When I go to Cape Breton, the music of Melody and Derrick Cameron is exactly the kind of stuff I want to hear. Their album, When There's Music, is a wonderful example of the traditional music of the island.

I knew I was in for a treat just by looking at the list of guests on the album. It includes J.P Cormier, Joel Chiasson, Colin Watson, Jim Watson, Lisa Cameron and Stanley "Doc" MacNeil. Not only is the variety of artists good, but so is the mix of tune styles and songs. The album has strathspeys, reels, jigs, waltzes, mouth music, Gaelic songs, dancing -- everything one would expect to hear at a typical Cape Breton ceilidh.

To add to the sound, there are a couple of tunes that were composed by Melody. One of them is a beautiful melody called "Gramps 'Doc' Waltz." There is also a track of Derrick and J.P. Cormier playing a toe-tapping guitar duet.

If you're looking for a lot of fancy studio work and funky arrangements of tunes, this is not for you. However, if you want a simple, polished, traditional Cape Breton sound, I highly recommend this album.

- Rambles
written by Kaitlin Hahn
published 21 May 2005

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