Garry Shannon: Punctured

GARRY SHANNON: PUNCTURED

Garry Shannon: flute, vocals, lilting

Kevin Crawford, Niall Keegan, Anthony Quigney: flute

Eimear Howley: violin, viola

Fergal Scahill: guitar, bodhran

Kieran Leahy, Matt Griffin: guitar

Padraic O'Reilly: piano, keyboard

Caoilfhionn Ni Fhrighil: cello

Mossie Griffin, Brian Morrissey: bodhran

Paul O'Driscoll: bass

Adrian Healy, John Stewart: drums

On this new CD, Gary Shannon picks up where he had left off on the previous album. As on "Loozin' Air," the Clare flute player has involved several of his fellow "airmen" in this new project, to great effect, and has surrounded himself with an excellent cast of accompanists. Shannon's sense of humor is clearly a major factor in his approach to music-making, sometimes perhaps to the detriment of straight technique. But this is so much fun to listen to that I, for one, am quick to look past the little imperfections. Still, he is capable of a straightforward performance, as on the lovely Michael Rooney minuet "Na Mithe Mora," which sounds appropriately chamber-music-like with its string arrangement. Shannon often treads the thin line between bravura and reckless abandon--who would open an album with "The Contradiction" otherwise?--but the result is mostly exhilarating. Perhaps encouraged by his humorous vocalizing on the previous album, Shannon dares to perform a song--the track title, "Blowing Hot Air," gives you a clue that this is not quite an aria. As for the last track of multi-voiced lilting, well, you'll just have to hear it... (11/2006)

Rating: *** 1/2

Price: $19.99