Clare MacLaughlin and Marianne Campbell are probably better known as the front line fiddlers of great traditional band Deaf Shepherd. On Snap and Roll, their first recording as a duo, they demonstrate a wonderful ability to bring out the bounce and verve of the traditional tunes. There are reels and jigs aplenty and fine playing from both girls also some gorgeous slow stuff as in Air for Roddy, written by Marianne for her Dad. . The guest musicians are: Gavin Ralston - guitar, Xosé Manuel Budiño - gaita, low whistle, James MacKintosh - percussion, Russell Hunter - piano, Tony McManus - guitar.
Anyone remotely interested in fiddle albums should add this to their collection.
For the uninitiated Clare and Marianne are the twin fiddle dynamo of Scottish band Deaf Shepherd. On this, debut outing highlighting their undoubted technical skills, the girls provide the listener with an album that has spark and wit along with a charm so often missing on many recent recordings in a similar vein. There’s nothing pretentious here, just good honest performances all round. Take for instance Billy Jackson’s beautiful air ‘At Work On The Land’ where the accompaniment provided by Gavin Rolston’s dropped tuning guitar and Xose Manuel Budino’s gaita and low whistle, prove just the right foil for the harmony fiddles. Quietly impressive in its simplicity and the kind of tune that seeps into the mind through its sheer mercurial quality. All in all, a very enjoyable album and I’m sure that many of the tunes such as Tola Custy’s ‘Up Downy’ with its snappy syncopation leading into pipe major G S McLennan’s ‘Alex C MacGregor’ will find it’s way into other musicians repertoires. Anyone remotely interested in fiddle albums should add this to their collection.
Folking.com
A debut CD as polished as this is rare indeed. ‘Snap and Roll’ is a beautifully produced recording with a tight, crisp sound and plenty of excellent tunes
A debut CD as polished as this is rare indeed. ‘Snap and Roll’ is a beautifully produced recording with a tight, crisp sound and plenty of excellent tunes. Individual tracks range from the powerful raw fiddling of the North-East Scottish traditions to the lift and swing of the contemporary Edinburgh style, with touches of Irish and other European music. The tune changes are particularly nice, sometimes deceptively smooth and sometimes hitting you hard between the ears, but always spot on. The twin fiddles work perfectly, very inventive and never too stringly. Clare and Marianne handle the sweet and the savage faces of the fiddle with equal verve. Every track is a joy, fresh and vibrant. Even the cover is good.
This is a recording I would recommend to anyone with an interest in traditional music, not just fiddlers, and will be a strong contender for instrumental album of the year.
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