Play 90 second soundbite of 'J Glo's Hornpipe' @ 'CD quality'
Alasdair White is the virtuoso fiddle player with the excellent Battlefield Band. Still only twenty three years of age and already sounding like a battle hardened 'old timer' White pulls out all the stops on this intriguing release. Ok, it's not gonna be for everyone but if this is in your musical remit then it's well worth a listen.
White plays with amazing maturity and precision as he bows and plucks (and whistles) his dextrous way through a dazzling array of Gaelic ditties with mind-numbing skill. From jigs and reels to shanties and ballads, White never takes his foot off the gas - if his speed and precision don't stop you in your tracks then his emotionally charged sensuality will. This is one clever son-of-a!
The promo notes tell me that White plays very much in a "North-West Scottish style" - a fact that I'll have to agree with as I wouldn't know my N-W from my S-E from my straight down the middle - it's all a hidden science to me. But that matters not! What does matter is that Alasdair White is a stunning musician - that much I do know! Here he melds together loads of trad.arr. material with some home grown contemporary Gaelic and makes it all sound so easy. Some of the contemporary stuff is excellent - a taste of traditional with more than a hint of modern folk - clever and bold.
With 'An Clar Geal' Alasdair White is trying to bring a minority genre to the masses - he pretty well manages it too! 'An Clar Geal' is majestic and extremely listenable. A great and thoroughly enjoyable sortie into roots meets modern.
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