| Caltech Presents: | ||
| Natalie MacMaster Band | ||
| Review by Ross Anthony | ||
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Natalie MacMaster engages the audience with a wonderfully relaxed, informal, and chipper rapport – and with great music. Billed as Celtic, her music is really more simply put: eclectic. Yes, her band includes an excellent pennywhistling bagpiper, but the guitarist from time to time straps on the electric and jams out some rock. In fact, in this one performance alone, the styles ranged from New Orleans Jazz to a southern Fried Rock the likes of which Charlie Daniels might envy. Other tunes are reminiscent of the old rock group Kansas. Then the next minute they drop into some wah-wah guitar funk. And if that’s not eclectic enough, the first few songs are instrumentals, then suddenly the stage is silent, the tall smiling 5-string bass player steps up to the microphone and fills the big auditorium with a deep rich warm voice you might expect more from a piano player like Harry Connick Jr.. The set continues to highlight Natalie and her spirit-filled relationship with the violin. The only other vocal song employs the guitarist who plays a soft sweet jazz-chord version of “Danny Boy” that aims for the heart – and hits. I lost focus during some piano/violin medleys but overall, it’s a great show, go see it. Excellent musicianship all round. Review based on the Saturday, April 29th, 2006 performance at Beckman Auditorium, Caltech, Pasadena, California. |
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Copyright © 1998-2023 Ross Anthony, Author - Speaker - Solo World Circumnavigator In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Mr. Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Mr. Anthony has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over 30 countries & 100 cities (Nairobi to Nagasaki). He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (Washington State to Washington DC). To get signed books ("Rodney Appleseed" to "Jinshirou") or schedule Ross to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186.
Go into the world and inspire the people you meet with your love, kindness, and whatever it is you're really good at. Check out books by Ross Anthony. Rand() functions, Pho chicken soup, rollerblading, and frozen yogurt (w/ blueberries) also rock! (Btw, rand is short for random. It can also stand for "Really Awkward Nutty Dinosaurs" -- which is quite rand, isn't it?) Being alive is the miracle. Special thanks to Ken Kocanda, HAL, Jodie Keszek, Don Haderlein, Mom and Pops, my family, R. Foss, and many others by Ross Anthony. Galati-FE also deserves a shout out. And thanks to all of you for your interest and optimism. Enjoy great films, read stirring novels, grow. |
