Natalie Macmaster - Blueprint

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Music reviews of Blueprint

Music Review: Once more, a recording of pure genius...
Rating: 5 Stars

Well, she has done it again, so once more I have to adquately describe what is indescrible.

"Blueprint" is an excellent work of music. It combines Cape Breton fiddle-work with...well...other music and scores big-time on every cut. Perhaps we should stop refering to MacMaster's music as "Cape Breton style" and simply call it "MacMaster style" music, since she has no hestiation in combining "traditional" fiddle music with other styles of music, and what emerges is something very unique, and very much "listenable."

A couple of quibbles with another reviewer here...a top 500 reviewer at that...First of all, there is no doubt among her fans that MacMaster is a young woman, (31 last June,) and not a girl, nor has there been for quite some time. Attend one of her concerts or simply buy her recording "My Roots Are Showing" and look at the cover photo, and you too will lose any doubts. And secondly, I happen to think that "Touch Of The Master's Hand" on this recording is a pretty good song, and one I have already listen too several times. A bit bluegrass, yes, and I found it strange that following the line "You could hear the angels sing," when you would expect soft, sweet music, MacMaster comes in with a rocking fiddle. Not bad, not by any means, it just didn't seem to fit as well as I thought. The whole song actually reminds of the Charlie Daniels Band's song,"The Devil Went Down To Georgia" but I am not claiming there is any connection, just that something triggers the memory.

All the songs are worthy, but one that can truly put a lump in your throat is the very last one on the album, "My Love, Cape Breton And Me." This is a beautiful song sung by MacMaster's cousin, (written by her uncle) and actually doesn't even need MacMaster to be beautiful. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if we hear much more from Kate Quinn in the future. She has a truly beautiful voice.

One minor departure from the "normal" MacMaster recording, is that many of tunes used were actually written by MacMaster herself. Not a problem, since her experience with the genre has left her with a pretty good ear (to say the least) and she mixes her stuff with older music (or at least other music) splendidly.

And that sums up "Blueprint" very well...Everything works perfectly. Natalie MacMaster has further cemented her claim to the be the "Queen of Fiddlers" very well with this album. And that is a good enough reason to listen to it...

Description of Blueprint