2012.

Jimi pipes at Olympic opening ceremony..



Friday July 26 is a big day for Jimi the Piper.. He has been invited to perform at Edinburgh's 2012 Olympics opening ceremony event in Sheraton Square, Lothian Rd, organised by the BBC.
Similar events are being held in major towns and cities across the UK to coincide with the official launch of the Games in London..
Jimi has been asked to perform his own music, 'Ana's Homecoming', 'Bellydancer fae Fife' and old favourite 'Dornie Bends'.. Videos for 'Ana's Homecoming' and 'Bellydancer fae Fife' will also be shown on a giant TV screen in Sheraton Square during the day..
Jimi will be on stage just after 6pm with African drummer friend Sami Kor. Later in the evening he will be joining popular 'alternative' Scottish ceilidh band 'CeilidhDonia' for a special version of his track 'Dornie Bends', requested by band members.
"It's a great honour to be taking part and very humbling to be asked to play my own tunes" said Jimi. "There are some top musicians in CeilidhDonia and I was very surprised they even knew of my track Dornie Bends, let alone me!! Very humbling, but quite exciting too"
Jimi's friend Eric Dastone will be filming the event and video footage will hopefully be uploaded here soon.



May 2012

Jimi has unearthed a latent talent - Video production!
His short music vids are proving very popular on You Tube and several have already achieved TV air time in America, Germany and Iceland. What began as promotional work for his music has turned into quite a passion. "As a musician, biker and keen hill-walker I travel around Scotland a fair bit" said Jimi. "I know so many beautiful locations and it's great to be able to share some of these with my international friends. A couple of artist pals here in Scotland say I'm a natural and have quite an eye for a good shot. All news to me, but I'm having much fun making these none the less"..
Here's Jimi's latest offering, a video for old favourite 'Bellydancer Frae Fife'..





Feb 2012...


2012 is shaping up as yet another busy year for Jimi.. Over 30 live bookings have already been confirmed (not including festival performances)
Here is the gig diary to date, beginning with a performance at Edinburgh Castle for the Scottish Parliament on December 21 2011..
More bookings will be posted once confirmed.



Dec 21 2011 - Edinburgh Castle, performing at a Scottish Government reception for African dignitaries. (Scottish Pipes & African Drums)

Dec 31/Jan 1 - New Year gig Dalhousie Castle, Midlothian.

Jan 21          - Burns supper, Carlton Hotel, Edinburgh

Jan 25          - Burns  night musical evening, the World's End bar, Royal Mile, Edinburgh

Feb 1 & 2     - Filming, East Lothian, Scotland

Feb 6           - Funeral, Edinburgh

Feb 10         - Wedding, Kilbirnie, Ayrshire. (Scottish Pipes & African Drums)

Feb 15         - Funeral, Glasgow

March 3       - Private house party gig Edinburgh (Scottish Pipes & African Drums)

March 24     - International Women's Day conference sat Sheraton Hotel, Edinburgh. (Scottish Pipes & African Drums)

April 10        - Corporate booking for Scottish Pipes & African Drums.

April 11        - Funeral at Clachan Duich, the ancient burial grounds of Clan MacRae, in Kintail,

April 11/12   - Eilean Donan Castle, Kintail.

April 13        - Torrin, Isle of Skye.

April 14        - Uig, Isle of Skye.

April 15        - Callanish Standing Stones, Isle of Lewis

April 16        - Stornoway, Isle of Lewis

April 17        - Lochmaddy, North Uist

April 18        - Lochboisdale, South Uist

April 19        - Isle of Mull, performances at several locations including Tobermory, Iona and Duart Castle..

April 24        - Oban

May 5           - Wedding, Dunblane Hydro

May 10         - Corporate booking, Aberdeen

May 19        - Newcastle Upon Tyne (Scottish Pipes & African Drums)

May 24        - Corporate booking, Edinburgh (Scottish Pipes & African Drums)

June 3         - Wedding, Midlothian

June 7 - wedding Fife (Scottish pipes & African Drums)

June 8 - wedding Bathgate (Scottish pipes & African Drums)

June 9         - Wedding, Alnwick, Northumbria.

June 23/24  - West End, Glasgow (Scottish Pipes & African Drums)

June 30       - Wedding, 'The Ubiquitous Chip', Glasgow.

July/August - Festival bookings to be confirmed (i.e. cash up front please)

September  - Two week tour of Ireland.

Sept 29       - Wedding Clackmannanshire, Scotland (Scottish Pipes & African Drums)

October 27  - Wedding, Livingston.