Mary Jane & Wendy are in the Top 10 in Canada for January airplay on Folk DJ playlists in all 3 spots – Album, Artist, and Single for their song “Yellow Coat”.

This information has been compiled by Richard Gillmann. In January, Richard’s lists were based on 13,046 airplays from 147 different DJ’s. Richard compiles monthly surveys of international airplay on the folkdj-l listserve. Archives of these can be found at folkradio.org. Richard’s complete lists can be found on his own website at www.nwfolk.com.

Some sublime traditional music here from two lights of the Canadian firmament. As such, they can do little wrong and, indeed, Seinn is a treat from start to finish. Fantastic sets of tunes featuring MacIsaac’s astringent Cape Breton fiddling (and mandolin) are interspersed with Lamond’s Gaelic songs. Highlights there are a-pleny: the hypnotic “If You Were Mine,” some very tasty Wendy MacIsaac originals on “Boise Monsters,” and Lamond’s obligatory solo “Rinn Mi Corr Is Naoi Mile” (she does a cappella soooo well). If you’re a fan of any of the many strands of Celtic music, Seinn is absolutely essential.

by Richard Thornley

The Nova Scotians’ links with their Scottish and particularly their Gaelic heritages have always been strong, and this sparkling CD shows that there is no danger of that connection being broken.

Mary Jane Lamond has a warm and rich singing voice with some of the clearest diction you could hope to find. Although she was a student of Celtic Studies, her approach to her material is not that of a dusty academic, but rather that of a storyteller who is passionate about the material she sings, and who wants to get that story over to her listeners. This she easily and effortlessly achieves as her voice not only carries all the subtleties of the tunes, but also gets to the core spirit of the message.

Wendy MacIsaac is a fiddle and mandolin player and pianist of distinction, who (like so many from that airt) can combine all this with step-dancing, too. Her playing is as clear and crisp as the frost on a Cape Breton winter’s morning, but with a warmth and depth of subtlety. She can turn her hand to hard driving reels just as much as to hauntingly lyrical slow airs.

Here, the two friends combine seamlessly, along with a vast array of guest musicians, to give a fusion of arrangements and presentation which shows their appreciation of each others’ approach to their music and their utter harmony with their traditions.

The full Gaelic song texts are printed in the liner notes, and the whole production standards are of the highest quality, making this an essential purchase.

by Gordon Potter, Living Tradition

Congratulations to Mary Jane & Wendy, their album Seinn is nominated for an ECMA award, for Roots/Traditional Group Recording of the Year. We look forward to ECMW in Halifax, March 6-10, and congratulations to all the award nominees!

I’ve seen Wendy MacIsaac perform in numerous capacities over the years — solo, as part of the band Beolach and in various pickup groups during the Celtic Colours International Festival in Cape Breton. But the first time I saw her, more than a decade ago, was as a member of Mary Jane Lamond’s backup band at a gig in New York City.

Despite MacIsaac’s various musical endeavors, she’s kept her musical partnership with Lamond strong — and thriving. That’s demonstrated handily with their latest release, Seinn, which was released jointly under both musicians’ names.

It’s a strong partnership still, and Lamond’s role doesn’t suffer from allowing MacIsaac to step forward and share the spotlight. The album is a tidy balance of Gaelic songs (Lamond) and fiddle sets (MacIsaac), and it’s pure pleasure from start to finish.

Lamond adds a bit of accordion to several tracks, and MacIsaac, besides fiddle, plays a little mandolin and piano. This is no duo effort, however; besides the two eponymous performers, the album draws on a large field of talented vocal and instrumental talent — much of it likewise from Cape Breton — including, but by no means limited to, Tim Edey, Patrick Gillis, Corrina Hewat, Fred Lavery, Ashley MacIsaac, Matt MacIsaac, Cathy-Ann MacPhee, David Milligan and Seph Peters. The tracks are a mix of traditional selections, original pieces and covers.

Lamond has a gorgeous voice and an unequaled mastery of the Gaelic tongue. MacIsaac has for years been one of Cape Breton’s strongest and most reliable fiddlers. Together, they are a force to be reckoned with — a long-standing blending of talents that has continued to grow, develop and strengthen through the years … and has never failed to satisfy.

by Tom Knapp, Rambles

2012 was a great year for world music, but really, almost every year is a good year when it comes to world music. About.com has put together their list of the Best 12 World Music CDs of 2012, and Mary Jane and Wendy’s Seinn is among their favourites:

“This spritely recording came to us from the fertile musical ground of Cape Breton Island, where traditional Celtic music has been kept alive for many generations. Among the torchbearers of the legacy are singer Mary Jane Lamond and fiddler Wendy MacIsaac, for whom this is the first collaboration, though the two have been friends and accomplices for years. Seinn is less about pushing any boundaries than it is highlighting the patina of an old sound (though some of the tracks do add some nontraditional percussion and arrangements, which is fun), but these musicians are strong and capable, and the music sounds better than ever.”

by Megan Romer, About.com