Gen-X Cape Breton fiddler Natalie MacMaster is known for taking the Scottish-inspired and maritime-honed dance music of her native province into daring combinations with folk, flamenco, rock and bluegrass.

This time out, she illustrates that the straight-up traditional stuff can be just as exciting in the right hands.

"E Flat" might not seem too exciting a song title, but when you hear MacMaster go at it, you'll understand why she says "the thing about Cape Breton music is the rawness of it. There's nothing dainty about it at all."

Tearing her way through hornpipes such as "Wildcat" (RealAudio excerpt) marches such as "Hey Johnny Cope" and jigs including "The Boys of the Lake," (RealAudio excerpt)MacMaster also shows off her skills on the slower side of things with the old Gaelic folksong "The Cuckoo," and winds up the trip to a highland dance with a set played live with her uncle, legendary fiddler Buddy MacMaster, at a Glencoe dance.