Frankie Gavin & De Dannan: Jigs & Jazz 11

Trad's evolutionary qualities are alive and in evidence in this latest incarnation of Frankie Gavin's De Dannan. With a few relative newcomers aboard (Paul O'Driscoll on double bass, Colm Ó Caoimh on guitar, Barry Brady on accordion), Gavin and vocalist Michelle Lally take a sometimes manic, sometimes pastoral route through a mixed repertoire that swings from Paddy Killoran and Michael Coleman to Edith Piaf. Recorded live in McGrory's in Donegal, the collection captures the sweat and singed hairs of some cracking renditions, invigorated by the presence of a receptive audience. Underneath, though, lurks a sneaking suspicion that too much is sacrificed to pleasing the crowd, with De Dannan's musical acrobatics ultimately detracting from the cohesion of the collection. As a snapshot of a live performance, it works, but it struggles to locate its own unifying forces.