2005 Awardee: Paul Jennings
One of the highlights for me [of 2006] was being able to perform the New Voices [piece] I composed along with fellow percussionist Fraser Stone. The show went great with between 250 and 300 people at the show, we had a great response. We will be looking to record the piece and release it later this year
Biography
At age 11, Paul was inspired to learn to play music when he first went to the Folk Festival in Shetland, where he grew up. Concentrating on folk and Celtic music, he has become an accomplished percussionist and is now considered to be one of the top players in his genre.
Paul became a professional musician at the age of 18. Since then he has played with, amongst others, Old Blind Dogs, Fred Morrison, Maggie Macinnes and Stuart Cassells and has performed on over 25 albums.
His current band is the up-and-coming Croft No. Five, who in 2005 were invited to perform in Toronto at the First Minister’s reception during his State Visit to Canada.
How the Award Helped
In 2006 Paul and Fraser Stone, also a Dewar Arts Award winner, worked on a New Voices commission for Celtic Connections.
Since the Award
According to Paul, his old drum kit sounded ‘more like an old bucket each day’ and he needed a new kit to do this important commission justice and to record the Croft No. Five new album.
The Dewar Arts Award enabled Paul to buy a new drum kit.
One of the highlights for me [of 2006] was being able to perform the New Voices [piece] I composed along with fellow percussionist Fraser Stone. The show went great with between 250 and 300 people at the show, we had a great response. We will be looking to record the piece and release it later this year