Orchestra Macaroon

Orchestra Macaroon is a British music group formed in Edinburgh in the 1980s. They combine traditional grooves, Celtic-style melodies, and Jazz improvisations, using various combinations of piano, double-bass, percussion, yangqin, brass, cymbal and bagpipes;

History
The group first played music together in the 1980s in the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh, as members of Scottish punk-folk group named "We Free Kings". Between the year 1988 to 1989, in Edinburgh, Collin Blakey, his friends including Phil Bull, his family, and his gathered group of 19 musicians called "The Clan" recorded his first collaborative album called "The Roke" which translates as "The Rock".

In 2003, the group emerged from ongoing collective musical explorations on Easdale Island, Argyll, Scotland, where they began to develop their signature sound that combines traditional grooves with Celtic-style melodies and jazz improvisations. Colin Blakey, is the group's songwriter and a key figure in the ensemble.

These experiments resulted in the recording of an debut album in 2004 called "Breakfast In Balquhidder". All pieces on the album were composed by Colin Blakey and arranged, mixed, and mastered by Colin Blakey and Philippa Bull on Easdale Island, Argyll. 

In 2021, the group released their second album titled "Hong Kong to Sligo", which is described as a freewheeling kaleidoscope of various musical styles. It was recorded in 10 different places, from Hong Kong to Sligo, and then mixed and mastered in Argyll, Scotland. The album includes tracks composed by Colin Blakey, with some contributions by Philippa Bull and a collaborative piece by both. The artwork for the album was created by Fiona Blakey.

Discography
Albums


 * Breakfast In Balquhidder (2004)
 * Hong Kong to Sligo (2021)

Members
Breakfast in Balquhidder featured the following musicians:


 * Colin Blakey – piano, gaita (Galician bagpipes) 
 * Ron Blakey – clarinet 
 * Steve Brown – double bass, electric bass 
 * Philippa Bull – drum set, percussion, strings 
 * Lorne Cowieson – flugel horn 
 * Kieran Gallagher – congas, berimbao, pots, bongos, caxixi 
 * Kimho Ip – yang qin 
 * Patrick Martin – highland pipes, uilleann pipes, low whistle  
 * Stephen McNally – border pipes, gaita (Galician bagpipes)  
 * Steve Wickham – violin 

Hong Kong to Sligo featured the following musicians:


 * Colin Blakey – tin whistle, tenor banjo, wooden flute, guitar, violin, Galician pipes, Scottish smallpipes, swarmadal tambura, hand-claps
 * Philippa Bull – accordion, strings, percussion, hand-claps
 * Ben Farmer – accordions
 * Carolyn Francis – violins
 * Pete French – piano, timbale
 * Max Gore – hand pan
 * Trevor Hutchinson – double bass
 * Kimho Ip – yang qin, cello
 * James Mackintosh – drums, percussion
 * Stephen McNally – bellows-blown border pipes
 * Sam Nicholls – marimba
 * Cath Sewell – alto sax
 * Sharon Shannon – accordion
 * Steve Wickham – violin
 * Rab Woods – guitar, dobro, octave mandola