Celtic Waves is chock-full of Celtic tunes and songs. This two-CD package showcases 20 groups and individuals on a red disc for songs and a green disc for tunes (making it easy to tell them apart). This is not the type of CD you'd purchase if you had one certain type of style or group in mind to listen to, but if you want to get a wide sample of Celtic offerings this is one sure way to do it.

The red disc starts off with the glowing voice of Geraldine McGowan as she sings "Blackwater Slide." Just as impressive is Wild Flowers with the old stand-by "Fear a Bhata." I also found a lively cut from the French-Canadian group Barachois and I was surprised with the clarity and grace of the Reckless Pedestrians in "Last Bus Home," an urban group.

There was more, from Bachelor's Walk, Rawlins Cross and several bands that play at folk festivals and St. Patrick's Day celebrations around Ireland and Europe. There wasn't anything I didn't like, but when I put a CD in the player, I like to listen to a similar style for more than four-minute intervals. I guess it's not really that type of recording.

The same thing applies to the green disc, which holds Celtic tunes from a wide range of 10 musical entities -- all of which are excellent entertainment. The ones that really sparked my interest were Skirm & Dezi Donnelly and Toss the Feathers. Unfortunately, the latter band is not together anymore, but they reminded me of the Cape Breton group Kilt, who were really top-notch players and entertainers and who aren't together anymore either. Skirm & Dezi Donnelly are a guitar and fiddle duo, and they had a rich and easy sound to their tunes.

Just as much as I liked the newer sounds on this CD, I also liked the more traditional tracks, which included Jennifer Roland's exquisite playing of "Jenny's Dream." Ganam played a couple of reels with banjo at the forefront, and they certainly play well enough to make a lasting impression.

This type of CD is a little hard to appreciate. A four-minute clip can't be expected to give you a definite reading of an artist, but it does give some idea of their potential and a good measure of their style. So if Celtic is your passion, this sampler can be a sure path to discover more artists, and I think the Magnetic Music label supports good stuff.

- Rambles
written by Virginia MacIsaac
published 8 March 2003