Natalie MacMaster & Band

Overview

With a talent that remains both raw and wondrously refined, and backed by a band any top musician would be proud of, Natalie Mac Master continues to stun crowds around the globe. Well-known to international audiences as one of Canada’s major talents, she has been an ambassador for traditional East Coast music, and is credited with lifting the style to its contemporary prominence. Her live performances are renowned for their incandescent energy and toe-tapping, rhythmic intensity. She has shared the stage with Santana, The Chieftains, Paul Simon, Pavarotti, Faith Hill, Don Henley, Michael McDonald and dozens of distinguished symphony orchestras.

Related Sites

• Natalie MacMaster Official Web Site

About the Artists

Mac Morin: Dancer, Piano & Keyboard player, is a talented Troy, Cape Breton native whose ancestors were noted Cape Breton step dancers for several generations. Including Mary C. MacDonald Morin (Mother) and John R.'Roddie Eddie' MacDonald (Grandfather). Mac has been dancing for over 10 years, first being taught by his mother and then the talented Warner sisters of Mabou, Cape Breton. Since then he has taken on the role as teacher in various private and workshop venues.

Along with other highly regarded dancers, Mac was a step dance instructor during the International Celtic Colours Festival held in Cape Breton yearly since 1997. Mac has also made a big name for himself as an accomplished Cape Breton-style piano player.

After two years on the road with Natalie MacMaster's band back in 2000, touring all over the world and sharing the stage with such artists as the Chieftains and Mark O'Connor, Mac has since toured with Howie MacDonald's 'Celtic Brew' and 'Rise & Follies of Cape Breton' shows, the Rankin Sisters, and is kept busy supplying accompaniment for fiddlers such as Ian MacDougall, Andrea Beaton, Rodney MacDonald, Glenn Graham, Howie MacDonald, Jackie Dunn, Wendy MacIsaac, Troy MacGillivray, Shelly Campbell, and Buddy MacMaster to name just a few.

Mac re-joined Natalie's band in the summer of 2006 and is now touring the world again providing piano accompaniment and stepdancing.

Mac is also a full-time member of the energetic Cape Breton band 'Beolach' which features fiddlers Wendy MacIsaac and Mairi Rankin, Guitarist Patrick Gillis, Piper Ryan J. MacNeil, Drummer Matthew Foulds and Mac on Piano. The band has toured Canada, United States and Europe and released a self titled CD in 2002 and 'Variations' in 2004

Born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Matt MacIsaac was exposed to and surrounded by piping at an early age. A great-grandson to Pipe Major John A. (Black Jack) MacDonald of the Cape Breton Highlanders, Matt has followed his traditional lineage as a piper just as his relatives have before him. He is truly a natural talent.

After spending his early childhood years listening to family members play the pipes at gatherings and ceilidhs, Matt began his formal training as a piper and received his first instruction from Scott MacAulay at the College of Piping in Summerside, P.E.I. Although born in Cape Breton Matt grew up in New Brunswick where he continued his piping tuition with the Fredericton Society of St. Andrews Pipe Band organization under the leadership of Pipe Major Sandy Gordon moving through the ranks quickly joining the grade 2 band by the age of 12.

After a two year stretch with Fredericton Matt relocated with his family back to Nova Scotia and joined the grade 1 Halifax Police Association Pipes and Drums under the direction of Pipe Major Doug Boyd and later Pipe Major John Walsh. Matt continues to perform and compete with this organization which is now known as the 78th Highlanders Halifax Citadel (2003 North American Pipe Band Champions). See Natalie MacMaster web site for more....

J.D. Blair has two credos that resonate time and time again in his music: "Yo' Dude, If'n U Don't Do Nuffin' else... GROOVE!!!!!!!" and then he backs it up with Psalm 150! Basically it boils down to this - groove and praise."

And, for thirty plus years, that's exactly what JD Blair has done. His résumé reaches across all musical genres beginning with his earliest influences that began in church. These early initiations parlayed into playing on some of Contemporary Christian/Gospel's greatest artists' CDs and/or on the road, including Yolanda Adams, Donnie McClurkin, Point of Grace, Take 6, Kirk Whalum, and CeCe Winans, to name a few.

However, JD Blair, aka "The Groove Regulator" (and when you hear him play, it'll be crystal clear how he got that moniker), cannot be pigeonholed. JD's talents translate into whatever music plays. His teenage years found him honing his craft in marching band, to the sounds of funk and while stepping out into the world of jazz. In later years, all of these well-crafted elements culminated and can be heard complementing the artistry of Sam "Shake" Anderson, India.Arie, April Barrows, Thomas Cain, Bootsy Collins, George Duke, Rod McGaha, Natalie MacMaster, Mike Stern and Victor Wooten. More on MacMaster web site.

Nathaniel Smith began studying cello at five years of age and quickly developed an interest in playing cello in a variety of musical settings. He is a two time winner of the alternative instrument category at the Southern Regional Fiddler's Contest.

He won first place in the American String Teacher Association Alternative Music Competition in 2005, which included a winner's performance at the Nugget Casino in Reno, Nevada where he received the award for best musicianship and also where he first met Mark O'Connor.

He has performed in concert with Mark while attending the Fiddle Camp in Nashville and the Strings Conference in San Diego and he in 2006 completed a national tour with Mark O'Conner's American String Celebration. His mentors include cellists Natalie Haas, Rushad Eggleston and Tristan Clarridge. Nat pursues classical studies with Carlton McCreery at the University of Alabama, with whom he has studied for eight years.

He was the principal cellist in the Mississippi All-State Orchestra for 2006 and currently

plays cello in the Belhaven College String Quartet and is the assistant principal cellist for the Belhaven Chamber Orchestra. He enjoys playing many musical styles and adapting them to the cello. He studies with a local jazz guitarist, adapting many tunes from the jazz repertoire to cello. He is the cellist, bassist, and composer in his local band, 18 String Theory, and is a sought after soloist in the Jackson area, frequently performing and recording with local jazz, classical and traditional musicians. He is currently an 8th grader and is 13 years old.

Shane Hendrickson...as he began taking studio gigs and playing for bands and recording acts around the Vancouver area. He was soon picked up by one of the hardest working female trios in Canada, Farmer's Daughter. Not only did he tour non-stop across Canada with Farmers Daughter, but he also had the unique experience to be with them when they were mistakenly hired to play for 30,000 bikers at a rally in France! "I don't get nervous playing for large crowds, but man I was nervous," laughs Shane. Also with the "Daughters" he was honoured to fly to North Africa to play for the Canadian troops with the UN. "Being in the middle of a war zone really opens your eyes. It also gave all of us a great appreciation for the work our Canadian Peacekeepers are doing," says Shane.

After his time with Farmers Daughter, Shane again settled into his freelance sideman routine until one day he got a call from Siobheann Leahy, bassist for the Canadian Celtic powerhouse Leahy. "Siobheann asked if I would like to fill in for a couple of weeks for her. Of course I jumped at the chance," explained Shane. "Then she told me the first show was in Detroit in 10 days and it's a 90 minute show!" Gulp! Well by foregoing sleep and food, Shane managed to get the tunes embedded into his head. He walked on stage 10 days later in Detroit with no rehearsal, and the show went off without a hitch. "It went so well that I don't think there was one person in the audience who knew I wasn't a part of the band!" Well, there was one person in the audience who noticed - Natalie MacMaster.

Fast forward two years later. Shane is on the last show in New York of a US tour with Italian singer Patrizio Buanne when he gets a call on his cell from Natalie. She was making some changes in her band and wondered if he'd be interested in working with her. "I thought about it for about a millisecond before accepting!" jokes Shane. Once again, he found himself trying to cram material for a whole 90 minute show into his head! "At least this time I had a whole two weeks to learn Natalie's music!"  More on Natalie MacMaster web site.