Scythian
is an increasingly popular band in the Maryland-Washington DC
area. They can stand on their instrumentals alone.
This is evidenced in their first cut "Drums of Belfast"
of their premier CD Aidan's Orbit. Here in addition to the percussion
of Alex Kuldell, the work of fiddlers Alex Fedoryka and Josef
Crosby stands out.
Strong fiddling is also manifest in "Orange Blossom Special."
The instrumentals of Scythian are appealing. "Greek Fiddle"
also bring this fact out. As does "Donegal Rant."
I get the impression here that this is a band that is still finding
its niche-but has made an excellent start.
One very good thing is that they don't hesitate to tackle the
unusual or those tunes that other bands may not touch upon for
various reasons. In this CD "Mohican Theme" from the
Last of the Mohicans is case in point. Here Scythian scores.
Aidan's Orbit finishes with a live rendition of "Tammlin"
another cut where Scythian's instrumentals can stand on their
own merits. That makes for a great beginning. - AK.
