Karine Polwart has made her name in folk music and has awards galore to show for it.
But her latest visit to Aberdeen provided a novel twist with her Scottish Songbook album tour featuring a reworking of songs made famous by Scottish artists of past and present.
Backed by her regular band mates, brother Steven Polwart and Inge Thomson, Polwart has been joined by Graeme Smillie, Calum McIntyre and Louis Abbott in expanding the sound of the KP Trio for her latest tour.
The Music Hall hosted the opening night and those in attendance were treated to a show every bit as magical as regular followers of Polwart have come to expect.
Hearing Deacon Blue’s Dignity given a folk twist alongside a reinterpreted version of The Whole of the Moon by Waterboys was the closest Polwart and her band came to delivering a predictable choice for a folk re-imagining.
But it was the riskier song choices of Scottish artists such as Biffy Clyro and Chvrches which really stood out as bold, brave musical choices alongside artists which did not appear on the album, Bronski Beat, Eurythmics, Emeli Sande and a rousing Talking Heads cover.
It is clear, both from the album and additional choices performed live that Polwart has merely scratched at the surface of her tartan box of musical choices.
Few would object to her delving deeper into the roots of Scottish music in the future.
