Tom Alexander is best known as the accordion playing half of the long established Scottish vocal/instrumental duo, The Alexander Brothers. His new, self-produced solo CD Bits and Pieces is a worthy exposition of his talents as a musician, arranger and recording engineer.  The CD presents a variety of accordion specialities and Scottish melodies – all performed and recorded to a high standard on a Hohner Gola.  The warm and rounded tones produced by Tom’s classy playing and intonation are a real pleasure to listen to, making this CD most definitely a cut above the average.

In addition to being a very fine accordionist, Tom has become a master of MIDI sequencing, and the arrangements on this CD offers an array of many very convincing sounds in support of the accordion lead.  The CD opens in bright style with El Relicario, a number beloved of accordionists everywhere.  Catchy tunes abound on this recording, such as the Petite Waltz, Lady of Spain, The Dark Island and Jealousy.  Although not a Scottish dance music CD, two of the most memorable melodies are dance tunes, the Piper’s Waltz, written by Blair Douglas, and The Furrow’s End, a beautiful waltz composed by Gordon Pattullo.  On Dance of the Hours and Tristesse, Tom diverts convincingly into the classics, with the former being an orchestral treatment/arrangement whilst the latter delves into the works of Chopin.  My favourite track is the imaginatively arranged Whistling Rufus, which begins as the usual ragtime two-step, then moves into an Art Van Damme ‘lounge jazz’ mood, next into a Dixieland style, and finishes with a Jack Emblow-like freewheeling jazzy flourish – all in the space of about three minutes!

All in all, this CD is a highly satisfying listening experience, thoroughly recommended for anyone who enjoys quality accordion playing.    

The 20 tracks include El Relicario, Isle of My Heart, The Flowers of Edinburgh, Petite Waltz, Skye At Last, Lady of Spain, The Dark Island, Whistling Rufus, Eilean Gorm Mhuile, Dance of the Hours, Tom's Medley, Tristesse, March, Strathspey & Reel, Piper's Waltz, Jealousy, Farewell to Kintail, The Furrow's End, The Oil Rigger, Highland Cathedral and Under the Double Eagle.

Available from Concorde Music, Perth – tel 01738 621 818 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Rob Howard