The recent death of the Chieftains harp player Derek Bell is a wistful reminder that music is timeless, but musicians are mortal. The venerable Irish clan recently released Down the Old Plank Road (RCA), bridging Nashville musicians with their Emerald Isle roots. The result is glorious; they are the Chieftains (!) after all. If you’re an admirer of Sinéad O’Connor‘s ethereal voice, but wished she’d record traditional tunes, rejoice! O’Connor has answered those prayers with the lush and luminous Sean-Nós Nua (Vanguard). The singer skirts controversy, singing 13 classic tunes with a distinctly modern edge, including “Lord Baker” with Christy Moore. Austin’s Brobdingnagian Bards fire out CDs like the hydra: Review one, and three more pop up in its place. Their ever-wonderful wit tweaks 17 Renaissance Festival favorites on A Faire to Remember, with titles like “Do Virgins Taste Better?” Hard to go wrong with either of their other two discs, Songs of the Muse, 16 lovely instrumentals to invoke your romantic inner Celt, and Songs of Ireland, which hoists a pint of Guinness to the Irish in you. Fiddler Heather Gilmer and guitarist Jeff Moore of Austin’s Cluan have an untitled, seven-song demo EP of reels, jigs, and polkas that’s worth selling publicly. Gilmer appears at the Austin Celtic Festival and Moore plays with Cluan Wednesdays at Mother Egan’s. Demand they sell the CD. Meanwhile, Cluan’s live, debut disc, Night Out, will be available in early November. The 10 cuts demonstrate Cluan’s mastery of Irish music and assure the relatively new band a place in Austin’s Celtic music scene. Ed Miller is one of the feature artists at the Celtic Fest this year, meaning you’ll likely hear tunes aplenty from his fine new recording with Brian McNeill (and Rich Brotherton) titled Many’s the Fine Tale: Songs of Scotland (Wellfield). Fine tales is right; that’s what the Scottish-born singer-songwriter does best — traditional and original story songs with none of that “Bonnie Scotland” hokum. Maith thu!
This article appears in November 1 • 2002.