Search - Altan :: Once Again (1987-1993)

Founded in the early 1980s by the Irish husband-and-wife team of flautist Frankie Kennedy and Donegal-style fiddler and singer Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Altan worked ground made familiar to international audiences by Planxty, Clannad, and De Dannan. Uncommonly good musicianship, Ní Mhaonaigh's ethereal voice, and a rich catalog of material set them well apart from other new-traditionalist Celtic bands, but it took several releases on Connecticut's Green Linnet label for them to build much of a following. This two-CD collection gathers some of the band's best work of the Green Linnet years, including the angelic signature "Sunset" and spirited reels "Ceol A'phiobaire" and "Drowsy Maggie." The players include Ciarán Curran on bouzouki, Mark Kelly on guitar, and Ciarán Tourish on fiddle. Together, the band's work shines with tasteful economy and seemingly endless energy. Coupled with Altan's Finest, this compilation gives a thorough accounting of the band's storied career, deserving a place in any Celtic-music buff's collection. --Gregory McNamee