Soundhouse: Jenna Reid & Harris Playfair

Jenna Reid is one of Shetland's finest and most accomplished fiddle players. Teaming up with long-standing collaborator pianist Harris Playfair she has just released her sixth album, One Day, so called as it took them just one day to record it. Bringing music from this gem of an album and much more besides we are delighted to welcome them to The Traverse bar to kick off our autumn 23 season.

One Day captures the unparalleled musical relationship between two of Scotland’s most virtuosic traditional musicians. Sparks fly when these two connect. Read on for potted bios of both ...

Award winning Shetlander Jenna Reid is a leading light as fiddle player and composer. Born and bred in Quarff, Shetland, her fiddling began at a young age alongside her sister and brother, under the watchful eye of the late Willie Hunter.

She has toured across the world and has recorded and released many albums as a soloist and band member. As a finalist of the prestigious Paul Hamlyn Award, Jenna has always composed. Following the release of her 5th album Working Hands, she was awarded Composer of the Year at the 2019 Scots Trad Music Awards.

Jenna is a member of Scottish fiddle band Blazin’ Fiddles and appeared on the Transatlantic Sessions alongside Aly Bain and Jerry Douglas.

Harris Playfair was born in Lerwick, and attended the Anderson High School in Shetland until joining St. Mary's Music School, Edinburgh where he studied piano and composition with Colin Kingsley and Geoffrey King. He is now based in the Scottish Borders where he is a well respected performer, composer and instructor who works at a range of establishments including Newcastle University where he lectures on the Traditional Music course. He is known to many in Shetland through his jazz and classical influenced arrangements of traditional Shetland music and his work with Ceol Mor, the traditional youth “supergroup” who have boasted Shetland musicians such as Ross Couper and Victoria Laurenson among their ranks.

Having first performed together at the final of the BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year Competition, Jenna and Harris have gelled into a fantastic duo. First heard together on Jenna’s second album Laughing Girl they have been playing together every since. One Day is the long awaited release that celebrates this unique music pairing.

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