Grit (Martyn Bennett album)

Grit is the last studio album by the Scottish Celtic fusion artist Martyn Bennett. It was released on 13 October 2003 on the Real World label.[2]

Grit
Studio album by
Martyn Bennett
Released13 October 2003 (2003-10-13)
Recorded2003
StudioReal World Studios
GenreCeltic fusion
Length51:29
LabelReal World Records
ProducerMartyn Bennett
Martyn Bennett chronology
Glen Lyon
(2002)		 Grit
(2003)		 Mackay's Memoirs
(2005)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

The album had been recorded while he was ill, and he was unable to play his instruments.[3] Bennett brought together samples of unaccompanied traditional Scottish folk singers, his own bagpipe and fiddle playing, with and electronic drum beats.[2][4]

For the opening track, Move he sampled a recording of traditional singer Sheila Stewart performing the Moving On Song, Ewan MacColl’s song about travellers; she was delighted that he was taking it to a new audience.[5] His song Liberation featured Michael Marra narrating an English translation of psalm 118. The album has been "credited with starting the musical evolution of Celtic fusion".[3]

The song "Blackbird" was used in the soundtrack for Danny MacAskill's 2014 film, The Ridge.[6]

The album cover shows a photo of the artist standing on top of a hill, right behind a Trig - an Anagram of the album title.

Release

Grit was re-released in May 2014 as part of the Real World Gold Series.[7] In July 2017 Real World released the album on vinyl.[8]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Martyn Bennett, except where noted.

No.TitleLength
1."Move" (Ewan MacColl, Yisrael Borochov, Bennett)4:10
2."Blackbird"6:10
3."Chanter"4:10
4."Nae Regrets" (Charles Dumont, Michel Vaucaire, Norman Newell, Bennett)3:50
5."Liberation"4:20
6."Why"4:30
7."Ale House"3:50
8."Wedding"5:45
9."Rant"4:31
10."Storyteller" (Bennett, Yussef 'ali Bakâsh)9:39
2014 reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Sky Blue (Martyn Bennett Remix)" (Peter Gabriel)5:19
12."Mackay's Memoirs"14:19

Personnel
  • Martyn Bennett – production, programming, sampling, string arrangements, viola (8), guitar, strings, harmonium, smallpipes, recording, mixing

Additional musicians
  • Sheila Stewart – vocals (1)
  • Lizzie Higgins – traditional arrangement (2), vocals (2)
  • Millennia Strings – strings (2, 5)
  • Andrew Skeet – conducting (2, 5)
  • Mairi Morrison – traditional arrangement (3), vocals (3)
  • Anni Watkins – traditional arrangement (4), vocals (4)
  • Petrea Cooney – chorus vocals (4)
  • Murdina MacDonald – vocals (5)
  • Effie MacDonald – vocals (5)
  • Michael Marra – recitation (5)
  • Sorren Maclean – drums (5), guitar loop (5)
  • John Barlow – drums (5), guitar loop (5)
  • Gordon Maclean – double bass (5)
  • Flora MacNeil – traditional arrangement (6), vocals (6)
  • Jeannie Robertson – vocals (7)
  • Kirsten Bennett – piano (5, 8, 10), cello (5, 8, 10)
  • Jimmie McBeath – vocals (9)
  • John Purser – overtone singing (10)

Technical personnel
  • Marco Migliari – additional recording
  • BJ Stewart – photography

References
  1. Anderson, Rick. Grit at AllMusic. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  2. Gill, Andy (9 October 2003). "Album: Martyn Bennett. Grit. Real world". The Independent. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  3. "Remembering Martyn Bennett: The rebirth of Grit". BBC. 16 January 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  4. Brocklehurst, Steven (15 January 2015). "Martyn Bennett: 'Fearless' music legacy lives on". BBC News. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  5. Gilchrist, Jim (11 December 2014). "Obituary: Sheila Stewart MBE". The Scotsman. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  6. Swarbrick, Susan (4 October 2014). "TV: Virtuoso cyclist Danny MacAskill's Riding the Ridge". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  7. Romero, Angel (8 April 2014). "Real World Records to reissue Martyn Bennett's 'Grit' album in May 2014". World Music Central. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  8. "Grit. Martyn Bennett, 2014". Real World Records. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
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