Ian Cutler obit

IAN CUTLER RIP 

He was not on the list.

I am very sorry indeed to pass on the news that Ian Cutler has passed away.

As a young man, Ian was first spotted playing fiddle on the cult classic film "The Wicker Man", before joining celebrated folk rock outfit Bully Wee, with whom he continued to play till their final retirement a few years back. He was in a long-running duo with Doug Hudson, The Hot Rats, and played annually with the hugely respected Feast Of Fiddles along with many of his peers.

In the 2000s, Dave Cousins hooked up with him to accompany him on Dave Cousins solo gigs, and he was a natural to be included in Dave's side project The Blue Angel Orchestra, along with Chas Cronk, Miller Anderson and veteran drummer Chris Hunt. The BAO played a number of gigs including one of the legendary Teddington Christmas Parties. When Dave did his US tour in 2008, Ian was drafted in for some of the shows, captured on 2008's Duochrome CD and he guested on "The Call To Action" on The Broken Hearted Bride". the same year. The duo was reunited for the opening session of the 2009 40th anniversary weekend.

On the 2008 trip to New York City I travelled with Ian and Sarah Jayne and itook them off on a whistlestop tour of the city I knew fairly weell, but neither of them had been to - Ian was always great company, a very self-effacing person despite his amazing talent, and will be much missed.

Most famous for his music on the cult film “The Wicker Man” starring Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee, he has been playing blisteringly fast tunes, forever, it seems.

Ian has guested with “Fairport Convention” and now plays with the “Bully Wee Band” reformed in 2004, “Hot Rats”, with Doug Hudson and Scott Kirk and more recently with Dave Cousins as a duo and also on a couple of the newer Strawbs albums.

Renowned for combining speed and accuracy with a laconic style that makes it all look so easy, Ian is a joy to watch and hear on any stage. Now based in Rochester he plays all over Southern England and Europe with the, by now, equally famous, Gothic Ivy Bridge Aquila Electric Violin.

Ian is quiet and modest off and on stage with such a relaxed playing style that makes you think that nothing is happening, however watch the fingers and all is revealed !! His real name was Stephen Hunt.