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A couple of recent reviews of Michael's performance at Strathclyde Suite as part of 2011 Celtic Connections -

Michael Maclennan for STV -

"Hmm, it’s a tough one (as well as a tongue-twister): telling a tale about a masterful tale-teller. But just as Michael Marra has amassed a series of superb songs based around his friends, fellow musicians and fictional characters so rich they may as well have existed in real life, so it’s only right that his rather wonderful show last night at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall’s Strathclyde Suite is recorded in some sort of detail for posterity."

Full review at STV-tv Celtic Connections

Photograph by Dave Taylor

Susan Mansfield for The Scotsman

"HAVE you noticed I'm not much of a purist?" says Michael Marra, two songs into a cracker of a concert. The Bard of Dundee has been playing fast and loose with musical genres for longer than most of us care to remember, and he was on fighting form for his Celtic Connections outing"

Full review in The Scotsman

Iain Anderson on BBC Radio Scotland

Michael dropped in past Iain Anderson's BBC Radio Scotland Show for a blether after his Strathclyde Suite Gig. "Posted Sober" had been selected as "The Archive Record of the Week". You can listen to the show using the BBC iplayer function for the next few days. 

Michael's gig at Crofthead Hall Neilsto n originally cancelled due to weather conditions has been re-scheduled for 20 February 2011.

Details on gig and tickets available at Crofthead Concerts

Great gig coming up with Mairi Campbell at the Queens Hall on 18th February at 08.00pm. 

Information on the gig and tickets are available at Queens Hall website

Award winning Scottish singer songwriter Mairi Campbell's first solo album is to be released in 2011. She been described by the Scotsman as 'one of the great sounds of Scottish folk music today' . International attention came her way when The Cast's haunting rendition of 'Auld Lang Syne' was used in the movie 'Sex and the City'.

Irene Brown's review of the gig can be found at EdinburghGuide.com

Michael Marra is taking part in "The Tongue That Cannot Lie" a concert with Chris Wood, Karine Polwart and Chris Mullins. The concert is part of Commonplace which is being held at King's Place in London from 09 February to 13 February 2011.

For more details and ticket information on the series of concerts visit Commonplace website

To begin the final evening of Commonplace Erica Wagner invites Chris Wood , Karine Polwart , Michael Marra , one of Scotland's most respected songwriters, and Chris Mullin , author, journalist and former MP, to separate spin from truth and shed light on the poisoned chalice that is ‘the tongue that cannot lie', a gift given to Thomas Rymer in a 13th-century Scottish Ballad. Tonight's concert sees Chris, Karine and Michael share an evening of some of the clearest voices in Britain today.

www.chriswoodmusic.co.uk  
www.englishacousticcollective.org.uk  
www.karinepolwart.com  
www.chrismullinexmp.com

Michael Marra is one of Mary Ann Kennedy's guests on her BBC Radio 3 programme World on 3 being broadcast at midnight on 31 December 2010. 

Check out more information on the programme at BBC website

Moondog and Ilona-Goebel - copyright Michael Marra 2007

The advent of digital photography has captured Michael's attention and a new seam of creativity is about to be revealed at the Bank Street Gallery in Kirriemuir, Angus.

Michael's successful Portrait Exhibition has now finished at Bank Street Gallery in Kirriemuir but if you could not make it along have a look at Michael's myspace site where you will be able to view them. You will find them in the pics folder, 

Michael'a myspace page is up and running. Why not drop by and leave a message or sign up as a "friend" at

http://www.myspace.com/michaelmarra

 You will also find photos of Michael's Portraits under the pics folder at the myspace site.

Michael has written a song titled "The Flight of the Heron" in tribute to Giles Heron the Jamacian born football player who arrived in Scotland in the early fifties to play with Celtic before moving on to with Third Lanark. Gil was the father of American jazz musician, rapper and poet Gil Scott Heron. Somehow Michael got the song to Gil in NewYork and the word is that he is going to include the song on his new album which he is currently recording.

If you want to hear Michael's studio quality demo of the song go to the MP3 store on the site where it is available for download along with Michael's backwood's version of Gil Scott Heron's "Whitey's On The Moon"