Cady Finlayson & Vita Tanga

CD Review: Cady Finlayson & Vita Tanga – Electric Green

Since summer has made its ferocious entrance, it’s time for party music. It’s too hot to think about anything serious here in New York except for how good it would feel to be in an airconditioned pub with a pint of Guinness and maybe something like what Cady Finlayson and Vita Tanga have put together here. Finlayson (her first name is pronounced “caddy” like the car) plays five-string fiddle; Tanga plays acoustic, electric and “percussive” guitar, meaning that he mutes the strings of his electric and then taps out a simple rhythm on them. This album has the feel of a demo put together to show interested publicans what the duo are capable of onstage, but it also makes a good listen for anyone who loves the diversity and emotional resonance of traditional Irish fiddle music.

Over the course of ten brief tracks, the two get a dance groove going, bring it down longingly and wistfully and then back up again. As expected, Finlayson handles the lead lines, with Tanga supplying terse, understated and surprisingly interesting guitar work, especially when he’s using his wah pedal. Most of the tracks here clock in at under two minutes, the most interesting one titled March Set, Finlayson taking a long, vibrant break while Tanga keeps the beat going; they wrap up the album with what they call “All Set for St. Pat’s,” a medley of Wearing of the Green, Sean South and Pumpkin’s Fancy, the latter with almost a reggae groove emanating from the wah-wah guitar pedal. It’s nothing if not imaginative, offering the impression that their live show is good craic. New York is jampacked with first-class Irish musicians: count Cady Finlayson and Vita Tanga among them. - Lucid Culture

With melodies that range from joyously playful reels to sweet haunting ballads, "Harp and Shamrock" is indeed a CD that breaks past its Irish Celtic roots and implants its soul into world music lovers around the globe...

"Harp and Shamrock" features stellar instrumental performances of Irish standards, as well as original songs written by Cady Finlayson (fiddle) and Elkin Brown (guitar). Along with the fine talents of David DiGuiseppe (accordian), Rex McGee (banjo), John Mock, Shane Theriot, Jim Roberts, and Cynthia Wyatt, this team of gifted musicians help to make a subtly diverse morsel of ear candy for the listener. ....

"Harp and Shamrock" is a powerfully moving CD bursting with pure and natural talent. - HotIndieNews.com

Irish Coffee by Cady Finlayson
Cady Finlaysons' latest offering "Irish Coffee" features 19 wonderfully arranged instrumental tracks that take listeners to the enchanted land of Ireland with a few additional stops along the way. The disc ranges from very traditional Celtic offerings to tracks that offer a more worldly take (think Afro Celt Sound System with a bit more "Celt").

Stand out tracks for me included: "Tuttle/Caislean Oir" which features virtuoso fiddle playing with the worldly percussion and even the rainstick; - The flowing melody of "Jon Roy Lyall"; ...And "Jury Duty Waltz", which Finlayson wrote while spending a particularly long day waiting for her name to be called to perform her judicial civic duty.

Cady Finlayson is not a new artist by any means. She's a seasoned veteran violinist with three solo albums to her credit, many works with other bands and movie soundtrack work. She's well-traveled and has played Carnegie Hall. Finlayson is both a "violinist" AND a "fiddle player"! She's equipped with the musicianship and chops of a concert violinist with the feeling and spirit of a good old fashioned fiddler! This diversity and well-rounded approach shines through in her music and definitely makes "Irish Coffee" an outstanding release! - CDinsight.com -Charles Barber

...."Cady's playing will have you longing for Ireland, even if you've never set fott on the Emerald Isle before." - Streams-of-time.com/Nancy's reviews

"Cady Finlayson is a fiddle player with a remarkable talent and vision for her music." - Michael Allison

"Finlayson has put together an entertaining album that stretches beyond the bounds of fiddle music. I"d love to hear more from this talented musician," - Tom Knapp

"Her first solo album, Shines Like Silver (self-produced 2002) is sweet and melodic..." - Tom Nelligan

"For Celtic afficionados, Cady Finlayson's new release from Violincaddy Music, "Shines Like Silver" is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow...Cady sizzles on the fiddle throughout the 15-track collection." - Linda Atnip

"...Those who are seeking something fresh and interesting from Celtic music will find that Shines Like Silver offers considerable rewards." - Alex Henderson

Cady (pronounced "Caddy") is one of America's top Celtic fiddlers, expressing a level of soulfulness not commonly heard." - PJB