When listening to this collection of instrumental reels, jigs, and ballads, there is a very real sense that this is a document of a tradition not long for this world. The occasional surface and ambient noise (the recording was made in
MacKay's own front room) only serve to accentuate the simple beauty of the pieces.
MacKay, scion of a musical family of farmers on Cape Breton Island, has a romantic and somewhat ragged style of playing that is evocative of the unique landscape that surrounds him. These tunes will put a spring in your step and a lump in your throat. ~ Tim Sheridan