“The Isle of Skye” is the second album by Ian Millar and Dominic Spencer. Both of us have a great love of the island. We have visited it separately and together many times. Ian was inspired by the beauty of the island to write some compositions about it. We both wanted to play there and so arranged a mini tour there in June 2006. This album has been got ready in time for the mini tour and has largely been inspired by the thought of the upcoming tour. We feel that this album is an accurate representation of where we are, musically, at this moment in time. Ian has only been playing soprano saxophone for five months and playing it at concerts for only 3 months, but we felt it should be included at this time.

Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, these two musicians have been playing regularly together for the last five years or so. All the compositions on this album have been written by Ian.

SPONTANEOUS COMPOSITIONS NOS.1-6
This is a new thing for us. Basically, we just start playing with no pre-conceived ideas, or preparation or even discussion. We have both played “free improvised” music for a while now, but this is slightly different. We feel that it is a natural progression and a marriage between “conventional” composition and improvisation. The idea is to actually compose a piece of music from scratch and see where it takes us, and develop it, interacting with each other the whole time. We are both very pleased with the results and now incorporate this into our live concerts.

SUMMER DAYS
A light bouncy melody on the soprano saxophone, reflecting the mood of summer.

BLUES FOR FROSTY
A friend of ours from London is a landscape photographer and was on a photographic trip to Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands at the beginning of January 2006. On his treks to locations each day, he came across a horse in the corner of a field, seemingly rooted to the spot. It was very cold and the horse was covered in frost. Every day he passed this field the horse was in exactly the same position and he wondered if it was frozen to the spot! Anyway, he took a photograph of the horse and showed it to his 8 year old daughter who named it “Frosty”. This tune is dedicated to “Frosty” the horse, in the hope that he has now defrosted!

THE INN ON NORTH STREET
The Inn on North Street is a pub in St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland. We played in the downstairs bar there a few times. It is a very lively, student bar and the piece reflects this. Indeed we performed it there and it went down very well! Prince William was a student at St. Andrews University at the time, but we don’t think he came to any of our concerts.

THE OLD MAN OF STORR
This is one of the compositions inspired by the Isle of Skye. The Old Man of Storr is a very prominent, tall rock near Portree. It is seems to stand there precariously, dominating the skyline and is in a very atmospheric place - especially when the mist comes in. This piece reflects Ian’s feelings for the rock and the atmosphere it seems to create.HAGGIS KNOWE
Back to Edinburgh this time. This is not a demand for Scottish cuisine (haggis NOW!), but is a haggis-shaped hill near Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament building in Holyrood Park in Edinburgh. It lies at the entrance to “Hunter’s Bog” beneath the distinctive, extinct volcano of “Arthur’s Seat”. I have run past this hill on numerous occasions over the years whilst out jogging.

THE ISLE OF SKYE
The title track of this album and really the inspiration behind it, This is a ballad played on soprano saxophone. It sets up the joy and awe inspired by every visit to the island, with just a hint of melancholy every time we leave it.

MacLEOD’S TABLES
This is the third composition inspired by the Isle of Skye. MacLeod’s Tables are two distinctly shaped flat-topped “table” mountains which can be seen best from Dunvegan. We have stayed at the campsite in Dunvegan many times and love the view of these two hills dominating the skyline over the campsite and Loch Dunvegan. They are impressive in all weathers. This piece features soprano saxophone and starts “free” before coming in to the groove. 

QUE DIA TAN BUENO
This piece is inspired by the Bolivian bands which play in the streets of Edinburgh during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The title is in Spanish and means “what a lovely day”. It has a latin feel to it, and reflects the rhythm of Bolivian music played on guitars and pan pipes.This album was recorded in Carlops Village Hall, Carlops on Friday 26th May 2006.

The main cover photograph is of the Isle of Skye from Sleat with the Cuillin Hills in the background.