Search - Alisdair Fraser, Tony Mcmanus :: Return to Kintail

A complete absence of ego.

Tom Knapp | Lancaster, PA USA | 07/08/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fiddler Alasdair Fraser and guitarist Tony McManus are giants in their field. Both Scotsmen command immediate respect for their musical talents, and both have toured and recorded widely to share their gifts with the world. Return to Kintail demonstrates just how good two immensely adept musicians can be when joined for a common purpose. The album is entirely composed of duets for fiddle or viola and guitar. Both instrumentalists share the spotlight equally, occasionally stepping to the fore or fading into the background as their arrangements demand. They play with the easy familiarity of musicians who have performed together for many years, and they share selections from the Scottish and closely related Cape Breton traditions with exceptional lightness and grace. They're not going for speed or power here -- instead, they both sit back and let the music prove itself without any unnecessary affectations or pomposity.
You'll be hard-pressed to find better versions of the tunes or an album more evocative of Scotland's rolling hills and glens."

A rich and consuming collection!

Vyvyan Dunlap | Middlebury, IN USA | 11/18/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After hearing Alasdair and Tony perform live together I was in fear that the CD would not be able to capture the energy and oneness that was so evident in their concert. I was so wrong. I could never grow tired of this fantastic collection...nor of any of Alasdair Fraser's. I consider each of them the cream of the crop in their musical talent."

Rich, dramatic, colorful, authentic, and always evocative

Vyvyan Dunlap | 07/01/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Each successive album has advanced my appreciation of Alasdair Fraser's musicianship. Here he's joined by talented guitarist Tony McManus in arrangements and variations that embrace the full possibilities of the original melodies, all the while evoking the authentic Scottish idiom. Their performance of Sleepy Maggie will make you think you are hearing the tune for the first time. In my humble opinion, Fraser's best recording to date."