I have a new crush

[Dusty Chalk]

Her name is Natalie MacMaster, and if you knew my musical tastes, you'd be quite surprised, but you shouldn't be. Yes, she's a chick, but -- get this -- she doesn't sing or play bass! She's a fiddler (and a bit of a dancer). Saw her the other night opening for Eddie From Ohio, and was quite blown away. I had my binocular-ocular-glasses (practically binoculars), but couldn't tell if she was cute or not. Dang, I wish I had front row seats, because by the end of the set, it didn't matter. She's a damfine fiddle player, switching back and forth between "smooth" and "bark" to give that dancey rhythm that Cape Breton music has. Yes, that's right, a fiddle player -- kind of a Celtic/Bluegrass hybrid. The music went back and forth between being just this side of a little too country, to quite-modern-for-traditional-music in a Bela Fleck/Mike Oldfield kind of way. I highly recommend checking her out if you're interested in hearing an instrument played to the extremes of ability. Plus, it's happy music.

Tour



Yes, I know she's a blonde -- but I've gotta believe she's got recessive redhead genes in there somewhere.