Ed Woodsworth is a freelance bass player from Sydney who has been a mainstay in the East Coast music scene for more than 35 years. He has recorded or performed with many of the household names in Cape Breton music including Ashley MacIsaac, Mary Jane Lamond, Jimmy Rankin, Rita MacNeil, The Barra MacNeils, Bruce Guthro and Gordie Sampson. During the mid-90s, he earned a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Saint Francis Xavier University where he was awarded the University’s silver medal. Primarily known as a bass player, Ed’s natural musicality comes through as a songwriter, singer, and steel guitarist. He has produced tracks for Jennifer Roland, Kindle (Prince Edward Island), and three albums for New Brunswick singer-songwriter Jessica Rhaye, earning him a nomination for Producer of the Year at the 2010 East Coast Music Awards. In 2016, Ed received the ECMA’s Musician’s Achievement Award. He returns to Celtic Colours this year for a special presentation of Celtic Mass for the Sea, a celebration of 30 years of Ceòlas, and a reunion with Mary Jane Lamond’s band.