IF THERE is one thing certain about the upcoming 25th anniversary of Celtic Connections, it is that Fiona Kennedy has been paying attention. Here on one 12-track disc is a collection of songs that are a distillation of friendships and connections made, as well as being a colourful sampler of the range of music the festival has championed. This may come as a revelation to folk of an older generation who still think of her as Callum Kennedy’s daughter, a middle-aged one who see her as the lass alongside Roy Castle on Record Breakers and a younger one for whom she is the mother of actor and model Sophie Kennedy Clark.
A significant partner here is Calum McColl, son of Ewan and Peggy Seeger, who arranges, co-writes, plays guitar and sings, and whose own son is on drums with John McCusker adding fiddle and whistles, and producer Calum Malcolm adding keyboards to his desk work.
Other songwriting partners are Nils Elders from her live band, Nashville songsmith Marcus Hummon and Beth Nielsen Chapman. Actor Susan George supplies a lyric, and Ross Wilson (aka Blue Rose Code) duets on a cover of Always On My Mind.
It is all beautifully realised and a much more coherent set that such a cast list might lead you to suspect. Here is the stocking-filler that should appeal to any of those generations.
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