Caithness entertainer Brandon McPhee's latest DVD release is a tribute to one of his greatest musical influences.

The Sir Jimmy Shand Story is based on a touring show about the late accordion maestro which Brandon and his band took to venues across the UK and Ireland from 2017 to 2019.

The DVD features 23 tracks as well as narration by Brandon himself, interspersed with Shand family photos and archive film excerpts.

Sir Jimmy, from Auchtermuchty in Fife, was a prolific composer and renowned band leader whose career in music spanned more than 70 years. He was knighted in 1999 and died in December 2000, aged 92.

Brandon (24) explained: “When lockdown came last year we were told that we couldn't do any touring or shows.

"Just before the actual regulations happened, we recorded The Sir Jimmy Shand Story. Because we had toured it all over the UK and Ireland it was a good time to record it while it was all fresh.

"We recorded it and then kept it in the archive until we did it for our internet concert about Jimmy Shand [in January this year]. But this is the first time it has been on a DVD.

“Myself and the guys in the band – Addie Harper, Manson Grant and Robert Cameron – play 23 different sets of tunes which Jimmy Shand would have played with his band."

The script for the show was written by Ben Macdonald, and during the tour the narration was provided by actor Dave Anderson.

Brandon has been a lifelong admirer of Jimmy Shand's music and has seven Shand Morino accordions in his collection.

“Throughout my time, Jimmy Shand has been one of my main influences," Brandon said. "Will Starr was another, but Jimmy Shand has been one of the main influences that have inspired me continuously throughout my journey – to try to aim at a higher level all the time and never give up on any of the dreams.

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“At the end of the day he was one of the most famous accordion players in the world. He was an amazing inspiration and he will always continue to inspire me.

"Will Starr was a great friend of Jimmy Shand and both of them inspired my playing, and probably how it sounds the way it does. I think everyone needs inspiration and thankfully I have the two of them to listen to. I would have loved to have met them.”

Brandon is looking forward to entertaining a Caithness audience when live shows can resume.

“We are hoping when we are finally allowed to go back out that one of the first that we do will be local, because of where we come from and it's the first place I ever performed," he said. "We have a lot of local support.

“It will be lovely, because it has been a long time. Hopefully it gets back to normal but we are still keeping as active as we can – we are recording CDs and DVDs.”

The Sir Jimmy Shand Story, which has a running time of one hour and 43 minutes, is available now (priced £15) from local label Pan Records at www.panrecords.co.uk

It will be on sale at local outlets including Gail's gift shop in Wick and Aurora in Thurso.

A new music book of 22 of Brandon's own compositions will be available soon from Pan Records.

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