Guitarist Ian Carr has recorded a solo album of tunes from Dalarna, Sweden.
Bangor-born Carr, who has worked with accordionist Karen Tweed, Northumbrian piper Kathryn Tickell, Swedish band Swåp and many others on the folk and traditional music scene, moved to Sweden in 2001 but has had a love affair with the music from the Dalarna area since the mid-1990s.
He wanted to highlight the traditional melodies but also showcase the sound of his Collings guitar.
“After a lifetime of making records with other people, I’ve finally made one on my own,” he says. “It felt like the right thing to do. I’ve been loving the wild and beautiful tunes of my adopted home region since I moved here and have played them with Swåp, mostly in an accompanying role. Recently, though, I’ve been enjoying playing the actual melodies, temporarily abandoning the plectrum for the fingerstyle of my youth.”
Carr’s inspiration for the daily recording sessions that led to the album was Bahamian guitarist Joseph Spence.
“I started wondering how he might play these crazy melodies,” says Carr. “I really hope that you can hear his influence, without the coughing, though you can hear me sniffing at the difficult bits if you listen carefully.”
Covers: Traditional Melodies of Dalarna, Sweden is released on August 30th on Dalakollektivet Records.