Charlie (Capercaillie) McKerron's original Scottish fiddle album project, Session A9, has grown into a gigging band and released a second studio recording. No rough edges here, the sound gleams like polished mahogany – and no rough brogues either, this is music for the drawing room rather than the bothy. The music is irreverent and imaginative, filled with sly key changes, dramatic entrances, startling stops and irresistible 12-bar blues strathspeys. And… you can unfold the sleeve to play the band game, Get tae Wick, and chase round Scotland's famous arterial road.

Session A9 are not the only four-fiddle ‘supergroup’ on the Scottish folk scene, but like both Blazin’ Fiddles and Fiddlers’ Bid, they have evolved their own distinctive approach to the format. That sense of individuality is down to the differing ways in which the bands have approached arranging their material, whether with traditional tunes or contemporary variations on classic themes, as well as to the distinctive personal and regional styles of the players involved.

The fiddlers – Charlie McKerron, Adam Sutherland, Gordon Gunn and Kevin Henderson – are supported by Brian McAlpine’s keyboards and Tim Edey’s guitar, with Iain Copeland’s percussion adding further propulsion to their already rampant instrumental sets. The tunes are strong and memorable, the arrangements imaginative, and the playing is on the very high level of energy and sophistication we have come to expect from this excellent line-up.

This fiddle-led band has seriously funked up its music since the debut recording What Road? - Tim Edey (melodeon and guitar) takes over from Kris Drever, and Kevin Henderson joins fellow fiddlers Charlie McKerron, Gordon Gunn and Adam Sutherland. Iain Copeland on percussion and Brian McAlpine on shamelessly funky keyboards complete the line-up, plus occasional guests.

Many of Charlie's tunes feature here, from the storming opener Real Mackay Wedding to the triumphant air Fionn's.The title tune The Arm Breaker is another of his, as is the well-known Paella Grande. Charlie shares the pair of almost-strathspeys Kirstie's and Garry Porch with Adam Sutherland, who contributes several other compositions including the currently popular Road to Errogie.

Tim Edey adds a touch of Sliabh Luachra melodeon on Adam's reel A Trip to Market, and there's a tune apiece from Tim, Kevin and Gordon.

With a dozen compositions from the band, the other half of this ten-track CD draws on traditional tunes and pedigree composers. Sporting Paddy lends an Irish flavour to a set which includes John Morris Rankin's Hulls Reel. Gordon Duncan's Jig O' Beer follows Duncan the Gauger, unusually attributed to Evan Macrae. The Sleeping Tune is one of Gordon Duncan's finest, and gets a melancholy treatment from Session A9. Struy Lodge, credited to Willie Ross, and Far From Home are traditional reels nicely handled. Ross Ainslie's Dirty Bee provides the big finish, a satisfying climax to an excellent album.

Never mind the width: Session A9 have produced a quality recording here. Fiery fiddle, rippling keyboards, a good solid beat and lots of little extras.

Supergroups have a tendency to either baffle with bluster or dazzle with brilliance.

Founded by Capercaillie's Charlie McKerron, Session A9 are the Scottish equivalent of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and they have tunes to die for. A quartet of fiddles dominate with a magnificent orchestral sweep.

Tim Edey's melodeon contributions and the mass of original tunes add up to a collection with a finesse that celebrates the devil in the detail. McKerron's own The Real McKay Wedding opens Session A9's hand with a spitfire, while the jazz-tinged “Kirstie's” darkens the tone and brings welcome space to the mix.

Occasionally the percussion threatens to overwhelm the strings, but this is a ferocious collection that poses the question: when it comes to pushing the boundaries, are Scottish traditional musicians much edgier than their Irish counterparts?

“Resulting in brilliantly sophisticated arrangements of tunes new and old, brimming with brio and simply oozing class”

"Listen to this album well. Here is the new Scottish music."

Initially Session A9 was supposed to be a project to record a unique album, but sometimes the audience and listeners do not accept that. The success of their first album “What Road?” and their live gigs was so overwhelming, that the guys decided to let the music go on. And now the year 2008 sees the release of their second album, “Bottlenecks and Arm-breakers”. The line-up speaks for itself: four brilliant fiddlers named Charlie McKerron, Gordon Gunn, Kevin Henderson and Adam Sutherland are joined by Tim Edey on guitar and melodeon, Brian McAlpine on keyboards and Iain Copeland on percussion. And then they invited guest musicians like Kris Drever (guitar and diddling), Ewen Vernal (bass), David “Chimp” Robertson (percussion) and Ross Martin (guitar). Well these guys deliver a firework of ten traditional and modern hand-crafted tune-sets full of energy and passion, a good part of the tunes are self composed. The playing together of the four fiddles, McAlpine’s thriving piano, Edey’s guitar and melodeon work and the rhythm section with Copeland, Vernal and Robertson make this CD a single highlight. You can hear hauntingly beautiful airs, breathtaking dance tunes and brilliant samples of modern folk music. I’ve seen Session A9 live at a midsummer festival and Charlie said to me before the gig with a big smile in his face: “We will rock them”. And actually they did! Don’t hesitate and get this CD to prepare for your first Session A9 Live experience……