Latest CD releases reviewed

JOHN GORDON
The Humours Of Glendart Cló Iar Chonnachta
***

This is a notable showcase of fiddle music from south-west Fermanagh: a grand gathering of tunes from John Gordon, the first of which dates back to 1956, when Ciarán MacMathuna visited Kiltyclogher to gather material for his radio series, A Job of Journeywork. With piano accompaniment from Charlie Lennon, it's a technicolour snapshot of an agile fiddle player in full flight. Despite the occasionally ropey sound quality, a wealth of treasure lurks amid these 15 tunes - for scholar and fan alike. A trio of hornpipe, march and set-piece, The Drunken Sailor, Inverness Gathering and The Jockey at the Fair, rise head and shoulders above the rest, courtesy of Gordon's deliciously fluid, free-flowing style. Definitely a find for completists, but possibly too raw for the casual listener. www.cic.ie

Siobhán Long