The Living Stream Claddagh Records ****

The title refers to the living stream of the Sliabh Luachra tradition, that Cork/Kerry border country that’s as much a state of mind as a geographical location. Matt Cranitch and Jackie Daly have basked long in the delights of Sliabh Luachra’s polkas, slides, jigs, reels and hornpipes. Here, Cranitch’s fiddle seeks out a rich vein of interpretation, its earthy tone mining brilliant clarity from the seasoned repertoire the pair have chosen. Daly’s accordion is a joy to behold: fleet-footed yet willing to plumb the emotional depths of a tune. Accompaniment on guitar and piano is sparse and well-judged, as Cranitch and Daly reach their greatest heights as a duo, interleaving fiddle and box on a set list that swings from their boisterous reading of

The Heather Breeze

to Jackie’s beautiful, bare-boned slow air,

Ceo ar Mhuisire

. Deliciously detailed sleeve notes add further to this precision-engineered collection. See claddaghrecords.com