Bagpipes and Shortbread

The album title might be a bit of hype -- a better name would be the best of Scottish fiddle that we have in our catalogue -- but there's plenty of quality in the music. There's plenty from Johnny Hardie, both as part of a trio and duo and with Old Blind Dogs, who's quite sterling on a variety of styles ("The Buzzard" is a standout). JCB pull out a set of jigs where fiddle and banjo duel, while Coila offer a gorgeous and unusual air with "Herr Roloff's Farewell," which adds a string quartet to bring a very different sound to Scottish music. In other words, there are several facets of Scots music represented, be it traditional or original compositions. In fact, it's hard to tell the difference, which is testament to the capabilities of the players. The Hudson Swan Band do wonderful things with "The Fledgling" but the star has to be Hardie, who's on six of the 15 tracks here. It's stirring, melodic stuff, with plenty of excellent playing, and it never disappoints. It's good enough to make your forget the title is hype.