Donald Black - Dreams And Dances

(March 2013) 16 tracks: Calum Lamont (Reel) * The Clappers (Pipe Jigs) * Afghanistan (Lament) * Barn Dance (2/4 Marches) * Lonesome Eyes (Slow Air) * Gneil's Welcome To Strathnaver (6/8 March) * Malcolm Ferguson (Waltz) * 3/4 And 4/4 Pipe Marches * An t-Eilean Muileach (Slow Gaelic Air) * Gaelic Medley (Slow Waltzes) * Gaelic Country * Two Broken Hearts (Slow Sad Gaelic Airs) * Mar A Tha (Slow Gaelic Air) * Macleods' Reels * The Inevitable Journey (Reel) * Stella's Courage (Slow Air).

Another superb 16 track album from maestro of the Celtic Harmonica Donald Black.

With his own unique style, Donald plays a selection of pieces predominantly from his West Coast Gaelic Tradition ranging from the very traditional through to the newly penned.

Two lovely Canadian slow airs are included plus a couple of tunes written by Donald himself.

Donald's passion and enthusiasm for the music he plays is evident and surely comes directly from his late mother Christina (Teenie), herself an Argyll-born native West Coast Scottish Highlander and fluent Gaelic speaker.

Nothing is more fulfilling or spiritually rewarding to him than that of playing to a live audience the exquisite pipe and gaelic airs and traditional music of his people which he loves so much.

Donald has promoted the mouthorgan (particularly the tremolo model) as a serious musical instrument, well capable of accommodating all the challenges of fast intricate pieces but also of evocatively producing all that is required in the slower more reflective works.

Donald Black (tremolo and 10 hole diatonic harmonicas), Ross Wilson (keyboard, accordion, double bass), Allan Nairn (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, drums), Allan Henderson (fiddle), Harvey Leckie (keyboard), Trish Strain (cello).

"Donald Black - The instrument's foremost exponent in Scottish traditional music." Norman Chalmers, Scotland on Sunday.