Midsummer's Night
Dervish, perhaps  more than any other traditional Irish band, have the knack of bringing the  passion and spontaneity of a pub session to their recordings. OnMidsummer's  Night, the seven members of the band play their way through six sets of  dance tunes with an easygoing charm that makes even the quick tempos of the  liveliest jigs seem effortless. The instrumental talents of the members may rank  with the best Ireland has to offer, but the real heart of the band is the voice  of Cathy Jordan. When she sings a tragic ballad such as "The Banks of Sweet  Viledee," she brings the bitterness and sorrow to life, and when she gets  flirtatious, as she does on "Sean Bhain," she is irresistible. When Dervish  first appeared on the scene in the early 1990s, they were tagged as the nextBothy Band. WithMidsummer's Night, they have truly gone beyond comparison with other  bands, and have become so influential that, from now on, up-and-coming groups  are likely to be described as the next Dervish.--Michael Simmons