Latest CD releases reviewed

THE KANE SISTERS
Under the Diamond
Claddagh Records

Fiddle siblings are a rarity, and the Letterfrack Kanes have forged so much virgin territory with their instinctive duets that they conjure images of pioneering gold prospectors as readily as they do feisty fiddlers. Their shared genetic lineage must claim credit for the magnificent intertwining of fiddles on the set of reels that includes two tunes christened Fahey's, and their mirror image reading of the slow air, Seán O'Duibhir A Ghleanna, is not so much a duet as a latticeworked rendition of one of the most sublime tunes in the tradition. With mere tinctures of solo playing allowing a peep at Liz and Yvonne's identities, this is a collection that celebrates contemporary composition, borrowed tunes and a shared passion for the music - with verve. www.thekanesisters.com

JAMES KELLY
Melodic Journeys 
Claddagh Records

What's seldom is indeed wonderful. James Kelly, son of the Clare fiddler John, and now a hurricane-rattled Floridian, plays the fiddle with the deftest of bow hands and an ear well-tuned to the sublime undercurrents of the music. Casting his net deep rather than wide, Kelly's preference is to let tunes breathe deep, rather than succumbing to the asthmatic inhalations of the rabid. O'Carolan's Farewell to Music is a lovingly-honed tribute to the finest of composers, its identity shored up rather than hijacked by Kelly's langorous fiddle. But there's no shortage of zest either, as the set of polkas led out by Bridgie Con Matt's testifies: a divine reminder of the vigour of late Sliabh Luachra box player Johnny O'Leary, from whom Kelly borrowed the tune. www.jameskellymusic.com