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CÓNAL Ó GRÁDA Cnoc Buí No label****

With the deluge of recordings tumbling from bedrooms and sundry other bargain basements of late, the sheer pleasure of listening to this well-gestated collection is a welcome relief. Cork-born flute player Cónal Ó Gráda has taken his own sweet time in bringing Cnoc Buí to fruition (following his 1990 solo debut, Top of Coom), and the lengthy rumination serves his music well. Ó Gráda's crackerjack, explosive style sets this collection hurtling into the ether, his treatment of Vincent Broderick's The Rookery epitomising his inventive, staccato style beautifully. Ó Gráda inhabits the more meditative world

of slow airs with equal facility, breathing deep into the belly of the gorgeous Lament for the Death of Staker Wallace, and Colm Murphy's spare bodhrán accompaniment bolsters beautifully. A compelling argument for the merits of restraint in the recording studio. www.cdbaby. com

Download tracks:Lesbia Hath A Beaming Eye