BLAZIN' FIDDLES
XXV
Philippe Cousin
The Blazin' Fiddles adventure began in 1998. As part of the Year of Highland Culture, several fiddlers got together for a unique five-day tour to present the different fiddle styles of the Scottish Highlands and Islands. They were so enthusiastically received by the public that they soon decided to continue the adventure.
Their name refers to the fiddles burnt by the Church in certain parts of Scotland in the 19th century. And despite a number of internal changes, twenty-five years on, Blazin' Fiddles are still at the forefront of the Scottish music scene.
To mark their twenty-fifth anniversary, they have released their tenth album, simply called XXV. An album recorded in Peter Gabriel's Real World studios. Excuse the pun!
The six current members, Bruce MacGregor, Jenna Reid, Rua MacMillan and Kristan Harvey on fiddle, assisted by Anna Massie on guitar and Angus Lyon on piano, enjoyed recording live. The result is an absolutely stunning album that exudes freshness and spontaneity.
XXV has managed to combine all the musical flavours of the Highlands, skilfully blending old traditional tunes with more recent compositions in a powerful, energetic mix. The album gets off to a spirited start with a suite of three tracks from both sides of the Atlantic (Scotland and Cape Breton). It continues with Strone Point/Anne Lacey's (Liz Carroll), which brings a little calm after the storm of the first track. The rest of the album follows suit. We move from jigs and reels to waltzes and polkas with equal joy. Like Scottish single malts, each musician brings us the different flavours of their home regions.
In 9 tracks and 46.25 minutes, XXV is an invigorating musical celebration from a band that has made a lasting mark on Scottish traditional music for a quarter of a century.
Blazin' Records BFCD2023 – www.birnamcd.com