LIVE IN THE STUDIO (WITH SALLY MINNEAR)

I don't receive nearly as many DVDs as I used to, but I am so glad that this one made it all the way to New Zealand as it is a real gem. I have followed Dave's career for some years, firstly with the amazing, wonderful, brilliant Iona and then with his other projects. Prior to this I hadn't previously come across Sally, although for some reason her surname seemed familiar, and it was only when watching the conversation between the two of them at the end of the disc, where they interview each other, that I realised that she is the daughter of Kerry Minnear of Gentle Giant fame. Her and Dave met initially as Dave is friends with her parents, and she grew up listening to Iona albums. Kenny is of course a multi-instrumentalist, which means that there were always a great many different instruments in the house, and Sally also can turn her hands to most things.

The main part of the DVD features Dave and Sally performing in his studio, with Dave providing keyboard, guitars and bouzouki while Sally is on vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion, recorded, whistle, violin and keyboards. The two of them perform surrounded by instruments, so much so that it can be quite hard to have enough space to stand. But, using these and combining them with some triggers (there are only two of them after all), they create music which is based in the Celtic tradition, and is hauntingly beautiful. My wife, Sara, walked into the study at the end of the DVD and asked what I was watching, and I told her that the only word to really describe their music was "Beautiful", and that nothing else mattered.

The production is clear, and there is nothing fancy about the camerawork as there doesn't need to be. There are a few different cameras being used, which allows the watcher/listener to be close to what is going on, and really enjoy the feeling of being there. As well as the songs recorded live in the studio, there are another four from a show earlier this year, plus the conversation. My only personal gripe, which is incredibly minor, is that I would love for this to have been released with a CD or download of the music so that I could also play this in the car, as it is truly glorious in every facet. This is absolutely essential for any fans of Iona, Dave or Sally, Celtic music, or who just want to hear music where vocals and instruments combine to create something which is ethereal and powerful, both at the same time. Simply stunning.