The Kane Sisters: Under the Diamond

THE KANE SISTERS: UNDER THE DIAMOND

Liz Kane: fiddle

Yvonne Kane: fiddle

John Blake: guitar

Mick Conneely: bouzouki

James Blennerhassett: double bass

Liz and Yvonne Kane's debut recording "The Well Tempered Bow" was so good in every way it was hard to imagine what the two fiddle playing sisters from Letterfrack, Connemara, would come up with as a follow-up. Well, the old adage "if it ain't broke" is most fitting here. Although they did invite a couple more musicians to participate as accompanists, in all other aspects their new CD is pretty much identical to the first, down to the great mix of esoteric tunes generously sprinkled with more spine-tingling Paddy Fahey compositions. But who's complaining, not me. I loved the first album, and I love this one... almost as much. Liz and Yvonne seem to have a knack for selecting the most gorgeous Irish tunes ever composed--

the jig "The Lakes of Killarney" is on my list, and so is Liz's own tune "Betsy's Delight"--or having their unique way with old favorites. Listen for instance to their rendition of Reavy's extravagant tune "The Wild Swans at Coole." Another nice surprise is to hear them play Martin Mulvihill's two reels, "The High Road to Glin" and "The Low Road to Glin." The sisters' duet on the slow air "Sean O'Duibhir a Ghleanna," a challenge to record by their own admission, shows a breathtaking balance of precision and expression. An interesting departure from the first album's model is that each sister here takes a solo, Liz doing a fabulous job on the reels "Farewell to Miltown" and "The Wheels of the World," while Yvonne tackles one of Reavy's lesser known reels and yet another Fahey gem. So why, might you ask, am I not giving this new CD the same top rating I gave the first? Well, I worry that Liz and Yvonne might not be able to handle two 5-star ratings in a row. They might get all self-important and not talk to me anymore...

Rating: **** 1/2

Price: $19.99