Liz & Yvonne Kane

LIZ & YVONNE KANE: THE WELL TEMPERED BOW

Liz & Yvonne Kane: fiddles

Jesse Smith: viola

John Blake: guitar, piano

Liz and Yvonne Kane are two young fiddle players from Letterfrack, in the Connemara area of Co. Galway, and have been making a name for themselves touring in particular with Sharon Shannon's band The Woodchoppers. Their style of playing is heavily influenced by the South Sligo tradition as well as that of East Galway, and in particular the music of the great composer Paddy Fahey, whose tunes are all over this album. For those who like their fiddle tunes in C and F (and in particular the minor modes) rather than the more familiar D and G, this will be a welcome addition to the classic 1970s Shanachie album by New York fiddle player Kathleen Collins. As one might expect, the two sisters can play very tightly together. In fact, rather than playing off each other and making contrasting individual statements on the tunes, they chose to stay close at all times, the result being a powerful and gorgeous unison. In that regard, their album is reminiscent (in spirit, not in playing style) of another sibling's fiddle album, "Northern Lights" by Kevin and Seamus Glackin. The Kanes are accompanied impeccably on guitar and piano by John Blake, whose talents are in much demand at the moment. This is a masterpiece.

Rating: *****

Price: $19.99 Recommended