Celtic Music Reviews: 2008/04

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"The Queen Among The Heather" by Jeannie Robertson

by Catherine L. Tully

Artist: Jeannie Robertson
Album: "The Queen Among The Heather"
Year produced: 1998

If you want to know what it would be like to grow up in a Scottish
home with a mom that could sing the pants off of anything, get this
recording. If you know your Scottish folk music, you'll recognize the
name Jeannie Robertson, who is the voice on this album. You'll get
some terrific singing as well as a slice of life story or two here.
History and music together; pretty cool. Robertson is a bit sassy, and
totally genuine. The vocals will pierce you with their honesty.

You won't find music muddying up the mix here. What you will hear is
Robertson's voice, sharing things with you. By the end of 18 tracks you will feel as though you have some type of relationship with her. It's impossible not to when someone digs so deep within.

Coming from a traveller background, the ballads and songs she practiced
were life lessons, not just mere entertainment. Robertson learned the
songs and the lessons behind them from her mother, Maria.

Discovered by a famous folklorist in the 1950's, Jeannie Robertson
then began life as a professional singer and rose to great heights,
garnering great respect as a singer in Scotland and beyond. This
collection of songs has a piece of her heart embedded within. Don't
miss it.

Buy the Album: Album: "The Queen Among The Heather"

Catherine L. Tully is a freelance writer and photographer who specializes in the arts. She has written for American Style and Classical Singer, among other magazines, and reviews music for Marc Gunn's Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. You can reach her through her website at http://www.catherineltully.com/.

--posted by Catherine L. Tully, Thursday, April 24, 2008.
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"Under A Texas Skye" by Hugh Morrison

by Catherine L. Tully

Artist: Hugh Morrison
Album: "Under A Texas Skye"
Year produced: 2007

Fun and more fun! Hugh Morrison and his three-row button accordion are
back for more good times and this happy CD is sure to please fans of
accordion music everywhere. Hugh began playing at a very young age and
it shows in his smooth ability and mastery of this instrument.
Sometimes the accordion is the full focus of the song, while other
times there are vocals and the music provides texture and background.
Basically, there is not a chance that you could listen to this CD and
walk away doing anything other than smiling ear to ear.

You'll find an Irish waltz, reels and even the familiar favorite, "Red
River Valley" on this album. An unexpectedly delightful performance is
presented on "Come To The Hills" - my favorite track of all. Morrison
likes to feature other artists in his work, which makes for a full
plate of music and keeps things from getting too heavy-handed with the
accordion sound.

I have to say, I enjoyed Morrison's last album, but this one really
shows that he is continuing to evolve and develop into a more
interesting artist, adding dimensions to his songs and sounds.
Sometimes peppy, sometimes wistful and soothing, the accordion is used
to its full range here and the feeling of Texas is communicated well
too. Great spirit and sound make this happy album sing.

Buy the Album: "Under A Texas Skye"

--posted by Catherine L. Tully, Wednesday, April 23, 2008.
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"Eye Of The Storm" by Albannach

by Catherine L. Tully

Artist: Albannach
Album: "Eye Of The Storm"
Year produced: 2007

I was intrigued right of the bat with this CD and loved it all the way through. If you are a fan of Scottish music this is an investment you'll want to make--unless you are a die-hard traditionalist. You'll not get that here. The music has great energy, but isn't your typical fare either. The pipes are top notch and the outstanding thump of the drums in combination with unusual vocals and vocal sounds make it a feast for the ears. Energy, energy, energy!

The name Albannach is Scots-Gaelic for "Scotsman" or "Scottish" and this band is indeed proud of their heritage. This fact is reflected in everything they do. Track 4 is a bit of a surprise--a woman's clear voice calls forth the lyrics to "Scotland Is Her Name" with stunning skill and beauty. Many of the tracks on the album have a real "other worldly" quality to them; almost dreamlike. This is music that would do well as the soundtrack for a really cool movie since it manages to put you in a particular state of being just by listening to it. There seem to be some heavy rock influences to some of the tracks, yet they manage to avoid sounding like rock somehow. Dang difficult to describe well I must say, but likeable nonetheless.

There is something polished about this band, and they have a very solid sound too. The drums and pipes hammer almost all the way through and it really makes for a tremendous CD. Sometimes dreamy, sometimes powerful--this 12-track effort is well worth a listen and Albannach can confidently take a place at the head of the class.

Buy the Album: "Eye Of The Storm"

--posted by Catherine L. Tully, Wednesday, April 23, 2008.
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