Blueprint

1	A Blast 5:27
2	Appropriate Dipstick 3:31
3	Jig Party 4:02
4	Touch of the Master's Hand 3:14
5	Eternal Friendship 4:27
6	Gravel Shore 4:45
7	Devil and the Dirk 4:44
8	The Ewe With the Crooked Horn 5:37
9	Johsefin's Waltz 3:35
10	Bela's Tune 4:57
11	The Silver Spear 4:16
12	Minnie & Alex's Reel 2:35
13	My Love, Cape Breton and Me 5:49

Barnes & Noble

In this inspired meeting of bluegrass and Celtic music, Natalie McMaster steps into the front rank of young fiddlers building new sounds on the foundation of tradition. A native of Canada's Cape Breton Island and the niece of the venerable Cape Breton fiddle master Buddy McMaster, 30-year-old Natalie shows she's adept at breakneck jigs and reels, from the furious "A Blast" -- a melding of five rousing fiddle tunes, three of them McMaster originals -- to the sprightly evocation of Irish gaiety in the traditional "Jig Party" to the lively interplay between her dancing lines and the solid thumping of Victor Wooten's bass on "Minnie & Alex's Reel," another original. Throughout, she's accompanied by some of acoustic music's finest players, including Sam Bush on mandolin, Bryan Sutton on guitar, Jerry Douglas on dobro, Béla Fleck on banjo, and bassists Wooten, Edgar Meyer, Viktor Krauss, and Byron House. Strictly an instrumentalist, McMaster nonetheless knows good singing when she hears it; hence the compelling presence of John Cowan on the bristling "Touch of the Master's Hand," which also happens to be a partial reunion of the revered and innovative New Grass Revival, as Cowan rejoins his former compadres Bush and Fleck. But the high point on the album -- and in McMaster's recording career thus far -- is "My Love, Cape Breton and Me," sung in delicate, whispered tones by Kate Quinn. McMaster adds aching, keening fiddle lines to this gentle prayer addressed both to her homeland and to a lover sorely missed. It's a stunning achievement, one that marks Natalie McMaster as a true rising star in acoustic music. David McGee

All Music Guide

While Natalie MacMaster has carved out her reputation mining Cape Breton fiddle traditions, Blueprint finds her combining her forceful style with contemporary acoustic music. This merging of genres takes place on a couple of levels. "A Blast," "Appropriate Dipstick," and "Jig Party" stick close to traditional themes, even though the presence of a full band drives these pieces forward at a propulsive rate. "Eternal Friendship" is quieter, augmenting MacMaster's melodic fiddle with piano and dobro. Tradition, however, gets pretty much tossed out the window on "A Touch of the Master's Hand," with John Cowan wailing over a full drum kit, thumping bass, and fiery fiddle. While no other cut pushes the sonic boundaries this far, MacMaster and her bandmates do delve into new acoustic music on "Gravel Shore," classical on "Devil and the Dirk," and progressive Celtic on "Minnie & Alex's Reel." It's easy to credit the high-profile guest list -- Béla Fleck, Jerry Douglas, and Victor Wooten -- for the project's success, but that's only partly true. Too many instrumental albums begin sounding the same by the third cut, and quickly fade into the background. MacMaster finds her way around this conundrum by mixing eclectic material, inspired musicianship, and her commanding style to make Blueprint an exciting and fun album. Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.