Ceilidh Minogue

(December 2006) 12 tracks (54 mins): Miss Campbell Set * Oban * Greenhill * New Moon * Petronella * Sarah * Blackford * La Brass-thing * Red Red Rose * Para Handy in New York * Wee Ben's Train Set * Waltzing Matilda.

With one of the most mischievous band names around, Ceilidh Minogue has developed over the last eight years as one of Scotland’s best known and most popular ceilidh bands, playing to audiences and dancers throughout the UK, and as far afield as Dubai, Tunisia and Lithuania.

Ceilidh Minogue offer the Scottish dance music connoisseur a wider selection of flavours than usual to tempt the taste buds. On this their introductory menu, the Minogues present the worthy haggis, neeps and tatties fayre of Burns, Gow and pipe melodies, complemented by less familiar Scottish and Irish traditional dishes, all served up in a fresh style alongside some original recipes.

The ingredients? Master tunesters Gregor Lowrey and Gavin Marwick provide the zing on accordion and fiddle, Bob Turner’s piano and the guitar of Duncan Findlay cater for the most refined tastes in accompaniment, and Alastair Morrow’s kit drumming is the uniquely meaty stock behind the Ceilidh Minogue sound.

Add a sprinkling of jazz horns to season, and the resulting musical mix should appeal to the discerning palate looking for a new variety of ceilidh.

Band members have previously played on albums by Annie Grace, Lyn Morrison, Johnnie Hardie, The Iron Horse, Cantychiels, Burach and Black Eyed Biddy.

Guest musicians are Roy Percy (bass), John Burgess (tenor sax), Steven Hawkes (trumpet) and Angus Wares (guitar, mandolin, tipple).