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.
The album had been recorded while he was ill, and he was unable to play his instruments. Bennett brought together samples of unaccompanied traditional Scottish folk singers, his own bagpipe and fiddle playing, with and electronic drum beats.
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. 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".
The song "Blackbird" was used in the soundtrack for Danny MacAskill's 2014 film, The Ridge.
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. In July 2017 Real World released the album on vinyl.Track listing
Personnel
- Martyn Bennett – production, programming, sampling, string arrangements, viola, guitar, strings, harmonium, smallpipes, recording, mixing
Additional musicians
- Sheila Stewart – vocals
- Lizzie Higgins – traditional arrangement, vocals
- Millennia Strings – strings
- Andrew Skeet – conducting
- Mairi Morrison – traditional arrangement, vocals
- Anni Watkins – traditional arrangement, vocals
- Petrea Cooney – chorus vocals
- Murdina MacDonald – vocals
- Effie MacDonald – vocals
- Michael Marra – recitation
- Sorren Maclean – drums, guitar loop
- John Barlow – drums, guitar loop
- Gordon Maclean – double bass
- Flora MacNeil – traditional arrangement, vocals
- Jeannie Robertson – vocals
- Kirsten Bennett – piano, cello
- Jimmie McBeath – vocals
- John Purser – overtone singing
Technical personnel
- Marco Migliari – additional recording
- BJ Stewart – photography
