Gordon Pipers

CD Review

Nikki Cormaci

Gordon Pipers' new album, 'Tunes from the Brickyard'

No CD collection can boast substantial eclecticism without at least one recording of “Happy Birthday” on the Scottish bagpipes. Luckily, the plaid-clad Hoosier parade and race regulars, the Indianapolis 500 Gordon Pipers, have devoted 44 years to making sure that Indiana never feels too far from the Highlands.

Their straight-shooting 25-track CD, titled Tunes from the Brickyard, delivers loving renditions of the well-worn fixtures of Celtic and Scottish pipe and drum music along with some surprises.

All the familiar favorites are represented, from “Oh Danny Boy” to “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling,” along with a smatter of American tunes, including “Amazing Grace.” And then, of course, there’s that grinning quirk, “Happy Birthday.”

Locals have long trusted the Gordon Pipers to maintain the legitimacy of Indianapolis’ annual St. Pat’s parade. Their CD transports the sounds of that experience to your living room, where you finally can control their volume.