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Natalie MacMaster's accomplishments in her homeland include two gold records and an array of industry awards, including a 1999 Juno Award (Best Instrumental Album) for this very record. After her recent foray into the pop sphere with 1999's hugely successful In My Hands, Natalie MacMaster now proudly returns to exploring traditional Cape Breton music on this, her latest US release. This new album features plenty of lively jigs, strathspeys, and reels, such as 'Close to the Floor' and 'Willie Fraser,' but is nicely balanced by the inclusion of two beautiful slow airs, 'The Shakin's o' The Pocky' and 'A' Chuthag' (The Cuckoo). The liner notes provide fascinating background information on the history of each of the tunes, as well as how Natalie came to learn them. Several of the tunes played here date from the early part of the twentieth century, but Natalie breathes such life into them that they still sound thoroughly fresh and vital today. One of the album's standouts is the final track, 'A Glencoe Dance Set,' a rollicking live medley that features a duet between Natalie and her uncle, famed Cape Breton fiddler Buddy MacMaster, and includes the tune 'Sandy MacIntyre's Trip to Boston,' which Natalie says may just be the most popular Cape Breton tune ever! Produced by Natalie MacMaster.