Listen to this CD closely, or else the performers might kick you in the shins to get your attention. Believe me, that would hurt -- these folks have legs to reckon with.

The Scottish Stepdance Company is a group who wants to do for Scotland what Riverdance did for Ireland. Crediting Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, for keeping the Scottish style of stepdance alive even as it died out in its native country, this septet has created a lively auditory package spotlighting, among the fine music, the sound of pounding, hard-shoed feet.

The band is Adam Sutherland on fiddle, Kevin MacKenzie on guitar, Keri (who lacks a last name) on low whistle, Donal Brown on flute, smallpipes and Highland pipes, and John Sikorski on double bass. Additionally, there's Sandra MacKay on Gaelic vocals. And, of course, there's the foot percussion, the nonvisual aspect of stepdancing, by Alison MacLeod and the aforementioned Keri, Donal and John. Simon Thoumire and Fergus MacKenzie also make a few guest appearances, playing concertina and percussion, respectively.

The album is fairly lively, as suits dance music. The tunes are mostly traditional, although there are a few original pieces that fit neatly into the package. The musicianship is tight -- this is obviously a band that could get by on its own merits, with or without the added bonus of dance, and the jazzy elements in some arrangements gives them a distinctive sound. But the foot percussion adds a lot to the final product, employing a mixture of group and solo dances, and I'd love to see these folks live! There's a lot of energy resonating between the boards and those hard soles.

Ireland has birthed a large number of Riverdance offspring, and most tend to go for the large-scale production that made Riverdance such an international hit. But for my taste, I'd prefer to see something more on the scale of the Scottish Stepdance Company -- it's a more intimate arrangement, close up and comfortable, with little of the big production's glitz and frippery to come between the music and its audience. I certainly hope to see the Scottish Stepdance Company making its rounds on the international stage.