Liz Carroll & John Doyle: In Play

LIZ CARROLL & JOHN DOYLE: IN PLAY

Liz Carroll: fiddle

John Doyle: guitar, bouzouki

Famed Chicago fiddle player Liz Carroll and ex-Solas guitar wizard John Doyle have been spending quite a bit of time playing and touring together. The new CD is the result of that collaboration, a throwback to the days of Carroll's first solo albums, without all the added orchestrations which thickened the mix on more recent productions. Most of the material was authored by Carroll or Doyle (or both), both demonstrating here again with witty melodies galore that their instrumental skills are but one facet of their uncommon talent. Carroll is, to say the least, a player with an intense sound, and Doyle brings up the intensity a few notches higher even with his highly percussive strumming. While it is all very well done, the result is a full-force, sustained frontal assault on the senses which may or may not agree with everyone's tastes. But it is a very faithful reproduction of what one experiences listening to these two live. If you like their show, this CD is for you.

Rating: ****

Price: $16.99