THE ALAN CROOKSTON CEILIDH BAND - Note Again
Glasfield Records GLRCD1701
The Alan Crookston Ceilidh Band is a trad dance band from Central Scotland boasting the usual ceilidh band line-up - Alan Crookston features on lead accordion, with Gary Sutherland on second accordion, Iain Anderson on fiddle, Liam Stewart on piano and bass, and Alan Irvine on drums.
On this, the band’s second album, there are 12 sets, perfectly arranged for dancing, and all the usuals are there – from the Gay Gordons, through the Pride Of Erin Waltz, to the Britannia Two Step and the final Strip The Willow. The tunes used are a mixture of traditional and fairly well known written tunes such as Eric Bogle’s Green Fields Of France, Jerry Holland’s Brenda Stubbert’s Reel and Lennon and McCartney’s Yellow Submarine! One by Alan Crookston is featured too. As is Piper To The End by Mark Knopfler, billed as the Band Leader’s Choice - played well, but featuring an accordion sound that feels a bit ‘chunky’ for me.
I particularly liked the Canadian Barn Dance set, the Dashing White Sergeant set (including the wonderful McArthur Road from Dave Richardson), and the final flourish for the Strip The Willow, complete with John McCusker’s Frank’s Reel – it sounds a bit tame here, but I can imagine the legs being danced off you at this point at the end of a ceilidh.
There’s nothing weird or wacky here – just straight up dance tunes, so if something to get you moving is what you are after, then this might be for you.
www.alancrookstonceilidhband.co.uk
Fiona Heywood
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