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Jennifer and Hazel Wrigley - "Skyran" - Geosound GSCD01

This is the fifth solo CD from the Wrigley Sisters, those depressingly talented twins from the Orkney Isles. It is also the first on their own label. From the very beginning of this CD it is clear that this offering is at least as good as anything that came before it. The swing that Jennifer puts into "Orcadia" and "Orkneyites" is unique and it is complemented by the sheer technical brilliance that is evident later in the CD in tunes such as "North 'Ron Reel" and the gorgeous "Deerness Mermaid". She also produces one of the most resonant and rich sounds that I have ever heard from any fiddler. Whether this is her fiddle or her style I can't say for certain but I'm as sure as I can be that it is the latter. Hazel's guitar and piano are the perfect accompaniment. Her greatest skill is the sensitive way in which she accompanies slow airs such as "Sleepy Laddie". Her piano playing is sparse and does not in any way interfere with the tune - a trap that many players fall into. Her guitar playing has that swinging "Peerie Willie" style that complements Jennifer's style perfectly. This is most evident in "The Dingeshowe Dancers" where Hazel's offbeat rhythms accompany Jennifer's double stopping on the fiddle. The two are playing off each other - the competing rhythms serve to enhance each other in a way that is becoming a distinctive trait of this pair. I think that the Wrigleys prove the benefits that can be derived from the family playing together. These two know each other so well that they can predict each others next move better that any other grouping could. This leads to the perfect match of the two players. All in all this is a fantastic CD that could be enjoyed by almost everyone. The fact they now have their own label shows that The Wrigley Sisters are really a force to be reckoned with.

Paul Murray

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This album was reviewed in Issue 45 of The Living Tradition magazine.