Jeannie Evangallena Adams was born in Glasgow, Scotland and grew up in Burghmuir, Perth. She attended art colleges in Carlisle and Nottingham, England. While working in Bermuda, she met Wayne when they wound up in the same Country-Western band - but they got to know each other listening to a Heritage album. Inspired by Davy Lockhart, she took up violin, married Wayne, honeymooned in Pictou, Nova Scotia and the rest is history! Jean lives in Greeneville, Tennessee and is 'Mum' to three children, Sterling, Ashley and Nelle 'Pooches' Bean. Jean is the vocalist and played violin and chimes.

Wayne Reuel Bean was born in his great-great-great grandmother's parlour in Topsfield, Maine. He attended the University of Maine at Orono and, while there, edited Me and Fannie, The Oral Autobiography of Ralph Thornton of Topsfield, Maine. He played in Country-Western bands for an eon and did two stints in the Navy as a cook. Anything of real importance is in Jeannie's vita and in the persons of his eldest daughter, Tycelia and the grandbabies, Hannah, Logan and Skyler. His eldest son, Reuel, contributed much to the bass tracks on this album (the child teaches the man) and speaks to us from the islands of the ancestors in Cuan Bheil Inse (Track 3), a tune that his Dad was honoured to play over a soldier's coffin. Wayne played guitars, bass and Northumbrian smallpipes (and the whistle on Cuan Bheil Inse). 

Ginger Lea Webb is the native Tennessean. She was born in Johnson City and spent most of her life in Boone's Creek. While active, for a time, in the Society for Creative Anachronisms, she took up the bodhrán and happened to encounter Wayne and Jean a bit later. Despite the preoccupation of being a working mother, Ginger has been a spiritual force, not only to the band, but also to countless people here and abroad; counselor, clergy and teacher. She presides over all of our 'life crises and joys', makes spirituality a real influence in our lives and drives our music with the 'goatskin's thump n' click.' She presently lives in Johnson City, Tennessee and has two great daughters, Megan and Morgan Webb. Ginger played bodhrán and assorted percussion.

'Pic-toos':

Phil Leonard engineered this recording, mastered it in ADD format and produced it. He also played dumbec, side drum and snare on this recording. He has performed live with Pictou on many occasions and this album would not exist without his dedication and faith. Phil mastered this recording during a 'life crisis' (an understatement). This is above and beyond professionalism - this is love of music. Phil is the Program Manager at WETS FM, 89.5Mz (Public Radio), Johnson City, Tennessee.

Jack Holland was a steady member of Pictou for a long while. Arguably, one of the 'best of the best' at the tin whistle, we were so pleased that he could be with us at the final recording session. His playing (and the corresponding arrangement credits, above) speaks for itself. He is awesome.

George Haig was a founder/member of the Scottish Group, Heritage and has been featured on many recordings on labels such as No Bad, Temple, Greentrax and The Living Tradition. George, presently, is pursuing his life's love - recording great music - for clients in Scotland. George played the diatonic autoharp on Track 5 - making it a Heritage Suite, indeed. George also selected and arranged the last tune in the suite (especially for Mr. Lockhart) and helped Phil engineer the last recording session.

Jack Beck wrote the 'apologia' for the liner notes of this album. Jack is a singer, songwriter, radio producer and head of the Building Trades Department at Lauder College in Dunfermline, Scotland. Jack was the vocalist for the Scottish group, Heritage and is featured with them and, as a solo artist, on No Bad, Temple, Greentrax and The Living Tradition Records. Jack was the 'Faither' of this album, contributing songs (directly and indirectly), advice, instruction and even the odd 'G' tunings that Wayne uses. 
 

Julius 'Sandy' Pratt contributed so much that a deep breath is in order. To begin with, he drew and designed the cover for this album. The motif (a piper we call 'Geordie') was taken from the stone carving on the 'Toun Piper's Hoose' in Jedburgh, Scotland. Sandy gave Geordie a cosmic dimension - and 'eyeballs.' Sandy has also performed with us innumerable times, playing snare and dumbec, is our business manager, roadie, goad, excuse-maker and basic CEO. Sandy is a professional artist. 

Andrea Solarz transliterated the rough liner notes on the CD to decipherable English and holds the record for having come the farthest to watch us perform live. She is a noted community psychologist, author, editor and damned good friend.

Zak Leger was a little kid who coerced his father into taking him to our performances. Zak is now a big kid who is a talented multi-instrumentalist, touring musician and has inherited Wayne's spot on radio as well as his pipes.  Kids like Zak are the only justifiable reason we do what we do - music has to be passed on. Zak played with us on many occasions during his physical and musical growth. If I may quote Jean Redpath from a memorable radio programme in Tennessee: 'The songs survive, despite us.' Songs also require 'Zaks' for that survival and the enthusiasm these kids demonstrate assuages the Promethean connotation in that word, 'despite.' 

Gary 'Wolfie' Webb is our faithful 'roadie' and sound engineer. The road may have been rough but Wolfie has been rougher than the road. We couldn't live without him. He's a 'pistol.' 

Clarence 'Woody' Woodcock is the main reason you are getting to hear this album. He and Wayne met over the internet while Wayne was trying to find out about Woody's great-grandfather - A Civil War officer and hero who grew up within walking distance of where Wayne was born - and Woody was trying to find out what spot on Earth his great-grandfather had come from. Neat, huh? Woody is a skilled computer programmer, a top-notch genealogist and hosts of a collection of websites, including several Civil War forums and the highly regarded 1st Maine Heavy Artillery Website - all 'people-and-their-stories' oriented. Woody thought that this album was a good idea and while most of the people mentioned above 'made the baby', Woody was the veritable midwife - we think that means 'Executive Producer' or something damned close! Midwife or not, he is still the only means by which this 'baby' took its first breath and lived. And, now, it's going to yell!