This is terribly sad news. Tony Cuffe was one of the very finest interpreters of Scottish music on the guitar, ever. His playing had such warmth, taste and space to it and he had possibly the sweetest tone I ever heard from a steel-string player.

I hadn't seen him play in years. I first heard him at the July Wakes Folk Festival in Chorley, Lancashire in 1976. He was with Alba then and after their set on the main stage they played an absolute stormer of a set in the Banqueting Hall (a converted barn) of the adjacent hotel until the early hours. I remembered it so fondly I (much) later got married in the same room.

I only met him once, a few months later at the Half Moon in Putney. He was an absolute gent, lovely bloke. His playing with Ossian was a huge influence and inspiration for me. I was in Boston in 1988 and saw that he was offering lessons from a notice in a music store in Cambridge. I was always sorry I didn't take the chance to call him as at the time I was probably listening to him more that any other guitar player and I'd just come back from Cape Breton. Sadly, I was flying back to London the next day and I never called. I would love to have studied with him.

His solo record, 'When First I Went To Caledonia', is one of my faves too. Every guitarist should hear it, especially if they aspire to playing Scottish or Irish music.

A great shame. My condolences to his family and friends.