Anyone who thought Tania Elizabeth's first CD was a fluke will have all doubts erased by her second recording, This Side Up. Kicking things off with her own unique version of "Music for a Found Harmonium," here titled "Deetune," Tania makes it clear from the start that she's still bursting with the kind of energy, new ideas and sheer musical talent which made her previous recording so enjoyable.

But while Something focused on Tania's personal take on Celtic traditional fiddling styles, This Side Up wanders further afield, delving into a variety of musical genres from jazz to mariachi.

"Deetune" starts with a rock-solid acoustic guitar intro by Adrian Dolan which had me checking to see this was, in fact, a fiddler's album. Subtle electronics provide a lush and flowing background to the tune, which is guaranteed to keep your feet tapping and will likely have you reaching for the repeat button a few times at least. Dolan also provides keyboards and drum programming, while Adam Dobres wails on the electric guitar, Morgan Waters keeps the beat steady on electric bass and Gord Oaks provides various percussion. It's an exciting arrangement of a grand tune, and it preludes a superb album packed with innovation.

Take "Tico Tico," for instance -- a tune first made famous on the Lawrence Welk Show. You don't expect a mariachi sound on a Celtic fiddler's album, but it works resoundingly well. Nor does Tania balk at shrinking into the background at times to let Daniel Lapp shine on trumpet.

There are also plenty of neatly arranged Celtic sets, such as "We're Not British," "Tabache" and "I'm a Mountie" -- her set titles, sometimes explained in the liner notes, have more to do with her mood while recording than the actual tunes included within. Throughout, Tania finds small touches to set them apart from the norm, be they a Hammond organ, chime, jaw harp or chestnut shaker. "Tam Lynn's" starts slow, but soon pumps out a frenzy of sound. "Master Crowley's" is jazzy; "Master Crowley's II" is a frantically rockin' variation on the theme.

Besides fiddle, Tania plays bodhran and a bit of acoustic guitar on this album. She also gifts us with a song, "The Rocks of Bawn," to close out the album. Plenty of talented instrumentalists have inflicted their voices upon us over the years, assuming we won't mind as long as their playing is good, but no fears in this case: Tania's voice is sweet and delicate, and I hope her next album includes more than just one vocal track. (At the same time, I hate to suggest anything which takes her away from the fiddle, where she truly belongs.)

Tania plays with the sort of freshness, joy and life which makes the fiddle newly exciting each time you hear it. She also continues to push the envelope in fiddle traditions with her innovative, infectious arrangements and blendings of seemingly incompatible styles into something utterly wonderful.

When asked who the real fiddle pioneers of recent years have been, I invariably list names such as Eileen Ivers, Natalie MacMaster and Ashley MacIsaac. Now I'll add Tania Elizabeth to that list, and I'll wait with barely contained anticipation for her next release.

[ visit Tania's website ]