Redwood
Lunasa’s past three albums have sometimes dabbled with outside influences, butRedwoodis really proof of how much life there is in these traditional renderings of Irish tunes. Recorded in Northern California during a break in its 2002 tour, the instrumental quintet sounds as a comfortable as an old pair shoes here, but ones with plenty of support left in them--the musicians easily sprint through "Temple Hill" at a pace that barely leaves room to breathe. "Harp And Shamrock" is lovely duet between flutist Kevin Crawford and fiddler Sean Smyth (both acclaimed in their own right as players), where Crawford opens with a long solo passage before he hands the song off to Smyth, who solos to the conclusion as the rest of the band accompanies him. The arrangement is a simple idea, but one that’s well executed with dramatic results, which is actually something that can be said about all ofRedwood.--Tad Hendrickson