Masters of the tricky art of innovating within a musical tradition while remaining true to its essence, Old Blind Dogs have stood on the cutting edge of Scotland's roots revival since forming in 1990. With their repertoire that features high-octane instrumentals and traditional songs, it's always a joy to hear the Dogs' dynamic fusion of delicately phrased melodies from Scottish tradition with world music, jazz, and rock undercurrents.

The Dogs' founder, Jonny Hardie (fiddle and mandolin), hails from Aberdeenshire on Scotland's northeast coast, an area steeped in traditional songs and fiddle tunes. While a decidedly contemporary musical attitude often takes tunes in unexpected directions, Jonny's fiddle and Ali Hutton's superb Border pipes deftly tie the music back to its roots. Aaron Jones' bass and bouzouki and Fraser Stone's drumming round out the roster of this group, who were named Folk Band of the Year at the 2004 Scots Trad Music Awards. Old Blind Dogs' latest release is Four on the Floor (Compass).

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