Sad to hear today that one of the most significant gentlemen of Scottish music had passed away in Edinburgh just yesterday. There have been very many tributes to him on Facebook from those in the Scottish traditional music industry who benefited from his generosity, humanity, guidance, support and infallible honesty. Over around 40 years of Greentrax recordings some 500 albums were produced and gave many artists a huge boost on their road to recognition and fame.
I first met him back in the 90s and later on he kindly sponsored some of our Edinburgh & Lothians TMSA events, coming along with his wife June and his “wee dug” and of course, lots of great albums for sale.

I’d like to quote a couple of the tributes posted today: first from Eric Bogle:

“A sad day for me. This morning Ian Green, the boss of Greentrax Records who distributed my CD's in Europe and North America, died after a short illness. Ian was one of the good guys in an industry that has it's fair share of shonks. An honest, ethical man whose word was his bond, a straight arrow, a sealed with a handshake sort of human being, of the kind that you rarely come across now in these grubbier and greedier times.

Ian was a policeman for 30 years, reaching the giddy heights of Inspector, and was also a cycling champion in his youth. Called up for National service at age eighteen, he also served in Korea during the Korean War. Whilst still in the police force, Ian started a folk club in Edinburgh called "Fuzzfolk" which became a very popular club indeed in no time at all. I played there a couple of times in the early days, and a warm memory it is. It was at this club that Ian deepened and extended his love and knowledge of folk music, especially Scottish traditional music. This led to him deciding, upon receiving a generous severance payment after thirty years in the police, to invest this money in starting a record label to promote and sell folk music. I and many others told him he was "aff his heid" as we say in Scotland, but luckily he totally ignored us and so Greentrax was born. Which then became the pre-eminent and most treasured record label in Scotland, and perhaps the world, as far as Scottish folk music was concerned anyway.

When adding another artist to the Greentrax roster, the financial imperative was the last of Ian's considerations. If he thought that artist's music was worth hearing he often financed the artist's recording himself, and was indifferent if subsequent sales returned his investment. The music, always the music, was at the heart of everything Ian did at Greetrax. And what a heart it was.....

There you are then. A man's life in four wee paragraphs. So much more to know, so much left unsaid. But those of us who knew first hand the man and his story are privileged indeed, and know that we are. You will be sadly and sorely missed my dear friend. Safe onward journey, and rest assured that, in no small part due to you, the song goes on..... “