Aly Bain And Phil Cunningham
Album: The Best Of Aly & Phil, Volume 2
Label: Whirlie
Tracks: 18
Website: http://www.whirlierecords.co.uk

It's almost ten years since Whirlie released an album entitled The Best Of Aly & Phil - even then that was probably rather a presumptuous title, since it was obvious that (to use a well-worn phrase) there was plenty of life in the old dogs yet and they were showing no signs of hanging up their instruments! It presented a very fair selection of exactly what the two musicians do best, in recordings drawn from across their careers and showcasing not only their enviable individual prowess but also their skill at bringing out the best in fellow-musicians in a variety of settings. The compilation proved a steady best-seller, and so a further selection was inevitable - it just took Aly and Phil a while to get around to hand-picking the tracks and getting them digitally remastered. But here it is - 18 glorious tracks, making up an exceedingly generous 79-minute disc, all amply demonstrating the given that any Aly & Phil recording will embody their special, signature combination of sensitive and virtuosic, both in terms of performance and arrangement. Just occasionally, the sheer richness of those settings requires a certain sweetness of tooth in the listener's tolerance threshold and one or two of the selections can thus seem slightly over-embellished in the keyboard/programming department, but the infectious enthusiasm and joie-de-vivre of Aly and Phil's invention invariably win us over and carry the day.

Once again, the disc features, alongside the expected quotient of traditional Scottish fare and a couple of tracks with a distinct Transatlantic-Session feel, several typically masterly compositions by Aly and "the guy who sits on his left" (five and nine respectively), highlights coming with the lovely set of Shetland waltzes (track 2), Phil's beautiful, if slightly melancholy tune The Gentle Light That Wakes Me, his charming, affectionate slow air Bonnie Nancy and his cajun-inspired, atmosphere-laden Lake Charles Waltz. The latter features a lovingly crafted dobro solo by Stuart Nisbet, and is one of just six tracks to selectively employ guest musicians (on bass, dobro or guitar) to complement the protagonists' own skills. Although Best Of, Volume 1 gave a suitably rounded picture, it felt weighted (albeit slightly) towards the slower material, and Volume 2 gives a similar overall perspective, although the faster-paced dance tracks here also give us disc favourites including the exhilarating conflation of a Vermont-French fiddle tune with a Gallop learnt from Jay Ungar (track 3), a spry pair of pipe-tunes (track 5) and the pleasingly extended set of reels (track 10) which finishes on two of Aly's own creations. Best of all, perhaps, is the ebullient combination of Estonian Waltz with Cajun reel and twangsome Breton dance (track 13). The well-planned sequence continually reminds us of Aly and Phil's connectedness and the extent of their musical imagination, and is a delight throughout - unlike so many compilations that feel as though they've just been casually thrown together to make a quick buck.

The one little disadvantage of this new compilation (although I admit some purchasers will find it more frustrating than others) is that, although the liner notes are superbly informative as regards the provenance of the tunes themselves, the package is devoid of any specific discographical detail regarding the original source discs. OK, this may serve to emphasise the consistency of Aly and Phil's output and the success and sheer longevity of their working relationship, but even so I'd have welcomed some measure of discographical perspective, because odds are that even the completists won't have all of these tracks already. Me, I still haven't got to grips with the pair's exhaustive tally of recordings, even tho' I've amassed a reasonable collection over the years! But this administrative niggle can't ever overshadow the music itself, and the joyous inventiveness that's perennially being conjured by these two expert musicians.

David Kidman