Mandolin.org.uk
Roger Purves
Featured Artist
About Roger Purves
Mandolin, Irish Bouzouki, Bass guitar and acoustic & electric guitars. Roger grew up in Cumbria in a musical household to the piano playing of his dad and the sounds of Fats Waller so music was always around. One of his first experiences of folk music must have been watching Steeleye Span on Crackerjack playing 'All around my hat.'
He began playing the mandolin and picking up tunes and getting into playing in sessions and bands. All this led to many fantastic times in Ireland (Miltown Malbay, Galway city), Scotland, (Orkney festival, Newcastleton) and Brittany, (Kemper, Lorient interceltique). In addition to learning tune melodies his interested in the Irish bouzouki and its many different tunings and accompaniment techniques - He isthe proud owner of a Joe Foley bouzouki that he aquired in 1986! he's currently on ADAD tuning and he uses a capo a lot and he's sticking with it!
Her also likes Balkan/Eastern european music which he discovered through the Irish tradition and musicians such as Andy Irvine & Donal Lunny and is fascinated by the complex time signatures that the music revolves around such as 7/8 and 9/16. His interest lives on through playing with The Balkanics Band in Lancaster. It has been the times spent among musicians in sessions that has inspired him musically and taken his understanding and playing of trad music to a new and exciting place.
In 2001 he enroled on to the Folk & Traditional degree course in Newcastle upon Tyne, graduating in 2005. During this time He was playing with the band Roll a Penny with Andrew Cadie & Katie Doherty - they made an album 'Swingin Hinnies' and gigged in Estonia and Germany. He's also played Bass guitar with Newcastle band 'The Hillbilly Trance Experiment'
Website: www.myspace.com/rogerpurves
