Music
Photo: John Carberry
Una has a wide range of experience across improvisation, pop, folk, jazz, and classical genres of music. Her career began as a freelance orchestral double bassist, working with all of Scotland’s national orchestral companies. In the area of experimental music she has curated concert series’, co-run a record label (Iorram Records) and is a founder member of Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra (GIO). She has collaborated with internationally renowned musicians including: Tom Bancroft and Satoko Fuji (Jazz); Rab Noakes (pop/folk); David Byrne (pop/experimental art) and George Lewis (improvisation).
She has improvised live on Radio 3 on Late Junction and Exposure. Her compositions and improvisations have been played on The New Music Show and Freeness. Una has also been part of televised improvisation performances in Germany and Japan.
She has performed improvised music internationally, for example, The Stone: New York; Guelph Arboretum: Canada; The White Box and Muffethalle: Munich and in the UK in The Old Hairdressers, the Glad Café, the CCA (all Glasgow), The Tolbooth (Stirling), An Tobar (Mull) The Leith Depo (Edinburgh) the Vortex, the Red Rose, the Servant’s Jazz Quarters, HMS President (London).
See a recent performance which was broadcast on Radio 3’s Freeness on 08/01/22
Current projects
Duo with Jim McEwan
Photo: Alex Woodward
Duo with Nick Fells
Drawn to Water
Image: Jean McEwan
Stuart Brown - Drums; Raymond MacDonald - Sax; Una MacGlone - Bass; Jer Reid - Guitar.
Discography
2021
A Whole Other Vibe
Una MacGlone & Jim McEwan
2019
Energy Being
Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra & Maggie Nicols, FMR.
Tairm
Whyte, Whyte Noise.
2018
Parallel Moments Unbroken
Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra, FMR.
Welcome To Anniversaryville
Rab Noakes, Neon Records
2017
The Word For It Now
Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra, FMR.
Drawn To Water
Drawn to Water, Gruff Wit Records & Lickety-splat.
2016
The Treatment Tapes EP
Rab Noakes, Neon Records.
2015
I’m Walking Here
Rab Noakes, Neon Records.
2014
Artificial Life
Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra with George Lewis, FMR.
2012
Schweben - Aye, But Can Ye?
Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra & Barry Guy, Maya.
Improcherto
Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra with Evan Parker and Lol Coxhill, Iorram.
2010
Waymarkers
Rope & Duck Co., Iorram.
2009
Metamorphic Rock
Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra & George Lewis, Iorram.
Proximo (1 track, Electric Spirit)
Una MacGlone & Nick Fells, Iorram.
2008
Separately And Together
Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra & London Improvisers Orchestra, Emanem.
2007
Falkirk
Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra & Barry Guy, FMR.
2006
Secrets From The Clockhouse
Future Pilot AKA, Creeping Bent.
Sugar and Spite
Unkle Bob, Friendly Sounds.
2005
Which Way Did He Go?
Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra & Maggie Nicols, FMR.
2004
Munich & Glasgow
Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra, FMR.
Grown Backwards
David Byrne, Nonesuch Records.
2003
Lead Us Not Into Temptation
David Byrne, Thrill Jockey.
2001
Tiny Waves, Mighty Sea
Future Pilot, Geographic.
Selected Press
‘More valuable still are present day responses to the [CCA’s] archive by actor Tam Dean Burn and bassist Una MacGlone of Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra, successors to Third Eye’s vibrant improvisation programme.’ Brian Morton The Wire
‘Una MacGlone… cleverly hovers around evocations of traditional harmony without ever fully going there’ Philip Clark The Wire
‘the overall restraint is commendable, but when the full power of all the players is occasionally unleashed the effects are awesome... made all the more awesome by the contrast with the more subdued passages. This is most starkly illustrated in "1 + 1 = Different," a joint conduction by Glaswegians Una MacGlone and Raymond MacDonald. John Eyles All about Jazz
Selected collaborations
Since 2017, Una has led multi-discipline collaborations on behalf of Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra with the innovative Gaelic Arts Organisation, Ceòl ‘s Craic.
This has involved working with Gaelic song tradition bearers (e.g., Margaret Stewart, Christine Primrose and Gillebrìde MacMillan), new innovators (e.g., Whyte, Ainsley Hamill, Pàdruig Morrison) and poets (e.g., Niall O’Gallagher, Pàdraig MacAoidh, Marcas Mac An Tuairneir These annual projects reimagine Gaelic song and poetry creating new performances, arrangements and compositions.
Watch highlights from the 2021 collaboration at the CCA with Debbie Armour, Alasdair Whyte and Niall O’Gallagher. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-wPrTU9YD4&t=6s
Watch the 2020 online collaboration with Ainsley Hamill, Marcas Mac An Tuairneir and Pàdruig Morrison. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dc9iNJbWeI