Spellbound (The Best Of Sharon Shannon)

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. Spellbound paints an accurate picture of Shannon -- an exploratory artist who benefits from Irish/Celtic traditions without being enslaved by them. On this eclectic, entirely instrumental collection, one hears Shannon fusing her Celtic foundation with pop, French-Canadian music, calypso, ska, polka, and other styles. Instruments typically associated with Celtic music -- including fiddles, mandolins, and hammer dulcimers -- are prominent, but Shannon also employs saxophonists, organists, and electric guitarists. There are many rewards on this CD, which illustrates how nicely Shannon's risk-taking has paid off. ~ Alex Henderson|