by Michelle Osborne

Artist: Liz & Yvonne Kane
Album: "The Well Tempered Bow"
Year produced: 2002

I had seen this album in my local Borders for many months before it was brought up in traditional folk music community. Someone recommended it and when I was looking to pick up a few new albums, this was one of the four I walked out of the store with. I was more than pleasantly surprised at this album (especially considering the classically-oriented title), I was completely amazed at the maturity and brilliance of these young women's playing.

Liz and Yvonne, who hail from the Connemara area on the west coast of Ireland, got their start through their grandfather, Jimmy Mullen (a leading figure in traditional music) and their teacher, Mary Finn McCrudden. Liz, who was into the competition scene, won several awards, including the prestigious All-Ireland senior fiddle title. The sisters have toured with Sharon Shannon and on their own, been guest artists on a number of albums, and have released two albums of their own playing.

The Well Tempered Bow was the Kane sisters' first album. Filled with their brilliant unison South Sligo playing (heavily influenced by fiddle great, Paddy Fahey), every track on this album is beautiful and expertly executed, which is why it's so hard to pick out those that are the highlights. One favourite would be the Kye's Reel/Lenawee Reel set. Both tunes, which were composed by Liz, are darkly driving minor-based tunes and are certain to make you sit up a little further on the edge of your seat. Another favourite is the nostalgic waltz, Koesnacht. Written by Johnny McCarthy while in Switzerland, the title translates to "kiss in the night." A couple other highlights are the reel set, Paddy Fahey's/The Man of the House/Paddy Fahey's, which has a great minor tune surrounded by two of Paddy Fahey's well-known tunes, and The Girl From the Big House/Trá na mBan/Thank God We're Surrounded by Water, a jig set which features a tune by Liz (Trá nam Ban), and a Paddy Fahey setting of the final tune.

Keep an eye on these girls. They're young and they're going to go very far. I highly recommend this album and anything else they might come out with. The Kane sisters can be found on the web at: http://www.thekanesisters.com/.

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Celtic MP3s Music Magazine writer, Michelle Osborne, is a native to the central New York region. She plays both high and low whistles regularly with the Syracuse Irish session. Besides being heavily involved in Irish traditional music, she is also a classical clarinetist and composer.

Labels: cd_review_2005

Posted by Marc Gunn, Monday, May 09, 2005.
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