"Scottish traditional music on mandolin, fiddle, resonators, bouzouki, flute, cittern and guitar" runs the subtitle to this handsomely presented new album from one of Scottish traditional music's lesser-sung exponents.
It might also have proclaimed the presence, in spirit anyway, of the bagpipes because pipe music forms a large part of the repertoire, and MacLeod (who plays mandolins, bouzouki and various guitars) and his confreres do a fine job of conveying the essence and feel of pipe marches especially, alongside fiddle reels, song airs and other tune styles that form the nuts and bolts of the tradition. The opening tribute to MacLeod's late colleague in the Occasionals dance band, fiddler Ian Hardie, sets the tone of backroom session intimacy blended with care and fidelity as old friends, including Ossian and Easy Club fiddler John Martin and De Dannan bouzouki stalwart Alec Finn, join younger acquaintances Luke Plumb and Matheu Watson in lively, characterful tune sets and a couple that a multi-tracked MacLeod handles splendidly alone.
Rob Adam
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