Digging through my box of CDs that still want a review, I noticed a perennial favorite among the unfamiliar names. Runa, based in the Philadelphia area but hailing from three countries, is a reliable source of solid reinterpretations of music from Celtic traditional and other sources, and Stretched on Your Grave is no exception.

For instance, there's the uncanny blending of "The House Carpenter," a 17th-century English ballad (also known as "The Demon Lover," among other variant titles) with Dolly Parton's heartfelt plea to her rival, "Jolene."

There's also a jazzy reimagining of "Siul a Run," a traditional Irish lament famously recorded by Clannad, Mary Black, Altan and Celtic Woman, among others. The song so often covered -- and by so many luminaries in the field -- is remade here as something new.

The album opens with another traditional song, "The Newry Highwayman," which is a great introduction -- for those who aren't already familiar -- to singer Shannon Lambert-Ryan, a Philadelphia native. Her vocals are even better displayed on "Lowlands of Holland."

On Stretched on Your Grave, Runa also includes Dublin emigree Fionan de Barra on guitar, bass, mandolin, bodhran and vocals, and Montreal native Cheryl Prashker on percussion, plus guests Isaac Alderson on uilleann pipes, flute and whistle, and Tomoko Omura on violin.

"Fionnghuala" is an example of puirt-a-beul singing that hands the vocal reins to de Barra, who deftly handles the rhythmic Gaelic lyrics. Next, Lambert-Ryan soars with emotion on the title track, while on "The Star of Munster," she demonstrates her style of foot percussion (step-dancing), accompanied handily by Praskher's percussion, before de Barra takes over on mandolin and, later, Alderson jumps onboard with flute. (He and Omura both add some lovely elements to the foundation that Runa provides.) An all-instrumental track, beginning with "An Buachaillin Ban," is an excellent display of de Barra's guitar chops.

Although this album is more than 10 years old, a quick visit to Runa's website shows that Lambert-Ryan, de Barra and Prashker are still active with the band, joined now by New York fiddler Jake James and Nashville transplant Caleb Edwards on mandolin and vocals.

I'm glad to know they're still at it. I don't think I could ever grow tired of this band.

[ visit Runa's website ]