Celtic Music : 3rd Ear - The Essential Listening Companion
Part of the reliable "Third Ear" series (see also Alternative  Rock, LJ 2/15/01), this glossy guide to the "Celtic" genre will  appeal to both fanatics and newcomers. The form, or "brew," as  editor Mathieson puts it, has a singular identity created by  fusion with strains of rock, jazz, techno, and trance. A regular  contributor to Jazzwise magazine, Mathieson presents a readable  historical overview of Celtic music from the 1960s, which saw  the folk and traditional music revival, to the present. He  forewarns readers that this is not a history of folk or  traditional music or of the Celts. In the spirit of the music's  roots-rich heritage, this work uses a geographical organization  that encompasses Ireland; Scotland; Wales, the Isle of Man, and  England; Cape Breton; Brittany; and Celtic Iberia (parts of  Spain and Portugal). Artists associated with a particular region  are discussed by experts in the field. Very nicely illustrated  with more than 150 album covers and several color photographs of  performers, this also features a useful artist index and  suggestions (though limited) for further reading or research. A  solid and inexpensive purchase for public libraries as well and  a useful selection for comprehensive world music  collections. David M. Turkalo, Suffolk Univ. Law Lib., BostonCopyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.