a sparkling, beautifully varied selection that highlights the players’ assertive individual prowess, near telepathic attunement and seemingly inexhaustible inventiveness

This is an enormous leap forward from Anna Massie's debut CD. The arrangements are strong, the music is engaging, and the tunes are just great.

17 0f the 28 tunes are self penned by Anna further adding to her talent and increasing her great potential to shine very brightly in the future of Scottish music.

Missing Gift? Certainly not. The trio's musical gifts are patently obvious.

Only the second album from 2003's Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the year and her pals? When Massie's agile fingers rise to the challenge of the intricate Swedish jig which leads off the solo Blue Angel set, it would be easy to take her guitar playing for that of a much more experienced hand. That this is followed by her picking up the fiddle to play alongside Mairearad Green's equally impressive accordion, only adds to the evidence of a remarkable talent, one that also extends to writing 17 of the 28 tunes.

But this is certainly no solo album. Green gets to display her own inventive playing  on pipes as wellk as box, and guitarist Jenn Butterworth reveals a fine voice on the two songs. Three talented ladies, one seemingly attuned unit. Missing Gift? Certainly not. The trio's musical gifts are patently obvious.

originality in both writing and interpretation, finely tuned senses of humor, good friendships and musical collaboration, along with outstanding musicality and deep appreciation of their native Scots traditions..

In recent years it has sometimes seemed as though the Celtic music world is overrun with energetic young players and bands.  Anna Massie, Jenn Butterworth and Maireread Green have originality in both writing and interpretation, finely tuned senses of humor, good friendships and musical collaboration, along with outstanding musicality and deep appreciation of their native Scots traditions, which mark their work as several long cuts above the rest.

Each wrote part of the music on their second recording. Their are several traditional tunes, along with covers of Steven Foster's "Hard Times" and Si Khan's "What You Do With What You Got". Most of the tracks are instrumental sets, with lively conversation among Massie's fiddling, Butterworth's guitar and Green's pipes holding centre stage. The friendly, engaging and highly musical stage presence translates well to this recording, without the banter and storytelling to go along. It is about the music, and these three have fresh ideas backed with deep traditional skills and creative imaginations enough to keep that conversation going for a long time.....

 Kerry Dexter...

This is wonderfully well played music

Folk by Graham McDonald:
Anna Massie Band - The Missing Gift (Foot Stompin' CDFSR1732)

Anna Massie popped up on the Scottish music scene a couple of years ago, with an impressive CD of Scottish tunes played on fiddle, flat- picked guitar and mandolin. Along the way she picked up the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Award in 2003 and she is back with a second CD ably supported by guitarist and singer Jenn Butterworth and accordion player Mairearad Green. This is wonderfully well played music from three young women who have an average age in their early 20s. Massie's playing only gets better  and we can only wait with interest to see what they will be doing in ten years time.

One challenge for a roots-based instrumental album is capturing the excitement of the live sound in the studio. With Donald Shaw's guiding hand as producer, this album comes very close to doing so..

Uptempo, contemporary acoustic folk.****

One challenge for a roots-based instrumental album is capturing the excitement of the live sound in the studio. With Donald Shaw's guiding hand as producer, this album comes very close to doing so. Lead musician Anna Massie excels across a range of instruments including guitars, banjo, mandolin and fiddle, and also contributes to vocals. As on her earlier album, Glad Company, Massie is joined by fellow young Scottish musicians Jenn Butterworth on guitar and Mairearad Green on accordion and border pipes, though both play a more prominent part this time. The 15 sets cover an impressive 31 tunes, with no less than 17 of these being by Massie. Somewhat surprisingly for an acoustic folk album, only three of the tunes are traditional.

The album is predominantly upbeat and fast-paced, with some tight playing and slick tune changes. Slower numbers, such as Green's 'Maggie West's', allow Massie's lyrical fiddle playing to shine. The band is at its vibrant best on 'Navigator', showcasing some particularly fine accordion playing by Green. The only tune which sits less well is an 1855 tune named 'Hard Times' but this only serves to highlight just how contemporary and accomplished the rest is.............Andy Jurgis

The entire collection is an inspiration to listen to - again and again and again.......

Each musician plays an equal role, though it's Anna's instrumental virtuosity that never fails to impress

The Missing Gift illustrates this acoustic trio's tight, accomplished, intuitive playing, and Anna Massie's compositions dominate this thoroughly Scottish album. Each musician plays an equal role, though it's Anna's instrumental virtuosity that never fails to impress as she switches between guitar, fiddle, mandolin, tenor banjo and tenor guitar. Jenn, as ever, proves an inspired guitar accompanist, and Mairearad has a deft and lyrical touch on accordion and border pipes. The album, produced by Donald Shaw, is nicely sequenced and the witty sleeve notes match the banter you get at live gigs.........Read the full review at The Living Tradition:   

This is a lively album with plenty to get your toes tapping.

.........This is a lively album with plenty to get your toes tapping. The quality of performance is excellent and there is a good variety of texture and harmony in the accompaniments. The sets are well constructed, with tunes that complement each other to good effect. The overall sound is quite traditional. Of the 14 tracks making up the album, only two feature the border pipes - I could have used more of that, but it's my only real gripe. ......... It's a well crafted, solidly good album with plenty of decent tunes on it. These three performers will certainly be worth keeping an eye on.

Bryn Colvin

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