I still remember meeting Daniel Lapp, some 20 years ago in the green room at the Gaelic College in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, after hours at the Celtic Colours International Festival. His name first caught my attention because "Lapp" is, of course, a fairly common Amish surname among the Plain folk of the Pennsylvania Dutch heartland I call home -- but, of course, Daniel is not Amish. The Canadian musician hails from Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

My first exposure to his music was at the Festival Club at Celtic Colours, where his fiddling was extraordinary, and where he did some amazing jigs and reels on, surprisingly enough, trumpet. Our second meeting was at a fiddle workshop with Cape Breton fiddle master Jerry Holland, where Lapp picked up new tunes without breaking a sweat. And, to complete the triad, we met again in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which he visited while on tour with Bowfire, an ensemble (also featuring one of my favorite classical musicians, violinist Lara St. John) that explored the range and diversity of the fiddle and violin.

So I wasn't sure what to expect from Daniel Lapp's CD, Reunion.

He, of course, performs on every track, but he's joined by an ever-changing list of guest musicians from England and Scotland: Matthew Dean on bodhran, Mattie Foulds on shaker and snare, Norman Holmes on flute, Mary MacMaster on harp, Tony McManus on guitar, David Milligan on piano, Ian Stephenson on guitar, Julian Sutton on melodeon, Simon Thoumire on concertina, Kathryn Tickell on fiddle and northumbrian pipes, and Karen Tweed on accordion.

Scattered among the traditional and cover tunes are several Lapp compositions, and they certainly hold their own. Firmly rooted in the Celtic music tradition, the album takes several jazzy turns that add a whole lot of interest and style to the overall mood. Lapp is certainly an adventurous musician who enjoys trying out new concepts in his craft.

It's been far too long since I crossed paths with Lapp. I was thrilled to rediscover his music in this album which, though nearly two decades old, still sounds fresh and current.