The Shieling – Fergus McCreadie

The Shieling represents a significant evolution in the work of Fergus McCreadie. Following the international acclaim of Forest Floor and Stream, the Scottish pianist adopts a riskier approach: abandoning detailed planning to embrace spontaneity.

Recorded in a remote cabin in North Uist, the album arises from an immersive process where the natural environment acts not as external inspiration, but as an active part of the music. The trio—with David Bowden on double bass and Stephen Henderson on drums—explores new dimensions within their characteristic language.

The use of an upright piano provides a more intimate and earthy texture, while the interaction between the musicians becomes more open and fluid. Laura Jurd’s production introduces a new perspective, focused on highlighting the emotional intent of each piece. The result is a sound that blends contemporary jazz with the essence of Scottish folk, but from a more abstract and atmospheric angle.

Unlike his previous works, The Shieling developed without a defined plan. Working from fragmentary ideas, the trio spent several days in isolation, exploring possibilities through improvisation and repetition. This method allowed the compositions to evolve organically, capturing not just the music but the passage of time and the interaction with the environment.

If Cairn represented solidity and Forest Floor a connection to the earth, The Shieling sits in a more open territory: a space where the music breathes, expands, and constantly transforms. The album consolidates Fergus McCreadie as one of the most singular voices in modern European jazz, capable of translating landscape into sound without resorting to obvious formulas.

The Shieling is a document of experience: the result of placing oneself in a specific spot at a concrete moment and allowing the music to emerge from that intersection. It is a record where silence, space, and intuition carry as much weight as the notes themselves.