Both Irish fiddler
Martin Hayes
and the string quartet
Brooklyn Rider
have experimented with cross-genre fusions on their own, making this collaboration something of a natural thing. It is well-formed, musically expert, and highly evocative, not simply because of the lovely tunes involved but because of the intelligent sequence of events. The collection is firmly rooted in Irish traditional soils, with 10 of the 12 tracks based on Irish traditional tunes (the other two are the opening
Maghera Mountain
, by
Hayes
himself, and
Bob and Bernie
Peadar O Riada
, son of
Sean
). That orientation is clearly stated upfront, with
playing a largely accompanimental role in the first few tracks. Then things open up, with arrangements by
's
Colin Jacobsen
and
Nicholas Cords
as well as other composers. The tunes get atomized a bit, and the quartet takes part in their participation in various ways, but they don't tip over into avant-garde territory. The fascinating title track (sample
The Butterfly
) comes the closest. Other accompaniments are minimal, like
Ship in Full Sail
, arranged by
Kyle Sanna
. Overall the tone is brisk, but sentiment, as in the finale
Hole in the Hedge
, is not excluded. The album is beautifully recorded, represents something of an Irish-American fusion, and suggests many new avenues of collaboration. Of interest and recommended both to contemporary quartet buffs and fans of the likes of
Chris Thile
. ~ James Manheim