“ …….Stephen J. Wood's work has won appreciation and accolades in many different contexts, from classrooms and courses to concerts and competitions. Rightly so – for they combine clarity and sensitivity to the original melodies with harmonies and melodic structures which belong firmly to the 21st century. They also reflect his own eclectic musical taste – but discreetly and always with respect. Our beautiful melodies are in safe hands with Stephen J. Wood”.Anne Lorne Gillies (Gaelic singer, songwriter, broadcaster and educationalist).Scottish Gathering for Piano (Part Two) is the second in the series of recordings that form part of the Contemporary Scottish Collection for Piano. Part Two is being released currently as a digital album as both a playing guide to the sheet music collection and for listening pleasure. This album features twenty contemporary arrangements - organised in groups of jigs, reels, strathspeys and marches, all selected from the best of Scotland’s musical heritage. The Contemporary Scottish Collection for Piano by Stephen J. Wood so far, consists of the following sheet music books:- Contemporary Scottish Solos for Piano Books 1, 2 and 3, and Contemporary Scottish Songs and Airs for Piano. The first CD and digital album, Scottish Gathering for Piano, features twenty-two stunning settings of mainly Gaelic songs and airs contained in the books above. A further book, Easier Contemporary Scottish Solos for Piano, is due for release in late 2014. Several of the arrangements on this recording have consistently won prizes over the years, in the piano classes of The Royal National Mòd music festival in Scotland, and have also received praise from eminent musicians. As a ‘Third Stream’ pianist, composer, arranger and producer, Stephen J. Wood sits stylistically, somewhere between classical and jazz, but is also well-known in Scotland as an innovative arranger of traditional Scottish and Gaelic songs and tunes for solo piano. A frequent visitor to family and friends in the Western Isles and Scotland over many years, Steve has drawn his inspiration for this album from live traditional musicians, adding his unique twist of jazz and contemporary classical to create a musical ‘gathering’ of sophisticated and smooth jazz arrangements. Stephen J. Wood trained at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, England in the late Seventies as a classical pianist, while immersing himself in the music of great jazz pianists such as Dave Brubeck, Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson. He made a name for himself both as a pianist and jazz organist, performing with many UK and American artists including jazz guitar legend Jack Wilkins. Steve’s work has been presented on numerous shows on BBC radio and independent radio stations such as Jazz FM. As a composer, his other work includes Sketches Books I and II (2001) and his acclaimed Hinterland album (2008) all for solo piano and available as books, CDs and downloads. Most recently he has been commissioned to write for the ABRSM piano exam syllabus. In 2008 Steve launched Eklectica Records and Eklectica Publishing and continues to teach classical and jazz piano privately in the North-West of England. More of his albums, tracks and books, including all the pieces on this album, can be bought from his websites:- www.eklecticarecords.co.uk, www.stephenjwood.co.uk and www.eklecticapublishing.co.uk as well as major music distributors.Painting on album cover 'River Lusa Ice' by Scottish artist John Slavin. Reproduced with kind permission.Cover design copyright © Stephen J. Wood 2014.