The 13-tune compilation should qualify as one of the top Canadian albums of the past year if only for the virtuosic picking by Darrin Schott on mandolin — his role touring as a teenager with The Good Brothers years back — and the intuitive accompaniment by Alison Schott on guitar.
Read the full review!

The Schotts are a husband and wife team who have developed an interesting and fresh approach to country, bluegrass and folk music...with wonderful harmonies, a diverse collection of material and unbelievable musicianship… the Schotts are destined to impact the Canadian music scene for many years to come...

Over the years we have been fortunate at King’s to work with Darrin and Alison. Whenever they were booked to perform at one of our special events we had a crowd that would come to see Darrin’s pickin’ and Alison's sweet singing! Good luck Schotts - I'm looking forward to getting you back to perform again soon and to hear your new CD!

This cd has great performances, great sonics, and great pickin!

I already have my favourites... "Bluejay" made me smile, "Here & Gone" made me cry, "Understood" made me feel strong, "This Old Coat" made me think, "Because You Love Me" made me remember... I guess you could say that I love your CD!

The Schotts are one of those rare treats that happen in radio. They come in with their debut CD, with no expectations of getting any airplay. But listening to the album, there is a uniqueness, professionalism and a love of traditional music that comes through and deserves to be heard...and enjoyed!

The culmination of 25 years of energy and practice come together on this album, immortalized in a beautiful blend of traditional and original tunes. It's well mixed, the instrumentation is spot on, the writing is great. This CD hasn't left my stereo since it arrived in my home, keep on pickin' Schotts.

According to the liner notes, Darrin and Alison Schott have been playing and performing together for 25 years and this is their first CD.  How incredibly selfish of them to deny the world wider access to their stunning talent. This bluegrass duo - Alison on guitar and vocals and Darrin on mandolin and vocals - are spectacular players and singers, their voices meshing seamlessly after a quarter-century of collaboration.
Darrin can hold his own with any mandolin player you care to name.  All of the songs were recorded without overdubs, an impressive achievement considering the intricacy of his playing.  Alison has a gorgeous voice and it's a shame it is not featured more often on this disc. All but four of the 13 tracks are originals and the covers they have chosen blend beautifully with their style.  The question is when will the next album be released?  Soon, we hope.

The Schotts: Self-titled
Buy our CD Get in Touch View Our Links
Performances
Photo Gallery