25 Years of Celtic Music

Green Linnet put out its first release of traditional Irish music in 1976, in the days when the skirl of uilleann pipes was still an exotic sound and step dancers performed for tiny crowds in village halls instead of in stadiums in front of thousands of screaming fans. Even as Celtic music grew to become one of the most popular genres of music in the world, Green Linnet stuck to its original mission to record and release nothing but the finest traditional artists. Which means that this two-CD compilation of recordings from the label's 25-year history can also stand as an excellent introduction to some of the best Celtic music played in the last quarter of the 20th century. Nearly every type of Celtic performer is represented here, from solo instrumentalists like fiddlers Martin Hayes and Eileen Ivers, bands like the Tannahill Weavers and Silly Wizard, and singers like Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, who performs with Touchstone, and Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, the singer-fiddler with Altan. Every selection here is well chosen, and the only legitimate complaint to be made is that Green Linnet chose to put out only a two-disc set to commemorate an era that could have easily filled a big box set. --Michael Simmons