Latest CD releases reviewed

BRIAN MCNAMARA
Fort Of The Jewels Drumlin Records
***
Second time round, Leitrim piper Brian McNamara's distinctive style is a triumph of precision engineering, his control of the chanter evidence of a musician who's not so much joined to his instrument at the hip as at the elbow and fingers. McNamara's strengths are his clean lines and forensic exploration of the rich Leitrim piping tradition. This collection bristles with rare tunes and stalwart slow airs, drawing on the legacies of writers Stephen Grier and Alex Sutherland, as well as contemporary composers including Charlie Lennon. McNamara's tight, controlled playing whispers of Liam Ó Floinn's influence, but his approach to the arrangement of the title track and his duet with Benedict Koehler on Mrs. Crotty's/The Humours Of Tullycrine are all his own. Gráinne Hambley lends subtle harp, too.  www.piperbrian.com
Siobhán Long