Rosie MacKenzie - The MacKenzie Project

Updated: December 3, 2010

Molly's Revenge - Live at the Espresso Garden (2003) Recorded live on Friday June 13th 2003 at Judy Hackett's Espresso Garden and Café in San Jose. The CD contains a mixture of tunes and songs including new material and some previously unrecorded material (but with a different instrumental lineup now - notably fiddle and uilleann pipes). , and just because we damn well like them! We've also included a couple of video clips that will play on your Mac or PC. Just put the CD into your computer's CD drive and follow the on-screen instructions.

All of the tracks on this CD were recorded that night with the exception of a very special set of tunes we recorded with the MacTarnahan's Prince Charles Pipe Band. They are one of a handful of Grade 1 pipe bands in the USA, and were also the world champions at the Grade II level in 2001, so it has been a great privilege for us to be associated with them. The set of tunes we play with them is part of one of their competition medleys and was recorded at Santa Catalina School in Monterey, CA on Saturday June 28th 2003.

We hope you enjoy the tunes on this CD. You'll hear some missed notes, chords, and technical glitches (which we'll blame on Friday 13th !), but we think it captures the atmosphere of what was, for us, a very special evening.

SOLAS - The Turning Tide (Compass Records 2010)  I was a huge fan of SOLAS' initial CDs, then lost much interest as they ventured off toward a fusion of traditional and various other styles. It had been awhile since I heard them, so I sent to a conert (April 2010). The addition of Mairead Phelan on vocals is a definite plus; she has a lovely voice and handles the songs well. I was unhappy with the sound mix at the live show which seemed to my ear to muddy the instrumentals and bury the vocals, but on this CD the sound mix is excellent with all the instruments sounding crystal clear. Seamus Egan on banjo, whistle, flute and mandolin is stellar, as to be expected. The songs include both traditional, as well as contemporary folk songs from Richard Thompson and Bruce Springsteen ("Ghost of Tom Joad") and Karine Polwart.    (Recommended)

Gráda - Endeavour ( 2002) - This young Irish group came in like alovely spring breeze - full of life, charm and beauty. They display a tremendous skill and appreciation for traditional music but infuse it also with a modern jazzy inflection - without losing the traditional flavor - a great and rare accomplishment. The group consists of  four guys on whistles, flute, acoustic guitar, and Nicola Joyce as lead singer on most of the song tracks. Nicola's voice is gorgeous and her delivery wonderful weather it be slow ballads or mouth music. Two of the group are originally from New Zealand, but all call the west of Ireland their home now.  (Very Highly Recommended)

Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh - Imeall (self-published 2008)   Mairéad, best known as the lead singer & fiddler for the Irish supergroup Altan, is exploring more of her Donegal music in separate projects, such as this gorgeous album., a joint project with bouzouki master Manus Lunny and several friends. All but one of the songs is solely in Irish (Gaelic).  There is no translation of the lyrics in the minimal liner notes, but there is info about each of the tracks and the lyrics in both Gaelic and English on her website where you can also hear samples of the tracks..  This CD has a more private feel to it than much of Altan's CDs; it sounds like songs that would be sung in someone's house, rather than at a concert, which is surely how Mairéad learned them. I was also struck by the beauty and variety of the arrangements on these tunes and songs. Mairéad's spectacular voice has never been better, and her fiery fiddling is as rousing as ever. She has even included several of her own songs, including a very lovely lullaby she wrote for her daughter. This is a full hour of music that will exercise all your listening and emotions. (Very Highly Recommended)

Karan Casey - Chasing The Sun (Shanachie 2005)  This album features a significant number of  songs Karan wrote. Recorded at her home in Co. Cork and produced by herself and partner Niall Vallely, the album largely features her touring band of Robbie Overson, Paul Meehan and Niall Vallely along with Ewen Vernal, John Anthony, Michael Aharon and Erik Johnson.I have been a sucker for Karan's voice and singing since I first heard her with SOLAS, and have not missed any opportunity to hear her since. As usual, I think Karan's singing is at her most powerful in her edgier, political anthems. I particularly like her song "When Will All Be Free?"  Other songs of particularly Robert Burns' "Lady Mary Anne" and  Robbie O'Connell's  rueful "The Keg of  Brandy". (Recommended)

bohola - bohola  (2002 Shanachie w/ sound samples). This Chicago-based band consists on this CD of Jimmy Keane on piano accordion, Sean Cleland on fiddle, viola and baritone fiddle, and Pat Broaders on dordan, bouzouki and vocals. (Since the CD, singer/guitarist Kat Eggleston has been a welcome addition to the band.) The band describes itself as playing "a driving, muscular, and yet emotive style of Irish music with deep roots in the 'pure drop' tradition, melded with the raw and gritty urbanized musical vernacular of the Irish-American experience." I don't know about that, but I did see bohola twice in Cape Breton recently at Celtic Colours, and they blew the audience away (in the positive sense!) both times. The drive of their music, particularly Jimmy Keane's phenomenal accordian playing, is mesmerizing, comparable to Martin Hayes/Dennis Cahill in full flight. Pat Broaders singing complements the instrumentals well, and gives us a chance to catch our breathe. The CD is only slightly more subdued than their live performance, but still very clearly shows the excitement this group can generate. 65 minutes of great music. (Very highly recommended)

The Barra MacNeils - Five  brothers and Lucy -- arguably the hardest working sister in celtic music (vocals, step dancing, harp, fiddle, bodhran). The Barras  have been providing very high quality music for more than two decades now. One of the many things that particularly impress me about the Barras is the beauty of their arrangements. And, of course, there is Lucy's voice, which is a treasure. Traditional tunes with all the drive you could everr hope for, Gaelic mouth music, ballads, and rousing folk songs. You cannot go wrong with either of these CDs. Buy either; you'll end up buying the other soon enough

- 20th Anniversay Collection - (2007)  This is a "greatest hits" release of a remarkable 27 tracks on 2 CDs of songs and tunes from albums spanning the 20 years of the Barras recording. If you have a favorite Barras' song or tune, it is probably here, and after you listen to it, trust me, you will have a favorite Barras' song(s)! The tracks are almost all studio tracks, so they are very polished, but have a different energy than a live recording.

- In Concert - (2008).  The Barras are a great live band. They have an energy and audience appeal that brings the crowds alive. This album, recorded live during two performances in Truro, Nova Scotia in 2008, captures the joy and energy of a live Barras show. However great their studio music is, there is is something magical about a live Barras performance.

The Rankin Family - Reunion (2006)  This is my 1st exposure to the re-united Rankin Family, missing the late John Morris.  The CD consists of 10 songs (4 by members of the family, and others by Gordon Lightfoot, David Francey and John Hiatt) and 2 instrumentals. The best song on the album is "Sunset", written and sung by John Morris's daughter Molly. The album has even more of a pop/country flavor to it than prior albums. The CD has only 2 tracks that would be recognized as traditional Cape Breton. These are both historical --  a 1990 recording of late John Morris Rankin playing the march "Johnny Cope" on piano --  wonderful, if you can tune out the horrible, soporific synthesizer  that he added. John Morris also appears on fiddle on  "Hillsdale Medley" a group of two jigs and two reels he wrote and performed with Tracey Dares and Dave MacIsaac in 1996, and it shows what a sweet fiddler he was with far, far too few fiddle tracks his available on CDs. .   

Rachel Davis - Rachel Davis (self-published 2009).  (Facebook with music samples) I first heard  Rachel fiddle at the Celtic Colours Festival in 2006 at 2 in the morning. I stopped in mid-conversation, thinking "who is that very young girl who clearly gets it and has the skill to play it?"   She fired up the exhausted audience who knew good music when they hard it. Well, two years have passed, and Rachel has just released her first CD. And an impressive debut it is.  Most importantly, Rachel's playing has the drive and lift that I associate with the best Cape Breton playing, and that I find lacking too often in non-Cape Bretoners playing the same tunes. As very pleasant surprises, Rachel even includes the J. Scott Skinner air "Hector the Hero" which I had thought I had way too many times until I heard Rachel's and Tracy's lovely version, surprising in that I find few Cape Breton fiddlers capable of drawing out all the emotion of airs.  We also get Rachel singing a  lovely Gaelic song in which she gets her mom and grandmother to join her on the choruses. Rachel has a lovely voice, so I hope she will continue singing. Rachel is joined by Tracey Dares-MacNeil on piano and Buddy MacDonald on guitar and various others -- an indication that Rachel's playing attracts other great CB talents.  (Hightly Recommended)

Jerry Holland (w/ Dave MacIsaac & John Morris Rankin) - A Session with Jerry Holland. (self-published 2005). This gem of a collection has thankfully been re-issued. Digitally recorded in 1990 this classic album was originally issued as a cassette. Three of the 12 tracks appeared on the now out of print Fiddlesticks compilation. I have long been a huge fan of Jerry's lyrical playing and tunewriting, and his light and sweet touch on the fiddle. Here is teamed with two of the finest musicians ever to grace Cape Breton (or elsewhere), and the result is pure bliss. There are far, far too few recordings of John Morris Rankin (to whose memory this CD is dedicated), and this CD again shows why he was such a treasure.  The recording quality on the CD is very nice indeed for 1990. If you like Jerry's playing, you need this CD. (Essential purchase))

Howie MacDonald, Dave MacIsaac & Mac Morin - Live! West Mabou Hall (self-published 2005) Cape Breton music is overwhelmingly music for public dances. So why, you may ask, are so many CDs studio productions? If it is the dancers that give the musicians energy and keep them honest on the tempo, why are live recordings so rare?  Good question, and this CD shows that live recordings can sound great. All you folks looking for authenticity, you are not going to find a CD that is more authentic than this. Howie, Dave, and Mac are three of favorite musicians among dancers in Cape Breton--who have an embarassing richness of great musicians to choose from. The West Mabou Hall is an intimate little community hall in the heart of Inverness County, and is a favorite among the dancers. So, when these three musicians record a CD before a live, dancing crowd on Easter weekend 2004 (with lovely recording quality), good things are going to happen, and the boys don't disappoint. If you wonder why Cape Breton was able to keep its traditional musc thriving when it was dying out in other celtic areas, all you have to do is listen to the fun and energy in this performance and it is all explained. More than 62 minutes of music. Liner notes that give all the tunes and photos of the folks dancing. What are you waiting for? Order the CD and get your dancing shoes ready. (Very highly recommended)

Failte - A Cape Breton  Welcome (Celtic Music Interpretive Centre)   Cape Breton is famous for its hospitality, and this is a musical welcome that has you up and dancing, or at least tapping your foot before you know what hit you. And we did tell you that stamina was important...this is 72 minutes of highly energetic music. The CD was produced as a fundraiser for the new Celtic Music Interpretive Centre in Judique, and the local musicians from up and down Route 19 contributed one of the tracks from their own CDs. Lets see, thats 18 world class musicians (+ accompanists). The CD is heavily biased toward fiddle music (14 fiddle tracks, 2 piano, 1 song), 1 bagpipes), and slightly biased toward younger players you might not have heard, but totally deserve to be on this all-star lineup. The cast includes: Buddy MacMaster,  Ian MacDougall, Glenn Graham, Mac Morin,  Robbie & Isaac Fraser,  Natalie MacMaster,   Karen Beaton,   Ryan J. MacNeil,   Troy MacGillivray, Jackie Dunn, Andrea Beaton, Raylene Rankin,  Kinnon Beaton, Rodney MacDonald,  Howie MacDonald,  Mairi Rankin, Shelly Campbell, and Wendy MacIsaac. The only reason this was not an essential purchase for me was that I already bought all the CDs these tracks were taken from! Be forewarned, that after you get a sample of their playing, there is a high chance that you may be buying a whole lot more Cape Breton CDs in the near future. Hey, this is great stuff, and supports a worthy cause. A superb introduction to the music of Cape Breton. (Very highly recommended )

Ryan J. MacNeil - Piper (self-published 2005). Its been awhile (too long!) since I've gotten a new CD of Cape Breton piping. But the wait is over, and Ryan's does not dissapoint. You may know Ryan as the piper from the group Beolach. Here, his superb playing on  border pipes and on various whistles (that he also designed and makes) is out front in a way not possible in Beolach, and you are in for a great treat. Ryan's playing is superb. No surprise there. What I particularly enjoyed is the wonderful variety of the pieces on this CD. There is a lovely song from sister (?) Katriona MacNeil, and several rousing live recording with folks whooping in the background, a set of waltzes, a lovely guitar duet from Paddy Gillis and Sheamus MacNeil,  and some blistering reels. Ryan is very able accompanied by Wendy MacIsaac on piano, Gordie Sampson and Fred Lavery. (Very highly recommended)

Ian MacDougall (and Mac Morin) - Before You Arrived. (self-published 2006).  This CD was recorded in the West Mabou Hall, a cozy little community hall in Cape Breton legendary for the quality of the dances held there. It is as if the two musicians are warming up before the dance, Ian on fiddle and Mac on piano. It's also if you were a jockey on a very, very strong and eager thoroughbred, trying to hold him back before the race starts. These two stellar musicians radiate musical energy, and it is very, very clear that once the doors open, the extremely knowing dance folks of Mabou are going to be in for a barn-burner of a dance that will have everyone totally exhausted by 2:00 am, but no one sitting down before then. Paul Cranford, a noted Cape Breton fiddler and composer writes: "Ian's style is earthy and rooted in tradition.... As a team Ian and Mac are very popular on the Cape Breton square dance circuit. They play lively hard driving tunes, with a waltz for good measure." Boy, is that ever an understatement.  Before You Arrived contrasts with much of the light-weight "celtic" music that one hears as a good pint of Guinness contrasts  to Coors Lite. This is the righteous playing that makes me so love Cape Breton music. (Very highly recommended)

Ron Hynes - Ron Hynes  (Borealis Records 2006) It's been three (too long) years since there's been a new album from Canada's best songwriter. I had the enormous pleasure of  hearing Ron live at the 2007 Celtic Colours festival; it was one of the highest highlights of my 10 trips to that fantastic festival.. Ron's songwriting is so fresh, honest, personal, and eloquent, it has enormous emotional impact. Ron combines this with a a lovely voice and an expressive style of singing  that brings tears to my eyes is so beautiful and fitting. Ron's honesty and faithfulness to his own personal experiences and his passion for Newfoundland and working people end up making his songs remarkably universal and almost always compelling.   The record is described as "a collection of soul baring, very personal songs ...this self-titled CD...a combination of  live and studio recordings - features 14 songs born of Ron's own  life experience. Ron delivers songs of tragedy, salvation, struggle, survival, love lost and love found, touching the heart and soul of the  "everyman"".

Karen Matheson - downriver (Compass Records 2006)   This album is stunningly, breathtakingly beautiful. Even as a non-Gaelic speaker, I find the album deeply moving. For those who speak Gaelic, the impact of these songs can be even more emotionally powerful and rewarding as evidenced by the testimonials in the guestbook at Matheson's website.  I have been a fan of Capercaille and Karen since their first album and own nearly all of their CDs. This album differs from the group's in that it is, and feels, intensely personal. In the liner notes, Karen writes: "This album is about going to a special place for me...a place in my memory where many of these songs have remained since my childhood." These powerful associations to Matheson are reflected in the emotional depth behind her singing of them and make this album very special indeed.   I find that in some of her albums with Capercaille, Matheson's voice gets lost in the instrumental arrangements. However, on this album, the accompaniment -- very tasteful as it is -- stays well out of the way of her voice. I particularly enjoyed the haunting piping of Michael McGoldrick that adds just the right touch to several of these songs.  Matheson grew up speaking and singing in Gaelic, and 8 of the 11 songs are in Gaelic plus one track of Puirt a beul. The lyrics and translation are not provided in the liner notes, but are available on Karen's website. . Don't let all the Gaelic put you off; nobody shows off the beauty of Gaelic songs better than Matheson. Between her in Scotland and Mary Jane Lamond in Cape Breton, the language has two extraordinary champions

Anna Massie, Jenn Butterworth & Mairearad Green - The Missing Giftnt>(Foot Stompin' Records 2006) .Anna Massie is an extraordinarily gifted young musician. When I first encountered her (at Celtic Colours), she was stunning the locals with her virtuoso guitar playing, on stage trading tunes with J.P. Cormier, Dave MacIsaac, and Scott MacMillan and clearly earning their respect. Well, she is also an exceptionally good fiddler, an excellent banjo and mandolin placer, and a remarkably good writer of tunes. Her trio here consists of  Jenn Butterworth (guitar and vocals) and Mairearad Green (accordion, border pipes, vocals), all of whom look look even younger than their young age. Together, their music is exciting and inventive, while remaining true to tradition. Before you go searching the old tunebooks for some of these gems, Anna wrote most of the tunes here, although they sound very traditional. Given the diversity and depth of the talent among these musicins, this album has a lovely variety to it. There are wonderful finger-picking guitar, Border pipes, singing, and fiddling, and its all very, very good.  This may the first you have heard of them, but rest assured you will here a lot more. Anna was the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2003, and in 2006 her band was awarded "The Best Folk Band" award at the Scots Trad Music Award. You might as well get on the bandwagon now; its going to be a good ride. (Highly recommended)

Alasdair Fraser, Natalie Haas & Muriel Johnstone - Legacy of the Scottish Fiddle - volume 2: Tunes from the Life & Land of Robert Burns  (Culburnie Records 2004) A belated review of this sequel to Alasdair's acclaimed first volume in this series. On this CD he is accompanied by Natalie Haas on fiddle and Muriel Johnstone on piano. The three play beautifully together. Alasdair has been keen on restoring the cellow to its former place of prominence in Scottish music, and in Natalie Haas he has found just the cellist to showcase this instrument at its best in this music. Muriel Johnstone's piano is also entirely fitting and very well done. I am so used to listening to Cape Breton music that always has a piano, I had to remember this instrument appears far less often in Scottish fiddle music. Alasdair's playing is lovely, as always. This whole album, with its generous 67 minutes of music on it, sounds as if it would be right at home in the fancier parlors or Scottish castles entertaining the nobility of the late 18th century.  The tunes may be similar but the style of playing contrasts dramatically with the more rough-hewn dance music of Cape Breton as can be heard in the recent CDs by Ian MacDougall, Howie MacDonald or Ashley MacIsaac. The response to Legacy is more likely to be enthusiastic polite applause, rather than folks jumping to their feet ans setp dancing up a storm until the whole parish hall is shaking. Alasdair and Natalie are certainly capable of playing rabble-rousing music as can be heard in their 2004 collaboration on Fire & Grace; there is just more grace and less fire on this CD. Each type of music in its place. For friends who are classical music fans, this is album is  good introduction to traditional Scottish music. The liners notss helpfully connect the tunes with the Robert Burns' songs with which Burns penned for them. (Highly recommended)

Fred Morrison with Jamie McMenemy - Up South (KRL Lochshore 2003) A new CD by Scottish piper Fred Morrison is almost an epochal event. Fred has the kind of almost unbelievable talent on pipes that Martin Hayes has on fiddle. And Fred's musical journey keeps getting richer with the most impeccable piping you could ever dream of hearing. Here, Fred not only plays the highland pipes superbly, but also has absolutely stunning sets of tunes on the Irish uillean pipes, the Border pipes and low whistle, accompanied on three tunes by guitarist Tony McManus. The tunes are a varied and beautiful mix of Fred's own compositions, traditional tunes, and a 11 minute piobrach ("The Earl of Seaforth's Salute) to show the range and skill of Fred. Jamie McMenemy provides tasteful and supportive accompaniment on guitar. (Essential purchase!)

Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas - Fire & Grace/font> (Culburnie or Greentrax) 2004. Alasdair, the remarkable, sweet-sounding, energetic fiddler, has been a proponent of the cello in Scottish music for a long time. In the young, and astoundinglhy talented, Natalie Haas, his vision is validated with a skill and joy that has to be heard to be believed. Anyone who has seen the two perform together at the Sebastopol Celtic Faire will remember those concerts for the rest of their lives. Sometimes Natalie is providing a wonderful rythym like a bass, other times a langurous accompaniment, sometimes a drone, and occassionally takes over the melody entirely. It is a phenomenal performance. We have been waiting for this album for awhile, and it does not disappoint. Just as Tony MacManus brought out the best of Alasdair on their album, Return to Kintail, Natalie's playing has the same effect. Alasdair has never sounded better, and although many of the tunes on this CD are familiar, you will hear them in a new light altogether. And for those looking for a little fire in their Scottish music, the final track will not disappoint; it is a take-no-prisoners charge through The Hut on Staffin Island/The Barrowdown Reel/The High Reel. (Very highly recommended)

Waterson:Carthy -- Holy Heathens and the Old Green Man (Topic 2006).  If you are not familiar with Waterson:Carthy this may be a good place to start. For introduction, they are arguably the finest folk singers in England -- Martin Carthy, his wife Norma Waterson, their daughter Eliza Carthy, and To, vam Eyken. Each is a sensational singer in their own right, and together there is a magic borne of decades singing together. This is by far the most unusual CD on this list. It is a collection of carols and songs for all seasons of the year, although most are related to Christmas and New Years. The only carol that I had heard before is "While Shepherds Watched", but Waterson:Carthy do it in such a strong, a capella version, it was a new experience altogether.  Some of these carols and songs are quite dark and come from Gnostic or gypsy traditions. I have had a very hard time getting this out of my CD player ("I'll just listen to it one more time..."  (Very highly recommended if you are looking for something a little different).