BONNIE RIDEOUT
Scottish Reflections
Maggie's Music (2002)
http://www.maggiesmusic.com

I first heard of Bonnie Rideout many years ago at a Scottish fiddle workshop. The leader opined that he might open up a second section the next year and that he had been considering having Bonnie Rideout teach it.
"Bonnie Rideout!" everyone murmured quietly.
"Who?" I wondered.

At the time, she'd won a bunch of (well, three...) Scottish American fiddle championships, but now my info sheet mentions only her performances. This album is her sixth on Maggie's Music and is a compilation of work she's done on other artist's albums. Many of the tunes on the album are slow, making those parts of the album relatively useless in your car at 2Am, but it is a pleasant item, and Bonnie is such a regal and pretty player.

At the red wave end of the spectrum is "Gloomy Winter," a strong "melancholy" melody (you can just hear the ghost words "my bonnie laddie" sung on the fiddle) which sounds double tracked on fiddle and viola, and which should be great for putting kids to sleep for Santa. "Lamentation for the Fallen Heroes of Waterloo" is from a Karen Ashbrook album and is another strong melody, though delicate and slow, the arrangement with flute, accordeon and what sounds like dronish cello is measured and "classical." Slightly perkier is "Cro Kintail"; Bonnie's fiddle sings and makes turns to another great melody accompanied by harp and viola de gamba. On the bluish end, perkier still is "Itchy Fingers," a light little tune done for Sue Richards. Hesperus' "The Highland Laddie" with fiddle, flute is likely the most familiar quick melody and runs on in to the next track as an air. Slowing down, you will hear the highland pipes in tandem on the slow air "Dunblane," always great fun.

The sum total of Scottish Reflections, then, is an orgy of melody and a good look at the way Bonnie, mistress of graces and turns, regulates volume and ornament to work with other artists. She uses quite a bit of control and the album, often influenced by classical conventions, never gets out of hand. But it certainly is pretty.

write: gennett at gorge dot net

The Columbia Gypsy