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  Natalie MacMaster
Blueprint (Rounder Records, 2003)
Two tunes on Cape Breton fiddler
Natalie
MacMaster's latest recording, Blueprint succinctly describe the power
behind the 30-year old musician's feisty gift. They are "Touch of the Master's
Hand," based on a poem by Myra Brooks Welch; and the love song, "My Love, Cape
Breton and Me," which ends the recording. The first tune cites, "From the
room far back a fair-haired girl came forward and took the bow. Then she wiped
dust from the old violin and tightened up the strings. She played a tune so pure
and sweet you could hear the angels sing." I would bet that Natalie could
also transform a tired old instrument into the stuff of angels.
Natalie's cousin Bob Quinn wrote the second tune for MacMaster's marriage to
fiddler Donnell Leahy that took place on October 5, 2002. Quinn's 18-year old
daughter handled vocal duties at the wedding and on the recording. The song
which was recorded in Halifax and produced by Natalie and her husband, speaks of
the simple things in life and also about returning to one's roots. Natalie's
roots go deep into the heart of Canada's Cape Breton. She was born into a
fiddling community and is related to fiddling royalty, yet she relocated to
Ontario after her wedding, giving the song a lasting poignancy.
The remaining 12 tracks were recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with "new
acoustic" producer Darol Anger at the helm and embellished by an array of
stellar bluegrass talent. MacMaster teams up with
Bela Fleck
(banjo), Jerry Douglas (dobra), Victor Wooten (bass), Alison Brown (banjo), John
Cowen (vocals), Sam Bush (mandolin), Bryan Sutton (guitar), Edgar Meyer (Arco &
Pizz bass) and her regular band mates to create a masterful marriage between
traditional Cape Breton repertoire and new grass. They even toss in a few bluesy
chops and jazzy bits here and there. However, besides this rich line up of
musicians, what strikes me the most is being able to hear joy welling up in
Natalie's heart when she performs. Her musicianship boasts both technical
brilliance and absolute soul fullness that shouts integrity. If only there were
more Natalie MacMaster's in the world, I believe we would live in peace.
The tracks on Blueprint range from the pastoral "Eternal Friendship"
to the tricky "Devil and The Dirk" with its alternating fiddle textures
(staccato and sweet lyrical) and everything in between. Natalie's fiddle kicks
into gear on Gravel Shore then the musicians take turns at solos while building
off of each others' creative impulses. I am surprised to find Swedish guitarist
Roger Tallroth's (Vasen) "Josefin's Waltz" on this recording, yet a few
similarities between Swedish traditional music and fiddle music of the Americas
do exist. Bela Fleck chips in Bela's Tune and Natalie pays homage to her parents
with the romp, Minnie & Alex's Reel.
The musicianship is extraordinary on this spirited disc. Natalie plays
straight from the heart and expertly turns musical phrases. She has toured the
world and shared stages with such luminaries as
Carlos
Santana, Luciano Pavarotti, Alison Krauss and
The
Chieftains. And now she stars in her own show, accompanied by some of the
hottest bluegrass musicians. Certainly her latest recording is a blueprint for
success, but it also a CD filled with longing for one's home. Whether or not you
make your home in Cape Breton or elsewhere, finding your way home will be less
complicated after listening to this heart-felt recording.
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