Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel includes: Natalie MacMaster (vocals, acoustic & electric fiddles); Alison Krauss (vocals); Gordie Sampson (acoustic & electric guitars, mandolin, Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards, bass, percussion, programming); Kevin Breit (electric guitar, guitorgan); Jesse Cook, Brent Mason (guitar); Mary Shannon (mandolin); Mark O'Connor (fiddle); Laoise Kelly (harp); Sharon Shannon (accordion); Aaron Davis (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Joel Chiasson, Matt Rollins (piano); Scott Alexander, James Blennerhasset, Bruce Dixon, Glen Worf, Victor Krauss (bass); Harry Stinson (drums, hand drums); David Direnzo, Art Avalos (percussion); Matthew Foulds (programming). | | Recorded at McClear Pathe Studios, Toronto, Canada; Cava Studos, Glasgow, Scotland; Ocean Way Studios, Nashville, Tennessee. | | This is a Hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players. | | Personnel: Natalie MacMaster (vocals, fiddle); Alison Krauss (vocals); Gordie Sampson (acoustic & electric guitars, mandolin, Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards, bass, percussion, programming); Kevin Breit (electric guitar); Jesse Cook, Brent Mason, David MacIsaac (guitar); Mary Shannon (mandolin); Marie Beard, Fujiko Imajishi (violin); Douglas Perry (viola); Paul Widner (cello); Laoise Kelly (harp); Sharon Shannon (accordion); Phil Dwyer (saxophone, trombone); Rick Tate, Chase Sanborn, Terry Promane (trumpet); Aaron Davis (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); John Jarvis, Matt Rollins, Joel Chiasson (piano); Scot Alexande (bass); Al Cross (drums); Art Avalos (percussion). | | Personnel: Natalie MacMaster (vocals, fiddle, background vocals); Alison Krauss, Amy Sky (vocals); Gordie Sampson (guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, organ, keyboards, bass guitar, percussion, programming); Jesse Cook (guitar, hand claps); Dave MacIsaac, Brent Mason (guitar); Kevin Breit (electric guitar); Laoise Kelly (harp); Mary Shannon (mandolin); Marie Berard, Fujice Imajishi (violin); Mark OConner, Mark O'Connor (fiddle); Douglas Perry (viola); Paul Widner (cello); Sharon Shannon (accordion); Mike Shepherd (recorder); Phil Dwyer (saxophone, trombone); Terry Promane, Chase Sanborn (trumpet); Aaron Davis (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Howie MacDonald, Joel Chiasson, Matt Rollings, John Jarvis (piano); Denis Keldie (organ); Charlie Cooley (drums, snare drum, hand claps); Brian Leonard (drums, snare drum, percussion); Harry Stinson, Al Cross (drums, snare drum); Ray Fean (drums); Art Avalos (hand claps, percussion); Matthew Foulds (hand claps, programming, palmas); David Direnzo (percussion); Jamie Foulds (programming). | | Audio Mixer: Jeff Wolpert. | | Recording information: CaVa Studios, Glasgow, Scotland; Clear Pathe Studios, Tronto; Lakewind Sound, Cape Breton, CA; Lakewind Studios, Cape Breton; McClear Pathe Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; McClerar Pathe Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Ocean Way Studios, Nashville, TN; Oceanway Studios, Nashville, TN; Reaction Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. | | Photographer: Andrew MacNaughtan. | | Arrangers: Natalie MacMaster; Gordie Sampson; Aaron Davis. | | The basic approach taken by Celtic fiddler Natalie MacMaster and her producer, arranger, and guitarist Gordie Sampson is to take a group of traditional tunes, for example, the march and three reels mixed together and called "The Farewell," and come up with a folk-rock arrangement that emphasizes MacMaster's lyrical playing as well as a sturdy backbeat. But the two feel the need to spice things up even more, and so there are several unusual tracks, starting with the lead-off title song, in which MacMaster recites a lyric in tribute to her instrument, and including "Space Ceilidh," which features some appropriately spacy "programming"; "Olympic Reel," a rock workout with new age elements written by Mark O'Connor, who duels with MacMaster on his own fiddle; and "Get Me Through December," a ballad with Alison Krauss on vocals. The result is a hybrid album intended to appeal to a broader audience than the purist Celtic crowd, or perhaps to introduce them to some new sounds without putting them off. ~ William Ruhlmann |
Producer: Gordie Sampson |
Engineer: Jamie Foulds; Jeff Wolpert; Mike Shepherd |
Musical Guests | | Alison Krauss | | Sharon Shannon | | John Jarvis | | Mark O'Connor | | Jesse Cook | | Matt Rollins | | Gordie Sampson |
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