All of the albums that
Sharon Shannon
recorded for
Green Linnet
in the '90s are worth owning, but if you've never experienced the pleasures of her neo-
Celtic
experiments,
Spellbound
would be the most logical starting point. This CD, which spans 1989-1998, isn't the last word on the
experimental
button accordionist, but it can still serve as an impressive introduction to her work.
paints an accurate picture of
Shannon
-- an exploratory artist who benefits from Irish/
traditions without being enslaved by them. On this eclectic, entirely instrumental collection, one hears
fusing her
foundation with
pop
, French-Canadian music,
calypso
,
ska
polka
, and other styles. Instruments typically associated with
music -- including fiddles, mandolins, and hammer dulcimers -- are prominent, but
also employs saxophonists, organists, and electric guitarists. There are many rewards on this CD, which illustrates how nicely
's risk-taking has paid off. ~ Alex Henderson