Ceol More
Compared to the fiddle, flute, and harp, the acoustic guitar is a  relative newcomer to Celtic music, but the skill and musicality of Scottish  guitaristTony McManusmake it sound as though the instrument's history stretches back centuries rather  than mere decades. OnCeol More, McManus joins bassist Ewan Vernal for a  collection of Irish, Scottish, Breton, and Québecois tunes that gently  stretch the harmonic and rhythmic boundaries of the music while staying true to  the shape of the ancient melodies. By subtly playing with the arrangements of  familiar tunes, he recasts them in a new image. His version of "The Old Bush"  takes a lively, even jolly reel, then slows the tempo down until it takes on a  melancholy air. And when he steps outside the Celtic tradition on the  17th-century Hebrew hymn "Shalom Aleichem" and theCharles Mingusjazz  classic "Goodbye Porkpie Hat," he reveals his musical imagination can encompass  more than just jigs and reels. Tony McManus has accompanied such musicians as  Kate Rusby, Alasdair Fraser, and Liz Doherty in the past, but the sheer beauty  of his guitar playing onCeol Moreshows he's more than ready to set out  on his own.--Michael Simmons