01. The Outside Track
BELLADRUM OUTHOUSE
Belladrum Outhouse (strathspey, traditional)
De’il Tak’ the breeks (O gràin air na briogaisean) (reel, traditional)
Touching Cloth (reel, James Kelly)

Mairi Rankin: fiddle
Fiona Black: accordion
Norah Rendell: flute, whistle
Cillian O’Dalaigh: bodhran, guitar
Ailie Robertson: harp
Alan Jordan: guitar

www.theoutsidetrack.com 

From the album: CURIOUS THINGS GIVEN WINGS
Courtesy of: The Outside Track
Produced & Engineered by: Mattie Foulds at Heriot Toun Studio, Heriot, Midlothian, Scotland
Mixed by: Mattie Foulds & Jamie Foulds
Mastered by: Calum Malcolm

This multi-talented international quintet from Canada, Scotland, and Ireland includes Norah Rendell (Canadian Traditional Singer of the Year nominee), Mairi Rankin (East Coast Music Awards nominee and from the Cape Breton band Beòlach), Ailie Robertson (Live Ireland Winner, BBC Young Traditional Finalist), Fiona Black (BBC Fame Academy Winner), and Cillian O’Dalaigh (from the Irish band Trazz).

Since they came together three years ago, this all-star cast has performed and been praised across North America and Europe. Their entertaining, multi-faceted performances match a powerful musical drive with soulful vocals and an occasional display of skillful stepdancing.

This set of tunes starts off with Mairi’s Cape Breton-style fiddle playing. Then, as more musicians join in, the track builds to a rousing crescendo. The opening strathspey is named after an estate in the Highlands of Scotland, and the second tune literally means “I Hate Trousers”, harkening back to the time when the English outlawed the kilt. These first two tunes come from THE SIMON FRASER COLLECTION (1816). The third tune was written by Irish-born fiddler and prolific composer James Kelly, who now lives in Florida. The name of this tune comes from a colloquial term that indicates what is done inside a “washroom”.

2. Meantime
Càit An Caidil An Rìbhinn A-Nochd? (traditional)

Daibhidh R. MacIllinnein (David MacLennan): guitar, vocals
Calum Rothach (Malcolm Munro): accordion, melodeon, vocals
Daibhidh Boag (David Boag): fiddle, vocals
Tormod MacArtair (Norman MacArthur): bass, guitar, bagpipes, jaw harp, vocals

www.meantimeinfo.co.uk 

From the album: AN TREAS TARRAING
Courtesy of & Produced by: Meantime
Recorded by: Nick Turner
Mixed & Mastered by: Meantime & Nick Turner, Watercolour Studios, Ardgour, Fort William, Scotland

Meantime is a multi-talented quartet (with a Hebridean background) whose members have been friends and played Gaelic music together since 1991 when they met in the Aberdeen University Celtic Society. All four band members are vocalists, writers, and skillful instrumentalists. They deliver a mix of new and traditional Gaelic songs with beautiful harmony, playing lively tunes on pipes, fiddle, accordion, guitar, piano, melodeon, and jaw harp.

They have released three CDs, and some consider their latest release, AN TREAS TARRAING, their best. It is a mixture of old and new Gaelic songs and energetic tunes. Perhaps the best description of their music comes from Norman Chalmers in THE SCOTSMAN who calls it “invigorating, full of character, sometimes rough but often beautiful; just like the Highlands”.

We hear the voices of Meantime shine in this traditional love song of the sea, Càit An Caidil An Rìbhinn A-Nochd?

03. Rachel Davis
MARQUIS OF HUNTLY’S SNUFF MILL
Marquis of Huntly’s Snuff Mill (slow march, Gow & Marshall)
The Whigs of Fife (reel, traditional)
Clydesdale Lasses (reel, traditional)
Perth Assembly (reel, Samson Duncan, 1767- 1837)

Rachel Davis: fiddle
Joey Beaton: piano
Buddy MacDonald: guitar

www.rachel-davis.ca 

From the album: RACHEL DAVIS
Courtesy of: Rachel Davis
Produced by: Rachel Davis & Mike Shepherd
Recorded, Mixed & Mastered by: Mike Shepherd at Lakewind Sound Studios, Point Aconi, Cape Breton

As a young girl, Rachel Davis took her first fiddle lessons from her grandfather, Clarence Long. She fondly recalls sitting in the corner of his Baddeck barber shop learning tunes. Rachel has since studied under other instructors and is now one of the best young players in Cape Breton. In 2007, she received the Tic Butler Memorial Award for her outstanding contribution to Cape Breton culture, and in 2009, she won the Frank “Big Sampy” Sampson Award, given by the Celtic Colours Festival Volunteer Drive’er Association and Lakewind Sound Studios to an up-and-coming Cape Breton musician to support the making of his or her first recording. Rachel’s debut album was released at last year’s Festival.

A recent graduate of Cape Breton University, she has spread her wings in the last few years and performed in Canada, the United States, and overseas. She recently returned from Scotland where she performed at the Blas Festival with her frequent musical partner, Buddy MacDonald.

This set (played here in F) has four tunes familiar to lovers of Cape Breton music. Rachel learned the first two from CAPE BRETON FIDDLERS’ COLLECTION (compiled and published in 2007 by Paul Cranford) and the last two from SKYE COLLECTION (written in 1887 by Keith Norman MacDonald; reprinted by Paul Cranford in 1979).

04. De Temps Antan
INTRINIFOR
Intrinifor (traditional, source: Gaétan Dupuis)
Le reel à Marie-Pierre (traditional, source: Édouard Richard)

Pierre-Luc Dupuis: lead vocals, harmonica
Eric Beaudry: mandolin, vocals, feet
Andre Brunet: guitar, vocals, feet

www.detempsantan.qc.ca 

From the album: À L’ANNÉE
Courtesy of & Produced by: De Temps Antan
Recorded by: Francis Marion, Sebastian Rivard & Simon Marion at Studio de la Côte Jaune, St.-Côme, Québec
Mixed by: Sebastian Rivard & Eric Beaudry at Studio de la Côte Jaune, St.-Côme, Québec
Mastered by: Vincent Cardinal, Studio Plasma, Montréal, Québec

De Temps Antan is a multi-talented Quebéc trio comprised of some of the best young traditional players around. Their repertoire updates traditional material and contemporary songs and tunes, making fresh combinations that sound as if they had been performed for many years.

Playing violin, accordion, harmonica, guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, and other instruments, Andre Brunet, Eric Beaudry, and Pierre-Luc Dupuis drive their music with the heavy percussive beat of their feet, just like centuries of traditional Québec musicians.

The term “intrinifor” comes from a joyous, festive phrase, and this tune certainly has that tone. Things get even more spirited when De Temps Antan continues into a lively traditional reel.

05. Kenneth & Angus MacKenzie
CURRIE COUSINS
Donnie MacQuee’s (march, traditional)
Katie Ness of Kinnyside (reel, traditional)
More Rum for the Piper (reel, traditional)
Paddy Currie’s Favourite (reel, traditional)

Kenneth MacKenzie: fiddle
Angus MacKenzie: border pipes
Mac Morin: piano
Ross Martin: guitar

From the album PÌOB IS FIDHEALL
Courtesy of: Kenneth & Angus MacKenzie
Produced by: Kenneth & Angus MacKenzie & Mike Shepherd
Recorded & Mixed by: Mike Shepherd at Lakewind Sound Studios, Point Aconi, Cape Breton, with additional recording by Mattie Foulds at Mobile with a Home, Scotland, and Mac Morin

Brothers Kenneth and Angus MacKenzie were steeped in Gaelic culture at an early age. Their parents were fluent in the language – their mother was a Gaelic teacher from Cape Breton, and their father is a Gaelic singer from Scotland. This Gaelic background and their Mabou upbringing comes through in their music.

Still only in his twenties and a talented fiddler and piper, Kenneth has already performed at festivals in Scotland, Ontario, and around Atlantic Canada. He won the 2010 Frank “Big Sampy” Sampson Award, given by the Celtic Colours Festival Volunteer Drive’er Association and Lakewind Sound Studios to an up-and-coming Cape Breton musician to support the making of his or her first recording. Now in its final stages of completion, this CD is expected to be released at this year’s Celtic Colours International Festival.

Angus is well known in Scotland as a member of the lively band Dàimh and the piping group Seudan, guests of this year’s Celtic Colours International Festival. Kenneth and Angus grew up playing music together, and this track from Kenneth’s forthcoming album marks a reunion of their playing styles after they spent several years pursuing separate musical careers.

The set opens with two favourite tunes from the private manuscript of the brothers’ granduncle, a piper and a Currie from South Uist, Scotland. The final two tunes were favourites of piper Alex Currie from Frenchvale (Cape Breton), and the last of these two tunes was learned from John MacLean, another piper who was Alex’s nephew. The Currie pipers were relatives; hence the name of the set.

6. Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas
CAMERON’S CAPER
Aberdeen Alternative Festival (march, Alasdair Fraser, Alasdair Fraser Music)
Cameron’s Caper (reel, Alasdair Fraser, Alasdair Fraser Music)

Alasdair Fraser: fiddle
Natalie Haas: cello

www.alasdairfraser.com
www.nataliehaas.com 

From the album: IN THE MOMENT
Courtesy of & Produced by: Alasdair Fraser
Recorded by: Bruce Wheelock at Flying Whale Studios, Grass Valley, California, & by Bob Shumaker at Bay Records, Berkeley, California
Mixed by: Alasdair Fraser & Mikail Graham at The Other Studio, Nevada City, California
Mastered by: Michael Romanowski at Paul Stubblebine Mastering, San Francisco, California

It is not often that the student and the teacher share the same acclaim, but Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas have reached that point. Alasdair is a legend among Scottish violinists, with a career that has lasted more than thirty years and includes a long list of awards, performances all over the world, and music on movie soundtracks such as LAST OF THE MOHICANS and TITANIC. Natalie was not even born when Alasdair started winning awards, and she was just eleven when she first brought her cello to Alasdair’s Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School in California. Four years later, they were performing together.

Always one to push the boundaries, Alasdair has played in some unusual combinations of musicians. It was not until he began performing with Natalie that he found a cellist who could help him return the cello to its historical role as the rhythmic heart of Scottish dance music. Collectively, they are a perfect match as they swap melody and harmony lines while incorporating the syncopated, percussive muscle of the cello.

CAMERON’S CAPER gives a wonderful display of the intriguing, always delicate balance between the fiddle and the cello. Aberdeen Alternative Festival was commissioned for that festival – this tune has a certain sombreness to it, as marches often can. Cameron’s Caper is an exciting, playful reel. The juxtaposition of these two Alasdair Fraser tunes is a nice counterbalance of tempos.

07. Goiridh Dòmhnallach
(Jeff MacDonald)
Distance (Jeff MacDonald)

Jeff MacDonald: vocals
Donnie Campbell: lead guitar
Sandy MacDonald: guitar
Tracey Dares-MacNeil: piano
Andrea Beaton: fiddle

Unreleased track, recorded live at the Membertou Trade & Convention Centre, Sydney, Cape Breton, during the East Coast Music Awards, March 2010.
Courtesy of: Jeff MacDonald
Produced by: Joella Foulds & Jamie Foulds
Recorded & Mixed by: Jamie Foulds, Soundpark Studio, Sydney, Cape Breton
Mastered by: Mike Shepherd, Lakewind Sound Studios, Point Aconi, Cape Breton

One of the “Dougald” MacDonalds of Queensville, Cape Breton, Jeff MacDonald is part of an extended musical family that includes fiddlers such as Brian MacDonald, Howie MacDonald, the late Dougie MacDonald, and numerous singers, dancers, pianists, and guitar players. Better known in traditional circles by his Gaelic name, Goiridh Dòmhnallach, he is a Gaelic singer, storyteller, and educator. In addition, Jeff is the Gaelic Field Officer for the Office of Gaelic Affairs in Nova Scotia. Jeff was fortunate to learn from some of Cape Breton’s best tradition-bearers, including relatives and people from his own community.

Highly respected as a performer and gifted with a beautiful voice, Jeff does rare justice to the old songs. He also has begun to show his skills as a composer, both in Gaelic (where he is most comfortable) and, most recently, in English. Distance is a notable example.

This song was recorded live at the Celtic Colours Festival Club stage at the Membertou Trade & Convention Centre in Sydney, Cape Breton, during the 2010 East Coast Music Awards. Jeff was inspired to write this song about his time in the Alberta oilfield. Like so many before him, Jeff has had to travel far from his Cape Breton home for work, a need that has scattered so many Cape Bretoners to Alberta, Toronto, and “The Boston States”.

You can see the live version of Distance and hear the full story behind the song at www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWUGoCbYph0.

08. John Doyle
TIE THE BONNET SET
Tie the Bonnet (reel, traditional, arr. John Doyle, Setanta Music, ASCAP)
Monaghan Twig (reel, traditional, arr. John Doyle, Setanta Music, ASCAP)
A Fair Wind (reel, traditional, arr. John Doyle, Setanta Music, ASCAP)
The Convenience Reel (Olcan Masterson, IMRO)

John Doyle: guitar
John McCusker: fiddle
Mike McGoldrick: whistle
Kenny Malone: percussion

www.johndoylemusic.com

From the album: WAYWARD SON
Courtesy of: John Doyle & Compass Records (www.compassrecords.com)
Produced by: John Doyle & Garry West
Recorded by: Erick Jaskowiak, Compass Sound Studio, Nashville, Tennesee & Andy Seward at Pure Records, Yorkshire, England
Mixed by: Erick Jaskowiak & John Doyle

John Doyle first came to prominence as a member of the Irish-American super-group Solas, where his sophisticated, rhythmic approach set a new standard for Irish guitar accompaniment. Besides playing with style and grace, he is a gifted songwriter, vocalist, and producer.

John adds a contemporary, tasteful edge to traditional music while keeping its simplicity intact by borrowing sounds and effects from traditional instruments such as the bodhrán and fiddle. He is well-occupied as a studio musician, sideman, and musical partner. He collaborated with fiddler Liz Carroll to record DOUBLE PLAY, a CD that received a 2010 Grammy nomination in the “Traditional World Music” category.

Being the sort of giving person that he is, and realizing that Jerry Holland was close to the end of his life, in the summer of 2009, John travelled at his own expense from his home in North Carolina to Cape Breton for their last recording session together, which lasted three days due to Jerry’s failing health. Yes, progress was slow, but tough Jerry was determined, and the results were spectacular: Jerry’s album entitled HELPING HANDS.

TIE THE BONNET SET displays just how skilled John Doyle is with a guitar, as he plays three lively traditional reels and a reel composed by Belfast native Olcan Masterson. Most commonly called The Convenience Reel, Masterson’s tune is also known as The Boys of Sligo.

09. Madison Violet
Small of My Heart (Madison Violet, pub: Mummy Dust)

Brenley MacEachern: vocals, acoustic guitar
Lisa MacIsaac: vocals
Les Cooper: backing vocals, slide guitar
Paul Mathew: upright bass
Joel Stouffer: drums
Cindy Fairbank: backing vocals
Andy Sheppard: backing vocals

www.madisonviolet.com 

From the album: NO FOOL FOR TRYING
Courtesy of: True North Records
Produced by: Les Cooper
Engineered by: David Travers-Smith
Recorded at: Escarpment Sound Studio, Acton, Ontario, Found Sound Productions, The Shed
Mixed by: Andy Wahl at Wahl of Sound, Toronto, Ontario

Madison Violet has built a solid following in far away places such as Australia and Germany, but their roots are firmly fixed in Canada. Although they initially met in a bar in Toronto, a conversation about Creignish (a community on Cape Breton’s western coast) brought these two young women together. Lisa MacIsaac was born there, Brenley MacEachern’s father comes from just down the road, and numerous relatives of both women still live in the area.

Lisa and Brenley have been touring, performing, and recording together for ten years, and their polished instrumentation and soulful harmonies earned them five East Coast Music Award nominations, a Canadian Folk Music Award for “Vocal Group of the Year”, a Juno nomination for their album NO FOOL FOR TRYING, and the John Lennon Songwriting Contest “Maxell Song of the Year” award, as their song entitled The Ransom beat over 20,000 other entries.

NO FOOL FOR TRYING departs from their previous recording, returning to the folk and country roots that are so distinctive of much of the East Coast music sound. Small of My Heart is a wonderful example of Madison Violet’s vocal harmonies, which have become the group’s trademark. The song is about keeping your love for your hometown in the small of your heart when you leave.

10. Niamh Ní Charra
THE STRAWBERRY TREE
The Limerick Redowa (waltz, traditional)
Going For Water (slide, traditional)
Oakum’s (slide, traditional)
The Strawberry Tree (slide, Niamh Ní Charra)

Niamh Ní Charra: concertina, fiddle
Donogh Hennessy: guitars
Robbie Harris: bongos, shakers
Trevor Hutchinson: double bass

www.niamhnicharra.com 

From the album: SÚGACH SÁMH (HAPPY OUT)
Courtesy of: Niamh Ní Charra
Produced by: Niamh Ní Charra & Tony O Flaherty
Recorded & Mixed by: Tony O Flaherty at Sonas, Killarney
Mastered by: Ruairi O Flaherty

Niamh Ní Charra is a fiddler, concertina player, and singer from Killarney, in the southwest of Ireland. She began playing at the age of four and became a seasoned stage veteran at a young age, performing with such musical greats as The Chieftains and Noel Hill and representing Ireland at folk festivals in Britain and France before reaching her teens.

She moved away from the stage for a time and earned several degrees, all with the highest honours, but music was too deeply ingrained in her for that separation to continue. She joined the United States cast of RIVERDANCE from 1998 through 2005, performing in over 2500 shows. More recently, she has performed as a solo artist and is much sought after as a side musician, including appearing with Carlos Núñez at the 2008 Celtic Colours International Festival.

In THE STRAWBERRY TREE she uses her skill on the concertina to perfection, opening with a waltz of Czech origins. She next plays a lively trio of slides on concertina and fiddle, concluding with her own composition named after the wild strawberry trees native to Killarney, Ireland.

11. Lewis MacKinnon
A Fhleasgaich an Fhuilt Chraobhaich Chais (traditional)

Lewis MacKinnon: lead vocals, guitar
Dave Gunning: guitars, bass, harmony vocals
Fleur Mainville: fiddle

Unreleased track
Courtesy of: Lewis MacKinnon
Produced by: Lewis MacKinnon & Dave Gunning
Engineered, Programmed & Mixed by: Dave Gunning
Recorded at: Wee House of Music, Lyons Brook, Nova Scotia

Gifted with a powerful baritone voice and an ability to deliver his songs in English, Scottish Gaelic, and Irish Gaelic, Lewis MacKinnon has performed across Eastern Canada and beyond since 1994. Born in Inverness, Cape Breton, and raised in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia, he is recognized and appreciated for his work promoting Gaelic language and culture throughout the province and abroad.

His first solo CD, an all Gaelic project entitled A’ SEO (HERE) earned Lewis an East Coast Music Award nomination. Whether you understand the words or not, just listening to this beautiful recording, or any of his live performances, allows the listener a glimpse into his passion for the music.

On this track, Lewis sings a traditional Gaelic piece about a woman telling the man she loves that she will never love another. In English, the song title means “The Golden Haired Lad”.

12. Nuala Kennedy
The Books in My Library (Nuala Kennedy, PRS/MCPS)

Nuala Kennedy: vocals, flute
Norman Blake: vocals
Donald Hay: percussion
Mario Caribé: double bass
Julian Sutton: accordion
Mike Bryan: guitar
Brian Kellock: piano

www.nualakennedy.com 

From the album: TUNE IN
Courtesy of: Nuala Kennedy & Compass Records (www.compassrecords.com)
Produced by: Nuala Kennedy
Recorded at: Keith Bird at Parklane Studios, Glasgow, Scotland
Mixed by: Nuala Kennedy & Paul McGeechan
Mastered by: Paul McGeechan

A long-time favourite of the Celtic Colours International Festival, Nuala Kennedy grew up in Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland, but moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, where she now lives. She plays the flute and whistle and is a traditional singer, songwriter, and tunesmith. Her roots lie in Irish and Scottish music, but she has explored other musical genres as well. This live studio track features her band of longtime musical collaborators and includes two special guests: singer and songwriter Norman Blake of the influential Scottish power-pop band Teenage Fanclub and Scottish jazz piano legend Brian Kellock.

Though Nuala has cultivated other musical genres, she always comes back to her traditional roots. She has played with Fine Friday and Harem Scarem, two bands that have performed at Celtic Colours. Currently working on her third solo album, Nuala continues to develop her special mix of age-old and contemporary traditional music. She is in demand as a live performer, travelling in line-ups from an intimate musical duo to her driving eight-piece festival band.

With fiddler Gerry O’Connor and accordionist Martin Quinn, Nuala is also part of Oirealla, a traditional group highlighting the music and song of her native South-East Ulster. In addition, she has a strong interest in the music of Cape Breton and plays regularly with musicians Kimberley Fraser, Troy MacGillivray, and Andrea Beaton.

The Books in My Library might be a declaration of what is not to be, perhaps a love lost or a chance missed. Nuala has drawn inspiration from the stories of Jorge Luis Borges, the acclaimed Argentine writer (who died in 1986) whose stories spiral like an Irish song.

13. Melody & Derrick Cameron
SACHELLE’S JIG SET
Sachelle’s (jig, Melody Cameron, SOCAN)
The Humors of Cappa (jig, McNamara per O’NEILL’S MUSIC OF IRELAND, 1903)

Melody Cameron: fiddle
Derrick Cameron: guitar
Mac Morin: piano

www.melodyandderrickcameron.com 

From the album: SINCERELY
Courtesy of & Produced by: Melody & Derrick Cameron
Recorded by: Jamie Foulds at Soundpark Studios, Sydney,
Cape Breton & J.P. Cormier at Cormier Sound, Cap LeMoine, Cape Breton
Mixed by: Jamie Foulds with Derrick & Melody Cameron at Soundpark Studios, Sydney, Cape Breton
Mastered by: Jamie Foulds at Soundpark Studios, Sydney, Cape Breton

Melody is the fiddler and dancer, while Derrick is the guitarist and storyteller. Together, they have performed across Cape Breton, the Maritimes, and the United States, particularly in New England. They have played at the Stan Rogers Folk Festival, the Washington Irish Folk Festival, the North Atlantic Fiddle Convention (in Aberdeen, Scotland), and many Celtic Colours concerts over the years. They were featured in the Genuine Pictures documentary AND THEY DANCED (2006) and have recorded three albums, including the just released SINCERELY.

Closer to home, these Mabou residents have become deeply involved with Comunn Féis Mhàbu, particularly The Mabou Musical Mentorship Program, a project that uses house sessions to bring talented young performers of Cape Breton music and dance together with well-established tradition bearers.

SACHELLE’S JIG SET is comprised of two jigs typical of the tunes played for the first or second figures of a square set in Inverness County. Melody wrote the first for her niece, while the second is an old favourite from the tune book O’NEILL’S MUSIC OF IRELAND (written in 1903 by Francis O’Neill).

14. Tony McManus
The Rolling Waves (traditional, arr. McManus, Integral Music, PRS)
Martin Wynne’s #1 (traditional, arr. McManus, Integral Music, PRS)

Tony McManus: guitar
www.tonymcmanus.com 

From the album: THE MAKER’S MARK (THE DREAM GUITAR SESSIONS)
Courtesy of & Produced by: Tony McManus
Recorded at: Compass Sound Studio, Nashville, Tennessee
Engineered & Mixed by: Erick Jaskowiak
Mastered by: Randy LeRoy at Final Stage, Nashville, Tennessee

Tony McManus has been part of the Celtic Colours International Festival in the past, and each appearance has wowed audiences with his abilities as a guitarist. He is indeed one of the best in the Celtic world.

This distinction has placed Tony on stages in Australia, North America, and Europe, including his native Scotland. He is a particular favourite in Nashville, the Mecca for guitarists, where he recently appeared at the famous Ryman Auditorium in the “All Star Guitar Night” headlined by the legendary Les Paul.

THE MAKER’S MARK is subtitled THE DREAM GUITAR SESSIONS for a good reason: each of the fifteen tracks on this CD was recorded on a different guitar crafted by a different luthier. On this track, Tony plays a jig and a reel (both well-known Irish session tunes) on a guitar handcrafted from Cambodian rosewood and Italian spruce by Japanese-born Michihiro Matsuda.

15. Buddy MacDonald
Nobody Home (Buddy MacDonald)

Buddy MacDonald: vocals, guitar
Dave Gunning: backing vocals, guitar
Rachel Davis: fiddle, backing vocals

www.buddymacdonald.ca 

From the album: MYSELF...MY SHADOW...AND ME
Courtesy of: Buddy MacDonald
Produced & Engineered by: Dave Gunning
Recorded, Mixed & Mastered at: Wee House of Music, Lyons Brook, Nova Scotia

Buddy MacDonald is a troubadour of the first order – a great singer-songwriter and guitarist. Much of his early style emerged through the influence of songs from the strongly Gaelic area of Cape Breton’s North Shore, where he grew up, as well as through the singing of his father, Tommy “Peggy” MacDonald, a respected member of the North Shore Gaelic Singers. Buddy’s style has evolved, but his songs still tell wonderfully colourful stories.

Buddy has performed in Canada, the United States, and Europe. His most recent trip took him to the Blas Festival in Scotland. A regular at Celtic Colours, Buddy is well known as the host of the afterhours Festival Club, a role he has served so well since the beginning of the Festival in 1997.

Nobody Home addresses a theme that is all too common – many Cape Bretoners need to leave home to find suitable work. Having also left home many times for work, Buddy began to notice more people from home at concerts in Ontario or Alberta than there were left in Cape Breton. “There ain’t Nobody Home no more.”

16. Liam O’Connor & Seán McKeon
The Leitrim Thrush (reel, traditional)
John Dwyer’s (reel, John Dwyer)

Liam O’Connor: fiddle
Seán McKeon: uilleann pipes

www.myspace.com/dublinmademe 

From the album: DUBLIN MADE ME
Courtesy of & Produced by: Liam O’Connor & Seán McKeon
Recorded by: John Blake at Na Píobairí Uilleann, Dublin, Ireland
Mixed by: Paul Gurney at Paul Gurney Studios, Co. Longford, Ireland

Seán McKeon and Liam O’Connor are two young Irish musicians who are steeped in traditional music. Seán grew up listening to music at home in Dublin with his parents Gay McKeon (uilleann pipes) and Mary Corcoran (fiddle and piano), both well-known musicians. Seán’s family background influenced him greatly, and he quickly won recognition as an accomplished piper.

Liam O’Connor, a noted fiddler and concertina player, is also a Dublin native who grew up with the music he plays. His father Mick is a renowned music historian and flute player and a former member of the Castle Céilí Band.

Both Seán and Liam have won the TG4 Young Traditional Musician of the Year Award, Liam in 2002 and Seán in 2005. They are much in demand as teachers and at music festivals around Ireland. They also have toured extensively as soloists, backing up other musicians and, in the past few years, performing as a duo.

This track features two lively reels. The Leitrim Thrush was found on a recording by the late Séamus Ennis, a celebrated piper, singer, folklorist, and collector. The second tune was originally attributed to Ritchie Dwyer until it was discovered that it was written by his then-teenaged brother, John.

17. T with the Maggies
An Mhaighdeán Mhara (traditional)

Triona Ní Dhomhnaill: vocals, piano, accordion
Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill: vocals
Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh: vocals
Moya Brennan: vocals

www.twiththemaggies.com 

From the forthcoming album: T WITH THE MAGGIES
Courtesy of: TWM Music
Produced by: T with the Maggies
Recorded, Mixed & Mastered by: Manus Lunny

T with the Maggies are four Irish women who come from the same corner of Co. Donegal and speak Gaelic as their first language. They first came together in 2007 at a concert celebrating the life and music of Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, a pioneering force in Irish music.

Each of these four women has an illustrious career in her own right. Triona and Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill (the sisters of Mícheál Ó Domhnaill) are co-members of Skara Brae and The Bothy Band. Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh is a founding member of Altan, who appeared at Celtic Colours in 1998, and she also has distinguished herself as a solo artist – she appeared as a soloist at Celtic Colours in 2009. Moya Brennan has been the voice of Clannad for over thirty years. Each singer brings her own interpretation of the Irish musical heritage, and together they make a beautiful blend of Irish voices.

The story of a man marrying a mermaid is well known in Celtic folklore. An Mhaighdeán Mhara is a conversation between the daughter of such a union and her mother, the mermaid. This recording comes from their forthcoming CD, T WITH THE MAGGIES, which will be available for the first time worldwide at the 2010 Celtic Colours International Festival.

18. Natalie & Buddy MacMaster
THE STAGE
The Stage (hornpipe, traditional, arr. Natalie & Buddy MacMaster, SOCAN)
The Tarra Broach (hornpipe, traditional, arr. Natalie & Buddy MacMaster, SOCAN)
Laybourn’s (hornpipe, traditional, arr. Natalie & Buddy MacMaster, SOCAN)
Blind Nora O’Neill (reel, traditional, arr. Natalie & Buddy MacMaster, SOCAN)
The Bonnie Lass of Fisherrow (reel, Daniel Dow, PD, Natalie & Buddy MacMaster, SOCAN)

Natalie MacMaster: fiddle
Buddy MacMaster: fiddle
Betty Lou Beaton: piano
Dave MacIsaac: guitar

www.nataliemacmaster.com

From the album: TRADITIONAL MUSIC FROM CAPE BRETON ISLAND
Courtesy of & Produced by: Natalie MacMaster
Recorded at: The Sandbox, Hubley, Nova Scotia
Engineered by: Hayward Parrott
Mixed by: Scott Lake & Natalie MacMaster at The Farm, Lakefield, Ontario
Mastered by: Scott Lake & Natalie MacMaster at Metalworks Recording Studio, Mississauga, Ontario

One of the most recognized names in Celtic music, Natalie MacMaster has taken her high-powered, driving style around the world. Coming from a rich Cape Breton musical tradition, she is just as happy playing for a square set in small local community halls in Glencoe or West Mabou as she is playing Carnegie Hall. Natalie is a captivating performer and admired by her peers, with numerous East Coast and Juno nominations and awards to her credit.

While her background is Celtic, her style has allowed her to stretch her boundaries and perform with other artists as diverse as The Chieftains, Yo-Yo Ma, Mark O’Connor, Carlos Santana, Béla Fleck, and fellow fiddling marvel Alison Krauss (who joined Natalie on one of Natalie’s ten CDs). Now living in Ontario, Natalie returns to Celtic Colours once again, joined this time by her husband, fiddler Donnell Leahy.

Buddy MacMaster, Natalie’s uncle, has been synonymous with Cape Breton music for many decades. Though Buddy has been an important part of Celtic Colours since the beginning, for health reasons, he will not be participating in this 2010 Festival. We are all thinking of Buddy, wishing him the best, and are ever so grateful for his many appearances and contribution to “the music”. Our tribute to him is to include this track of Buddy and Natalie playing together.

TRADITIONAL MUSIC FROM CAPE BRETON ISLAND was a 2005 collaborative CD between Natalie and Buddy and was nominated for an East Coast Music Award. This production was a pairing that was not unusual in the dance halls of Cape Breton, but it was new for a formal recording session of these two musicians. In that way, the pairing was historic, almost a symbolic passing of the torch from one master to another. This album also reflects the tradition of playing tunes before small gatherings of family and friends in kitchens across Cape Breton Island for more than two centuries. Before Natalie was born, her mom started recording Buddy on cassette as he played these traditional tunes and others at informal, often spontaneous céilidhs in homes. When Natalie started playing the fiddle, she would listen to those old cassettes and learn “the music” that way. Some of her favourite “Buddy tunes” are heard in this selection.

19. Vishtèn
JOLI COEUR
Chanson Cajun (traditional, arr. Vishtèn, SOCAN)
Reel à Aristide (reel, traditional, arr. Vishtèn, SOCAN)
Reel des Bayous (reel, Pascal Miousse, arr. Vishtèn, SOCAN)

Pascal Miousse: fiddle, vocals
Emmanuelle LeBlanc: whistle, vocals, feet
Pastelle LeBlanc: piano, vocals
Elmer Deagle: guitar
Rémi Arseneault: bass

www.vishtenmusic.com 

From the album: VISHTÈN LIVE
Courtesy of & Produced by: Vishtèn
Recorded by: Donnie Chapman at The Mack, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Mixed by: Donnie Chapman & Vishtèn at DC Productions, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Mastered by: Donnie Chapman at DC Productions, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

This instrumental and quartet trio draws its strong Acadian focus from two distinct sources in two separate areas. Twin sisters Pastelle and Emmanuelle LeBlanc come from Canada’s Prince Edward Island, while Pascal Miousse and Louis-Charles Vigneau comes from the Magdalen Islands in Québec. While the two regions’ music and culture evolved along different lines over the years, they find common ground in the Acadian roots that both areas share. Collectively, Vishtèn captures the drive and excitement of their music and presents it with enthusiasm and energy.

Vishtèn is an entertaining group that shines in this live performance. JOLI COEUR starts with a haunting Cajun melody, followed by a lively song, and caps off with an energetic reel, all cherished by an appreciative, applauding audience – a rousing finish for this Celtic Colours Volume XIV album.

The Celtic Colours International Festival is sponsored by:
Celtic Colours Festival Society
Festival Direction by:
Joella Foulds & Mary Pat Mombourquette
For travel to Cape Breton, visit: www.cbisland.com

For more information about the Celtic Colours International Festival, visit the festival website:  www.celtic-colours.com  email:  info@celtic-colours.com

© 2009 ODYSSEY RECORDS, L.L.C.
c/o Alf McConnell & Associates
P.O. Box 345, North Sydney
Cape Breton Island
NS B2A 3M4
Canada
Tel: 800-650-5544
Fax: 800-650-5585
www.odysseyrecords.com

Celtic Colours Festival Website

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