So since you are here in the Christmas / Holiday music section, I guess that means you're getting ready for Ho Ho.... So, enjoy your stay in Christmas Music reviews, something to get the moods ready for roasting chestnuts, drinking eggnog, or singing some Carols. Enjoy the review of A Cape Breton Christmas with Ashley MacIsaac and Friends, and when you are done, head back to the main Christmas Music Reviews page and see some other music to get you in the mood. 

Click on the CD cover to go to Ashley MacIsaac's website. To get to the Linus Entertainment Website, click on their logo There are links to purchase the CD and MP3 Music Clips following the review.

A Cape Breton Christmas with Ashley MacIsaac and Friends

Christmas music crosses genres and boundaries. Every year it seems that this is one time of the year that the style of music doesn't matter as much as the joy it seems to spread. In 1993, Cape Breton fiddle Sensation Ashley MacIsaac came together with some friends (Scott Macmillan - Guitar & Keyboard sequencing, Aurelie Cormier - Vocals, Jim Faraday - Percussion, Jeff Macdonald - Vocals, and Alan MacKenzie with Pipes) to generate one of the most festive moments in Cape Breton history, and Cape Breton, Nova Scotia is filled with festive moments at the magical time of year. The end result was A Cape Breton Christmas with Ashley MacIsaac and friends.

The fiddle playing of this young upstart was always a spectacle to see and hear. I got the chance to meet Ashley MacIsaac that same year while working in Radio, and this fireplug was shall we say, a bit unpredictable, but always magnificent on stage. Whether Ashley was playing in front of the Savoy's audience in Glace Bay, or making a stage appearance with a rock band on Sydney's club scene, he'd always put on a tremendous show packed with power and enthusiasm. A master on his turf, whether playing the fiddle or giving us a treat on the Piano, Ashley never gave a bad performance.

In the summer of 2004, Ashley MacIsaac inked a deal with the new Canadian record label Linus Entertainment (distributed by Warner Music). Sharing the label with artists like Gordon Lightfoot, By Divine Right, Ron Sexmith and Jazz newcomer Sophie Milman. The 1993 Concert is now re-released with a new cover and is a splendid work of instrumentalism that highlights the amazing fiddle and piano of Ashley, a true traditional sound. If you are expecting a more contemporary sound, you will not find it here as this is where Ashley MacIsaac started, traditional jigs and reels that are amazing to hear again.

From beginning to end, A Cape Breton Christmas With Ashley MacIsaac and friends is a great holiday treat guaranteed to get you on your feet, and maybe get your trimming or shopping done in record time. The arrangements of some traditional works by both Ashley and Macmillan are wonderful. Giving us the traditional sound and sprinkling it with just enough to make it unique on it's own.

  ( 5 Stars out of 6 )

Play MP3 sample of Ashley MacIsaac and Friends "Go Tell It On The Mountain"

Play MP3 Sample of Ashley MacIsaac feat. Aurelie Cormier "Il Esr Ne"

Track Listing

1. T’was the Night Before Christmas/The Devil in the Kitchen Medley
2. Go Tell it on the Mountain
3. Away in a Manger
4. Il est Ne
5. Fiddle Medley: March of the Cameron Men, Glencoe March, Laddie with the Pladdie, Traditional Strathspey, Jenny Dang the Weaver, Irish Reel Irish Reel
6. Children’s Medley: MacNabs Hornpipe (with Jingle Bell remix)
7. Ciuin an Oidhach (Silent Night)
8. Christman Jigs and Reels: Midnight Clearance Sales, The Three Dories
9. God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman
10. Auld Lang Syne Medley: Air, Strathspey & Reel and Traditional Reel