Altan
Album: The Widening Gyre
Label: Compass
Tracks: 14
Website: http://www.altan.ie

Altan have lasted longer than most and are still after 35 years one of the premier Irish bands, with the stupendous talents of singer/fiddler Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, fiddle/whistle player Ciaran Tourish and guitarist Dáithi Sproule ever at the centre of things. One might say the band has no need to reinvent itself, then – but their latest project, the aptly-named The Widening Gyre, sees them treading a similar road to The Chieftains and Solas before them, in flexing their musical boundaries to encompass American roots music, bringing on board a host of guest musicians from that very arena: guests whom Altan have met and worked with over the past three decades of making music across the globe. Not quite a Transatlantic Session, then, but neither should it be viewed as a cheap marketing gambit to rejuvenate a band’s ailing reputation – which it is emphatically not, on any count. No – this hour-long CD scores on all fronts, presenting excellence from all sides without a hint of “bolting together” of disparate elements (even despite the inevitable wide spread of recording locations). The guest contributions really do gel, and are allocated with great care. And the spectrum of material is brilliant too, showcasing some unusual and rarely-heard songs and tunes.

Notwithstanding the exhaustive range of guest musicians, each successive track brings fresh delights, far too many to try to list here. But I can’t let column inches pass without making a start to whet your appetite… Nashville stalwart Stuart Duncan’s fiddle adds much to the opening set of reels and – in complete contrast – Dáithi’s heart-stoppingly beautiful composition A Tune For Mairéad And Anna Ní Mhaonaigh; Bruce Molsky fabulously complements Mairéad’s singing on Watt Aldridge’s lovely waltz No Ash Will Burn; Mary Chapin Carpenter sings on a meditative reimagining of Yeats’ poem White Birds; Tim O’Brien drops in to duet with Mairéad on a vital, driving “Gypsy Davy” variant of House Carpenter; and Jerry Douglas, Darol Anger and Sam Bush join Alison and Stuart and the band for a spirited Appalachian-style romp through The Triple T (one of Ciaran’s creations). Others appearing during the course of the disc include Michael McGoldrick, Eddi Reader and Natalie Haas, and rhythm duties are satisfyingly fulfilled by Jim Higgins and Todd Phillips. In spite of the presence of all these extra musicians, textures are kept light and airy, and the expert production, courtesy of Compass co-founder Garry West, sees that everything is splendidly coordinated and textures crystal clear. And importantly too, that the musical personalities that make up Altan aren’t subsumed in any way by the guests.

The Widening Gyre is both an exceedingly satisfying collection in its own right and a significantly impressive achievement for all concerned. It might even end up being my Irish album of the year.

David Kidman