Nuala Kennedy's happy grin on the cover of the band's self-titled CD is reason enough to give Oirialla a listen. Kennedy is an amazing singer and flute player, and her involvement in a project generally means it's going to be good.

For Oirialla, she's teamed up with fiddler Gerry O'Connor, guitarist Gilles le Bigot and accordion player Martin Quinn. The band explores the musical tradition of Oriel, an area of South Ulster which the band describes as "the mountains of North Louth and south Armagh, stretching westward to East Monaghan." It is, historically, "a sanctuary for poets and bards supported by noble Irish families," the liner notes explain, resulting in "a wealth of music, song and dance with distinctive accents and styles quietly preserved by local musicians and folklorists."

The tunes and handful of songs on the album aren't familiar to me, but it's a lovely collection of music. I am biased to the extent that I already know and have been greatly impressed by Kennedy's various recordings, but to me her lilting voice and flute are almost always center stage in these arrangements. It's a gorgeous mix, and the musicians supporting her are uncompromisingly fine.

My only complaint is that the CD I received for review has a small scratch that makes the final three tracks unplayable. The rest of the album, however, I can recommend without reservations; it's probably safe to assume the concluding tracks are just as strong. This is an excellent album without artifice or pretention, just excellent musicianship from four talented players.

[ visit Oirialla online ]