Still Getting Away With It No label***

The English acoustic guitarist and mandolinist, Chris Newman, may be more widely known for his collaborations with harpist Nollaig Ní Chathasaigh, but this solo recording will further secure his reputation for precision-engineered, lovingly crafted tunes.

Newman's chosen title, Still Getting Away With It, might suggest some duping of the listener, but nothing could be further from the truth. Mixing his own, often mischievously titled, compositions such as Pear Drops and Fourteen Poundsand Air on a Shoestringwith multiply jointed Québecois reels and Bluegrass borrowings, Newman occasionally allows virtuoso playing to overshadow the heart of the tunes.

Still, going head to head with The Mandoliquents’ Simon Mayer, Ní Chathasaidh, Arty McGlynn, Nollaig Casey and others, Newman’s party animal instincts are never far away.

Playful and incredibly dextrous.

See oldbridgemusic.com