My Roots Are Showing

Natalie MacMaster

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 11, 2000)
• Original Release Date: April 11, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rounder / UMGD
• ASIN: B00004SAWL
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #75,939 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Natalie MacMaster has been extending her scope far beyond traditional music, and reaching a wider audience, but this release takes her right back home. It's nothing more or less than a glorious ceilidh album, dance tunes played on acoustic instruments, and it's obvious from her playing that she revels in being able to do this again. These most definitely are her roots, the Scots tunes filtered through her Cape Breton home, and it's quite possible there's no one of her generation who can do this stuff better--just listen to "A Glencoe Dance Set," which was recorded live, and you'll understand that you don't need to be plugged in to generate electricity. Even the slower tunes have a bright perkiness. MacMaster's fiddle playing is completely in the Cape Breton tradition, and she never forgets this is music meant for dancing--just try sitting still while it's on. Let's hope she does it again soon. --Chris Nickson

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indulge Yourself, November 26, 2000

By	Jason (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews

I have been on a whirlwind tour of natalie macmaster throughout the last month, and i encourage everyone to follow suit. i saw her in concert earlier this month (it was the most amazing thing), and i bought this CD 2 days ago, and i simply cannot get enough of her incredible talent. i have literally listened to nothing else since i bought this recording, and here is why. don't be fooled by the name or cover of this album. i was hesitant at first because i was expecting a CD full of romantic-like ballads (which, with her talents, would have been fine), but what i really wanted was an energy-packed recording, and that's just what i found. her roots ARE showing, but in a very energetic manner. this probably goes for all cape breton fiddling (or at least in the sets that i have come in contact with), but the sets always end with a fast tune, and this is the energy that keeps me coming back for more. macmaster does not mess around on this album. she provides the listener with nearly 60 minutes of insane, yet completely controlled playing that gets better the more you listen. playing sets that last as long as 7 minutes (this is a long time and hard to keep up at the pace she is going-- she should be admired for this), she provides a feel that is almost similar to the feeling that i got when i saw her live. the final track on this album actually is a live recording of her and her uncle (the famous CB fiddler buddy macmaster), but except for the clapping in the background, it sounds no different than the rest of the tracks on the album. naturally, the last track is the standout track because it packs the most power, but the other tracks are amazingly close in the amount of energy expressed. i simply cannot say enough good things about macmaster and this album, and i encourage everyone to see her live, or at the very least, buy any recording that you can get your hands on. you will not be disappointed.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Natalie showing where it all started...., May 10, 2000

By	goodoldmac "goodoldmac" (Charlotte, North Carolina United States) - See all my reviews

This CD by this amazingly talented Cape Breton fiddler is a return to her roots as the title suggests. Using only the "basic" musicans, much like she tours with, MacMaster plays traditional tunes of the island she grew up on. Mostly fast "jig" or "reel" tunes, there is also slow paced music here as well as well as the wonderful final tune, apparently recorded live with Natalie's uncle Buddy MacMaster as a guest fiddle. Listen closely and you will hear Natalie's exuberent "whoops" as the music takes her away...Isuppose anyone can learn to play the fiddle, (except for "fumble-thumbs" like me :-) ) but few have MacMaster's amazing God-given talent and you can only be thankful she is able to share it with us...

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MacMaster at Her Best, May 8, 2000

By	"harvard-fiddler" (boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews

For any folk dancer such as myself the surest way to rate music of the type found on this recording is the strengh of the response ones feet make in listening to it. In the case of this, the latest release from Ms. MacMaster, the feet index went off the scale. Buy it and see for yourself.