I first heard Jocelyn Pettit, a West Coast Canadian fiddler, when she sent me a copy of her 2022 album Wind Rose for review. Now she's back, this time in the company of Maryland native cellist Ellen Gira, on Here to Stay.

The duo, new to me, has certainly accrued an impressive resume, with their previous recording All It Brings earning a 2024 Canadian Folk Music Award for Traditional Album of the Year. That's a tough standard to beat. Without hearing that previous effort, I can see why their music earned such high marks.

Both musicians have done plenty on their own and in other projects, and they've been working together -- recording, touring internationally, and broadcasting -- since meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2018.

This is a fairly stripped-down recording. Each brings her primary instrument -- fiddle and cello, in case you've forgotten since the first paragraph -- as well as occasional vocals. Pettit, a stepdancer, adds a bit of foot percussion. Everest Witman supplements the sound with guitar, and Oisin Hannigan guests on bodhran on a single track. The album was recorded in studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Montreal, Quebec.

Befitting their multicultural backgrounds, the music here -- presented in 11 tracks -- includes tunes from Quebecois, Cape Breton, Danish, Scottish, and Appalachian origins, plus a handful of original pieces, some by Pettit and Gira, as well as a few learned from other musicians.

Combined, the duo makes a joyful noise, with energetic selections that are a lot of fun to hear. They are well matched vocally and are particularly well suited when singing in harmony ... but let's be honest, it's when the fiddle and cello are working together that this album is pure happiness at play.

They explain in the album liner that Here to Stay is a reference to returning to their North American homes after their meeting overseas ... but, while I'm sure they will both continue their various solo and other group projects, I certainly hope this particular duo is also here to stay.

[ visit Jocelyn Pettit & Ellen Gira online ]