by J. Wallace

Canadian Heather Dale’s fifth release is an excellent find. The Road to Santiago finds her in top form, with confident and often sassy vocals. The album has some fine Celtic textures including good double fiddle on The Greyhound, and just the right amount of guitar on the nearly a capella Holly, Ivy and Yew.

Heather Dale has been compared to Loreena McKennitt and Sarah McLachlan, but her interest in Arthurian legends and Native American imagery gives the music an added dimension that’s a joy to discover. The Road To Santiago has its roots set firmly in Gaeldom, but there are many influences at work including a taste of piano blues on Confession, and on Sedna, there’s a hint of Australian aboriginal sounds that would fall flat in lesser hands. On this CD it works quite well.

Medusa is one of the best songs on the CD, and probably one with a good deal of commercial potential. Heather Dale puts herself on par with Tori Amos here-no easy feat-but this song rises to its own category. The energy running through Medusa is worth the price of the entire album.

Dale is getting some much-deserved attention. Her tours have extended beyond Canada into the UK and America, and the singer’s popularity is growing fast. After hearing The Road To Santiago, it’s easy to understand. Her confidence and skill behind the microphone make it easy to forget you’re listening to a studio album instead of a live performance. This could be one of the best Celtic-influenced CDs of the year.

Artist: Heather Dale

Buy the Album: “The Road to Santiago”

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Celtic MP3 Music Magazine writer Joe Wallace reviews music for many publications and writes both nonfiction as well as short stories. His nonfiction work includes articles for Korean Quarterly, Indie-Music.com, the Alternative Culture Guide, and Factsheet Five. Contact him through his website at www.freelance-zone.com.

by Michelle Osborne

I first came across Marc Gunn in a Celtic music community I belonged to. Intrigued by his intelligent comments, I wandered over to his website and discovered several mp3s from both him and his duo, The Brobdingnagian Bards (who he has several other CDs available with). I never quite know what to expect from independent artists. I was very pleased to find that Marc’s music (and the Bards as well) is the kind that is easy to fall in love with upon first listening to it.

Soul of the Harper, released in 2004, is a compilation of Marc’s solo endeavours from 2000-2003. The music ranges from solo autoharp instrumentals to both traditional songs and tunes. This is, perhaps, the true beauty of this album, and gives you a true picture of what this artist is about. It is not purely traditional, purely composed, purely song, or purely instrumental. It is a combination of all four of these elements, which enables the music to stay fresh with each subsequent track.

Highlighting a few of my particular favourites on this album is difficult, as I enjoy each song and tune. “The Parting Glass” is one of the highest points of the album. A traditional Irish song sung with no accompaniment, it is soulfully rendered by Marc’s deep, velvety voice. Also a high point is “The Leprechaun,” one of Marc’s composed songs, which shows his humourous side. Written in 2001, it’s chock full of silly voices that are bound to make you laugh, as well as some light self-mockery, and creates an analogy between the modern idea of a Leprechaun and the unfortunate antiquated thinking of some Celtic musicians. Upbeat with a rollicking autoharp accompaniment, this song is just fun to listen to. On the more serious side of Marc’s own songs is “The Bridge,” a song about the distances so many will go for love.

At turns romantic, silly, nostalgic, and fun, this album has something for everyone on it and comes highly recommended.

Artist: Marc Gunn

Buy the Album: Soul of a Harper

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Celtic MP3s Music Magazine writer, Michelle Osborne, a native to the central New York region, plays both high and low whistles regularly with the Syracuse Irish session. Besides being heavily involved in Irish traditional music, she is also a classical clarinetist and composer.

by Catherine L. Tully

Hurricane Katrina devastated this country, and Bob Brinkman (Modern Bard) and Marc Gunn (Renaissance Festival Podcast/Celtic MP3s Music Magazine) joined forces with a variety of top Renaissance festival musicians to raise money for the Red Cross for those affected by the storm. The result is a terrific CD with variety that is uplifting and packed with songs-22 to be exact.

The list of bands is astounding: Seelie Court, Fugli, The Muses, Marooned, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Empty Hats, E Muzeki, Howl-o, Marc Gunn & The Dubliners’ Tabby Cats, The Bilge Pumps, Queen’s Gambit, Vash, Dogs in Doublets, Bedlam Bards, The Cheshire Singers, Cantiga, 3 Pints Gone, The Rogues, Djilia Phralengo, Three Quarter Ale, Rillian and the Doxie Chicks, and of course, the Brobdingnagian Bards themselves.

The CD is breathtaking, with some tracks that are so intense (The Rogues-Pressed For Time) that it honestly brings a tear to your eye. Others will bring a laugh (Marc Gunn & The Dubliners’ Tabby Cats-Furagone’s Wake) or make you want to get up and dance wildly (E Muzeki-Unknown Gypsy Dance), but every one of these songs is spectacular-those are just some highlights. Compilation discs are usually good, but if you are a fan of this style of music, you just can’t miss this one-and the fact that it is all for a good cause makes it that much better.

You can’t really pick a favorite, since there are so many bands and styles, it is really like getting a goodie bag. The best thing is that no matter what type of Celtic music you like, it is here. I liked them all…

If you are interested – go to RenaissanceFestivalMusic.com to check it out. If you like what you hear, you can order it right there.

Artist: Various Artists

Buy the Album: “The Circle”

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Catherine L. Tully is a freelance writer and photographer specializing in the arts. She has written for Dance Teacher Magazine, Classical Singer and Dance Spirit among others, and reviews music for Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. You can reach her at www.freelance-zone.com.

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by Marc Gunn

Celtic Stone, a popular group at Ren Faire’s in the 80′s is enjoying a revival of their own these days. The group, who had called it quits in the early 1990′s is back at it again, with their recent CD, appropriately titled Digital Flashbacks. Sixteen tracks later, I am convinced that this group is here to stay for as long as they like.

Ramblin’ Rover took me happily right back to the days of my childhood. Transported to summer evenings when the whole Irish side of the family sat around the campfire singing a jolly tune (or ten!) and trying to outdo each other with their verse, but all chiming in on the chorus together. Good fun!

Nearly everyone likes a traditional song when it is done with a band’s individual stamp and style. After all, that is what makes it unique. I have heard many versions of Wild Mountain Thyme done with a woman’s voice that I loved, but this is one of the few where a man’s voice has warmed me. A little harmony chimes in here and there for emphasis, and it is beautiful.

The harmonies on this CD are one of the nicest parts. The arrangements are not typical, which makes it even better. They are subtle and well thought out, and the timing is really what sets them apart from others. Even after a long hiatus, it seems Celtic Stone can still tap the pulse of what the Celtic music lover wants to hear, and they do it well.

Artist: Celtic Stone

Buy the Album: “Digital Flashbacks”

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Catherine L. Tully is a freelance writer and photographer specializing in the arts. She has written for Dance Teacher Magazine, Classical Singer and Dance Spirit among others, and reviews music for Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. You can reach her at www.freelance-zone.com.

by Marc Gunn

A few months ago, I received some CDs from Cantiga, the premiere Renaissance Festival jam band. I started listening, and I tell ye what, they’ve become one of my favorite bands out there. They also have a brand new CD called “Martha’s Dragon.”

Cantiga has played World, Celtic and Renaissance music at festivals since the 70s. The name Cantiga means ‘song’ in the language of Alfonso X, the 13th century Spanish king whose royal court was a haven for Christian, Muslim, and Jewish musicians. Their music is filled with the spirit of improvisation which has flourished among musicians in such cross cultural crossroads throughout history.

This is album isn’t much of a “Celtic” album per se. Rather, it’s filled with beautiful blend of tunes from throughout Europe from Spain to Bulgaria, France and Germany to the British Isles.

I think that word that best comes to mind with “Martha’s Dragon” is ‘joyous.’ That’s the spirit that they share with their music. It’s light-hearted, upbeat, and a lot of fun. I could so see this band performing a five hundred years ago or in a modern music hall. In both case, they will captivate their audiences like they do at the entrance of the Texas Renaissance Festival this year and at faires throughout the nation.

Artist: Cantiga

Buy the Album: “Martha’s Dragon”

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Bard Marc Gunn is an Irish and Scottish folk singer with strange a affinity for Celtic ballads, drinking songs and cats. He hosts five podcasts including the Renaissance Festival Podcast and the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. He also publishes several ezines including the Celtic MP3s Music Magazine and the Bards Crier Music Marketing and Promotion Tips Ezine. He is best know as the lead singer and autoharper for the Celtic MP3 supergroup, the Brobdingnagian Bard.

by Marc Gunn

I love The Rogues. They were the band that taught me if you had pipes and drums, it wasn’t just another bagpipe band. It was The Rogues. “RogueTrip” is the latest offering from this Grammy-Nominated Celtic music giant.

There are some semi-new faces on this new CD. Randy Wothke is still the mastermind behind the success of The Rogues, playing a variety of percussion with some delicately added keyboards in the mix. Nelson Stewart continues to front the band with this dynamic personality and bodhran playing. Though I didn’t realize he could sing until I heard, “When Diana Fell”. Jeremy Freeman is the newest face for me, but he is no amateur when it comes to rocking on the pipes.

EJ Jones is the newest member of The Rogues, but definitely no stranger to the band. He dominated the Celtic super group Clandestine with his amazing bagpipes and flute playing. I’m thrilled to see him find a new home with The Rogues. He’s added bombarde to this mighty group with the Breton tune “An Dro”, a remarkable addition to the musical variety that first drew me to this “pipe and drum” band in “5.0″.

The new CD isn’t a change of sound though. It’s the solid evolution of a group that continues to grow from the traditional pipe sounds of “Bobby Cuthbertson” to the breathtaking celebration of the Celtic spirit found in their newest arrangement of “Bonny Portmore”. I look forward to seeing the new incarnation perform live. After hearing the lead track off the album “Pressed for Time”, I’m convinced that their live show is just as much mind-blowing fun.

Artist: The Rogues

Buy the Album: RogueTrip

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Bard Marc Gunn is an Irisn and Scottish folk singer with strange a affinity for Celtic ballads, drinking songs and cats. He hosts five podcasts including the Renaissance Festival Podcast and the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. He also publishes several ezines including the Celtic MP3s Music Magazine and the Bards Crier Music Marketing and Promotion Tips Ezine. He is best know as the lead singer and autoharper for the Celtic MP3 supergroup, the Brobdingnagian Bards.

by Catherine L. Tully

Celtic folk rock music is well represented by Emerald Rose, who over the years have continued to polish their sound. They formed in 1996, and the ten years have seen them go from a small, grassroots band to one that can hold their own; and then some.

Those with a taste for a medieval sound combined with some humor shouldn’t miss track 15, Dance of the Rats, which just needs to be pointed out! (It seems logical that band member Larry Morris would have had at least a hand in this song, since he has been responsible for songs such as Chicken Raid of Cymru and other rather unusual
titles.)

Their latest effort, Archives of Ages to Come, blends the ancient with the current, and tips its hat to tradition while staying fresh and trying new things. Each band member has a myriad of musical talents, influences and tastes, and it makes for a truly eclectic blending which is reflected in the CD. They have a solid blend of strong voices combined with traditional Celtic instrumentation, and add quite a bit of guitar for that folk feel. Definitely not your average band!

Artist: Emerald Rose

Buy the Album: “Archives of Ages to Come”

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Catherine L. Tully is a freelance writer and photographer specializing in the arts. She has written for Dance Teacher Magazine, Classical Singer and Dance Spirit among others, and reviews music for Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. You can reach her at www.freelance-zone.com.

by Catherine L. Tully

MEOW! If you love kitties (and who doesn’t?!) grab a pint of milk and check out this CD! Bard Marc Gunn spins a yarn or two in the style of the Irish traditional songs . . . with a twist. The best part is, the CD isn’t just fun, the music is good too. Gunn’s voice is terrific which is all the better, after all, you can’t tackle this idea without a good sense of humour and more than a pinch of talent.

Gunn co-founded the Brobdingnagian Bards, and brings his talent and wit to this CD which includes favorites such as When Kitty Eyes are Smiling and Furagone’s Wake. Anyone who has ever lived with a cat can appreciate the amusing lyrics of track 10, The Demented Cat Game where Gunn laments, my home is too small for the cat tyranny! Track 11, Black Kitty Paw is another good story for cat lovers, but I won’t give much more away . . . you’ll have to get it and see for yourself!

If you know a cat lover, this may well be the best gift you can get for them, and they don’t even have to be Irish to appreciate the songs. There is a certain understanding between people and their cats and it is brought forth here in all of its glory . . . the good, the bad and the hilarious!

Artist: Marc Gunn & The Dubliners’ Tabby Cats

Buy the Album: “Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers”

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Catherine L. Tully is a freelance writer and photographer specializing in the arts. She has written for Dance Teacher Magazine, Classical Singer and Dance Spirit among others, and reviews music for Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. You can reach her at www.freelance-zone.com.