Fiddler’s energy charms audience MacMaster performs at UMaine’s MCA

Natalie MacMaster may well be Cape Breton Island’s most adorable export. And while her virtuosic fiddling skill is impressive in and of itself, it was her energy, enthusiasm and warm, down-homey charm that made her Saturday night performance at the Maine Center for the Arts truly stunning.

Backed by her five-piece band, MacMaster blew through two joyous, crowd-pleasing sets made up largely of instrumentals from Cape Breton Island’s Celtic and Scottish fiddle traditions. Despite being steeped in this style, MacMaster showcased her true gift of fusing and updating this music. Throughout the night, MacMaster and company folded flourishes of jazz and rock, as well as other styles, into the mix of old time jigs, reels and ballads.

Laying down her fiddle to kick up her heels several times throughout the night, MacMaster also turned out some surprises with her high-energy hoofing which, like the music, fused traditional stepdancing with bits of tap and hip-hop style movements. A long, rhythmic duet with MacMaster’s clicking feet and Miche Poulliot’s drums was awe-inspiring. Much later in the performance, the effervescent MacMaster even moonwalked Michael Jackson-style across the stage.

But some of the greatest of the evening’s surprises came, perhaps, from members of her backing lineup. Accompanied by MacMaster and Brad Davidge on electric guitar, John Chiasson played upright bass and sang on an impressively smooth version of the jazz standard “Autumn Leaves” during the first half. Matt MacIsaac opened the second half with a sensational polyrhythmic bagpipe solo; while later in the set, guitarist Davidge sang and played a stirring waltz-style version of “Danny Boy.”

The evening closed with a long, exuberant medley of jigs and reels which brought the crowd to its feet applauding. MacMaster and company repaid the enthusiasm with a captivating encore of funked-out, stompin’ jamming.

George Bragdon can be reached at gbragdon@bangordailynews.net.