Alistair Anderson is one of the British folk scene’s finest instrumentalists, a concertina virtuoso and Northumbrian piper who worked with the High Level Ranters before moving on to a solo career. On this self-titled debut album, consisting largely of instrumentals, he is joined by three excellent younger musicians – guitarist Ian Stephenson, fiddler Sophy Ball and the singer and flautist Sarah Hayes, from Glasgow’s Admiral Fallow. Anderson is the veteran, but he never dominates the playing. The fresh, energetic set of tunes includes an exquisite emotional treatment of David Cahn’s Fiesta Waltz. Also included are four impressive songs from Hayes that range from Jez Lowe’s shipyard lament Taking on Men to the spooky and traditional I Drew My Ship Into a Harbour and show how she has developed into a compelling and thoughtful singer. This is a classy new band.
