Reviews
Are You Ready? … Well Here We Go! Bobby Brown and the Scottish Accent A special album, produced from recordings made during Bobby Brown's last two live band appearances: the 2011 Edmonton Caledonian Ball and the 2011 Toronto Tartan Ball. I am going to begin by quoting my husband Alex. Some years back he said to Bobby: ‘You don't have a band – you have five thoroughbreds playing together.’ I think that statement sums up this recording. When I saw Bobby in Edmonton on Friday afternoon, I could not fathom how he would be able to play the weekend. However, Bobby's dedication to a commitment, backed by his ‘thoroughbreds’, proved me wrong. The music was once again electric and made our feet fly. It was an emotional weekend for me knowing how ill Bobby was, but the music did not give his secret away. Bobby's unique style of playing jigs is evident on all of the selections and what could be better than opening any program with The Duke of Atholl's Reel (6x32)? The selection for the ever-popular Wild Geese will certainly give you ‘lift off’. The album includes four selections of strathspeys: we have an 8x32, two 6x32, and a 3x32, once again with Bobby's stamp on all of them. So many good tunes in all of them but you will not be able to get the first tune out of your head when you dance to the No. 5 selection – a treat. This is also true for the No. 3 selection. No. 9 is a selection of reels (8x32) with another great marriage of tunes. In addition we have Shiftin’ Bobbins (8x32) with the bonus of an encore (4x32). Mairi's Wedding (8x40) brought the house down in Edmonton and we all forgot about our tired feet. What can I say about The Deil – there is no more popular a dance anywhere and it is very fitting to hear Bobby's voice on his very last performance. The added background of cheers and laughter throughout these two evenings makes us realise the pleasure that Bobby and his ‘thoroughbreds’ brought to so many dancers for so many years. It is something for any band to be very proud of. Fortunately, we have his legacy of their
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recordings and this one is a great addition to our library. So enjoy and keep dancing. Wonderful memories. Ruth Jappy, Vancouver Branch Available from TACSound Online: sound.tac-rscds.org/ or direct from Laird Brown: lbrown1155@rogers.com
The Black Watch Ball Jim Lindsay and His Band What a wonderful sound this is – a double CD with a full programme aimed at Highland balls and reelers rather than RSCDS dancers but at a tempo perfectly acceptable to Scottish country dancers. Jim’s band – Jim himself and David Hume on accordion, Ron Kerr on fiddle, Dennis Morrison on keyboard and Malcolm Ross on drums – give a performance of an irresistible energy and enthusiasm. Each of the very popular dances (The Duke of Perth, The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, The Reel of the 51st Division, Hamilton House and Speed the Plough) is played 10 times through for a five-couple set with an encore also 10 times through for each one. The Dashing White Sergeant is played 8 times through with an 8 times through encore, and there is also a full Eightsome Reel and a full Foursome Reel. Each dance and each encore starts with the original tune but after that a range of traditional tunes and modern ones is used to give a total of 121 tunes in 9 dances, a real treat for listening and dancing. The recording finishes with music for The Kandahar Reel, a dance devised by two young serving Black Watch officers, Captain Andy Colquhoun and his cousin Lieutenant Rob Colquhoun, while they were on active service in the Kandahar region of Afghanistan in September 2009. The tune, The Helmand Highlanders, was written for the dance by Jamie Forrester (see Scottish Country Dancer No. 10). The original instructions for the dance, with diagrams, are included with the CDs, and a booklet of the two versions of the dance, one for reelers and one for Scottish country dancers, is available from info@rscds.org There is a video clip of the dance in action on www.theblackwatch.co.uk and also on YouTube. If you have friends who are reluctant to try Scottish country dancing, I challenge anyone not to want to dance when they hear the
music. If you have classes or groups with five-couple sets, this recording will be for you – dancing 10 times through with an encore 10 times through will be no bother with such music. Rachel Wilton, London Branch Alastair Aitkenhead, North Ayrshire Branch Available from the RSCDS shop and online.
Take Your Partners For… Volume 3 Luke Brady’s Scottish Dance Band In his introduction to this CD, the third released by Luke Brady’s band, Luke says he was inspired by several compositions of the late Dundee musician John Huband, which he found by chance during a trip to Vancouver. Luke dedicates this new album to John’s memory. On the CD are five reels, five jigs, five strathspeys and one hornpipe. Amongst these are a steady-paced recording of The Kandahar Reel (5x32) and both the music and dance instructions for Cati Ramsay, a 32-bar reel devised by Linda Gaul in 1999. When listening to the music you hear the deep sound of a band which plays full of enthusiasm. Luke’s band plays original tunes but always in his own style, as we know from his previous CDs. The music is played with a smooth rhythm, with a clear beat from the drums, which makes it appropriate for teaching to beginners, but at the same time very suitable and pleasant for experienced dancers. The music is rich in variety, with some nice surprises as when a couple of bars are played by only accordion and percussion after which the full band starts to play again. The accordion which plays the melodies produces a warm sound and altogether the band sound is rich and full. The violin however could have been a bit more prominent in some dances, especially in strathspeys (maybe an idea for the next CD). Altogether the music on this CD is very pleasant to listen to, at home or in your car. It must be even more pleasant for dancers to dance to this music and for teachers to teach to the clear rhythm and beat of this band of young musicians. Tiny Pot, Delft Branch Available from TAC Sound, the NZ Branch shop, or direct from Luke Brady: lukesband@googlemail.com
