"Malcolm has one of
those pure, warm folk voices (two parts Archie Fisher,one part Dick Gaughan)
that one never tires of listening to."
-- Dirty Linen
"One of the finest
singing voices in Scotland in any style."
-- The Living Tradition
Jim Malcolm was brought up in Perthshire and Angus and was introduced to
the traditional music of Scotland at an early age by his mother Helen, who
is active in the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland. He
learned to play guitar while at school and by his early twenties was winning
songwriting competitions and playing in folk clubs all over Scotland.
His career began to take off when he hosted the open stage at Edinburgh Folk Festival, and through his own playing there secured a contract with Greentrax for his first solo album, Sconeward. Acclaimed by critics and chosen as one of the year's best by Radio Scotland's folk programmes Travelling Folk and Celtic Connections, the album brought in bookings at folk clubs and festivals in Britain and abroad, and established Jim as one of the leading songwriters in the traditional idiom in Scotland. He was dubbed: "The new male voice of Scotland."
Songs from Sconeward have been recorded and are regularly performed by
international acts such as The McCalmans and The Poozies, and Jim was
asked to give
songwriting and song accompaniment masterclasses at many festivals, including
Scotland's foremost festival, Celtic Connections in Glasgow. Next up was
Rohallion, a collection of Jim's new songs recorded with gifted pianist
and fiddler Dave Watt and percussionist Iain MacFadyen. "An intoxicating
display of lyrical and musical genius" was how Rock On Reel described
the CD, from which Jim's song Battle of Waterloo, to the pipe tune of
the same name, was an instant hit.
Rohallion
consolidated Jim's reputation as one of Scotland's most exciting young
folk acts, and brought repeated requests for television and radio appearances.
STV recently broadcast a documentary on Jim and Angus singer Jim Reid
for its Artery series, and their singing was featured in the "best
of" programme which rounded off the series. He also sang in the Northern
Nights series on Grampian TV and STV.
In January 1999 Jim joined one of Scotland's most popular international
folk acts, the Old Blind
Dogs from north east Scotland, and has since worked with them all
over the UK, in France, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Germany, USA, Canada and
Bulgaria. His song Battle of Waterloo was recorded on their sixth album,
The World's Room. In 2000 Jim released his third solo CD, Resonance, on
Beltane Records. It features a collection of his favourite traditional
songs alongside four of his own new compositions and some 
contemporary
classics. Lochanside, his composition written to the popular pipe tune,
is already being picked up by other professional acts.
To date career highlights also include solo tours in USA, Germany, Canada,
Denmark, Ireland and England, solo studio 
spots
on Travelling Folk, an appearance on STV's Hogmanay show and a tour in
Uganda. His song Neptune featured on an award-winning documentary about
a North Sea oil spill.
He was one of twelve leading Scottish singers who performed Andy Thorburn's epic work Tuath gu Deas, and has featured on volumes four, five and six of Linn Records Complete Songs of Robert Burns, produced by Dr Fred Freeman.
In December 2002 Jim released his fourth solo CD, Home, again on Beltane Records, and at time of writing we wait to hear what the critics think. See the reviews page to find out!
Spring 2003 is the release date for the Old Blind Dogs' third CD with Jim as lead singer. It's going to be good!
Jim now spends his time touring solo and with Old Blind Dogs, and 2003 will be an exceptionally busy year. When he's not on the road he likes to relax by the riverbank, trying, but rarely succeeding, to catch a trout. He likes to read Private Eye, revel in the woes of the Conservative Party, and drink far too much coffee. Print This Page
