Claddagh

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Sometimes a glance backwards is exactly what's needed to replenish our musical appetites. That's what London-born flute player John Blake has done with his latest recording, in the company of two other second-generation Irish musicians. There's an easy fluency in Lamond Gillespie's fiddle on the set of reels (Paddy O'Brien's), augmented by Mick Leahy's self-effacing banjo and Blake's subtle piano lines: evocative of an age when lives weren't held ransom by the clock. The trio's refusal to smooth the edges is a welcome one, too; repeated listening reveals the natural ebb and flow, particularly of Blake's magically illicit flute lines on the jig set headlined by Up Sligo. Studious sleeve notes and an inclination towards the wanton pursuit of a good tune add up to a delicately balanced gem of a collection.