From: Pete Fyfe
[petefyfe_at_aol_dot_com]
Sent: 14 April 2012 06:10
Subject: Pete Fyfe: Alistair
Ogilvy - Leaves Sae Green review & sleeve
Attachments: Alistair_Ogilvy_-_Leaves_Sae_Green.jpg
ALISTAIR OGILVY - Leaves Sae
Green (Greentrax Recordings CDTRAX365)
The evocative piano introduction
to "Wars O'Germanie" by rising singer Alistair Ogilvy puts me in mind of a
young Sean Keane. No bad thing if you're just starting out on a road that will
hopefully prove fruitful in your endeavours as a performer. Producer and
engineer Mattie Foulds brings out the best from Ogilvy and in utilising Aly
MacRae (piano/fiddle/pocket trumpet [?]), Steven Polwart (guitars) and Inge
Thomson (additional vocals) provides enough broad strokes of the brush to
colour the performance in well balanced shades. Taking a hoary old chestnut
like "The Bonny Ship The Diamond" and doing something interesting with it must
have been a bit of a challenge but then MacRae's interpretation (I'm assuming
he has a background in jazz) with its dramatic, brooding chords and
double-tracked vocals propels the song with just the right amount of theatrics
without over-egging it. On another track and with a customary nod towards his
Scottish heritage, the inclusion of Burn's "Crowdie" and its jaunty double
stopped fiddle delivery works surprisingly well coupled with an unusual, but
none the less enjoyable setting of "Wantonness". Finally, on a personal note I'd
like to thank Alistair for including Andy M Stewart's anguished song of
unrequited love "Where Are You Tonight, I Wonder"?it truly is a classic in the
art of song-writing. www.alistairogilvy.com
PETE FYFE