What are we?

The Jim Jam Ceilidh Band came about by happy accident, conceived after a few drams in the festival club bar at Celtic Connections, January 2009. The rest, as they say, is history. Young, fresh and good looking, the Jim Jam Ceilidh Band are available to play at weddings, parties, Burns suppers – anything from the opening of a packet of crisps, to the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games (we’re still waiting on that call).

Who are we?

The band comes as a 4-piece, including pipes, fiddle, guitar, piano, drums and voice. If you’re looking to ‘up the ante’ for your big event, we’ll throw in our wonderful singer/mandolin-maestro Laura-Beth Salter too. We are . . . .

Jen Jim Jam:

Orcadian Jennifer Austin has been tinkling away on the piano since she was knee-high to a grasshopper. In 2011 she graduated with first-class honours in applied music from Strathclyde Uni. Jen performs and teaches in folk, jazz and classical styles, incorporating much of the musical tradition of her native Orkney. When she’s not Jim Jammin’ she plays with rising singing star Rachel Sermanni, funky folkers ‘Dr Mango and the Chickpeas’ and the trio ‘Wildings’.

Ferg:

Our piper Fergus Mutch hails from Aberdeen, and plied his trade with his local Bucksburn Pipe Band. He’s a law graduate of the University of Glasgow but, despite this, he’s remarkably trustworthy and pleasant. Fergus is also our talented dance-caller, with an insightful knowledge of all the classic dances and many more besides – anyone not joining in the fun will be named and shamed!

Neil:

From the most westerly point in mainland Britain we sourced our fiddler, Neil Ewart. He is currently a music student at Strathclyde Uni. Neil also plays with ‘Sketch’, ‘Skerryvore’ and ‘Skipinnish’ – the Jim Jam Ceilidh Band have broken his unhealthy habit of only playing with bands whose names begin with the letter ‘s’.

Ewan:

As well as playing drums with the Jim Jam Ceilidh Band, Ewan Baird performs and tours extensively with the ‘Paul McKenna Band’ – Scotland’s folky answer to ‘Westlife’. Ewan is a versatile singer, and his voice lends itself naturally to traditional Scots song and popular covers alike.

L-B:

We decided to give the Jim Jam Ceilidh Band a more international dimension by recruiting from o’er the border. Laura-Beth Salter is a mandolin player and singer from Lincolnshire and her background in the folk, blues, oldtime and bluegrass tradition adds an edgy energy to the band. She is one-sixth of the all-girl folk band ‘The Shee’.