John McSherry & Donal O'Connor
Tripswitch (Compass Records)

Seriously impressive instrumental Celtic music from two of the finest artists in the game — uilleann piper and tin whistle master McSherry and fiddler, keyboard player O'Connor — benefits from the assistance of bouzouki whiz Ruben Bada and guitarists Paul McSherry, Gilles LeBigot and Tony Byrne. Performances are uniformly faultless, and the material — from radically riotous jigs and reels to heartbreaking laments and contemplative ballads — is so fastidiously executed that it will take your breath away.

Greg Quill