Sharon Shannon Collection 1990-2005
County Clare-born accordionist/multi-instrumentalist/bandleader is long overdue for a career retrospective and this two-CD set overflows with high points. Although an acknowledged master of Irish traditional styles, this least complacent and most generous of artists never ceases experimenting. The first disc contains instrumentals cherry-picked from six albums. "Cavan Potholes" depicts omni-present Irish road conditions and "The Mighty Sparrow", taped during the "A Woman’s Heart" tour, is a jig augmented by a Caribbean beat and raucously apt sax solo. Disc two is given over to vocals, many of which are performed by stars from other genres. Jackson Browne’s "A Man Of Constant Sorrow" is given a Hibernian Grand Ol’ Opry treatment compete with lovely back-up singing from Mary Staunton. Damien Dempsey, a sensitive roughneck of a Dublin singer-composer, gives the Lennon/McCartney chestnut "Norwegian Wood" a new lease on life and also turns up in "Courtin’ In The Kitchen", a profane little comedy led by the inimitable Dessie O’Halloran. But the late Kirstie MacColl’s treatment of Astor Piazzolla’s "Libertango" is magic of a more wistful, shadowy kind, making us miss her all the more. --Christina Roden