Heartstring Sessions

Two renowned duos. Two gifted sisters with fiddle and harp. Two world-class guitarists. A multi-faceted, unique quartet: a supergroup with soul. Some of the most important names in Irish music, virtuoso fiddler Nollaig Casey, legendary guitarist Arty McGlynn and brilliant harper Máire Ní Chathasaigh, have come together for the first time with Britain's finest flat-picking guitarist Chris Newman to record an extraordinary new CD. 'Heartstring Sessions' is an eclectic mix of music they love, from sparkling Irish dance-music, gorgeous airs, old songs with a contemporary twist and striking new compositions - to bluegrass and ragtime rockabilly! It was put together as the fancy took them: sophisticated, complex arrangements are interspersed with down-home tracks recorded live. Chris's sizzling guitar improvisations, Arty's rhythmic genius, Nollaig's heart-melting lyricism and Máire's plangent power have created a warm musical world where each individual is showcased and supported by the others. Tracks run the whole gamut of moods from poignant and heartfelt to effervescent and joyful, finishing with the celebratory 'session' at the end! PRESS REVIEWS OF THE CD ARE STILL COMING IN... Dirty Linen (USA), March / April, 2009 quot;A dream quartet - the sweetest and most exciting music to emerge from the British Isles for a long time. Matching virtuosity with sheer good taste, this album of traditional and original music pours joyfully from the speakers... amazing, majestic, delightfulquot; Sing Out! (USA) 'A terrific record' TRAD Magazine (France), January 2009 quot;Attention, chef d'œuvre! Bref, ce qui se fait de mieux avec les cordes en Irlande aujourd'hui! 14 sets... tous aussi sublimes les uns que les autres! Le morceau d'ouverture, quot;Wild good chasequot;, va très certainement devenir un classique...quot; Le Peuple Breton (France), January 2009 'Exceptionnel... brillant...' The Scotsman 5 October, 2008 'Magnificent... Virtuosic... Outstanding' The Irish Times 10 October, 2008 'A tightrope walk into uncommon worlds... This is traditional music at it's very best: crossing boundaries, tapping our own tunes alongside bluegrass and ragtime borrowings. Many lifetimes' worth of music.' The Ulster Herald 25 September, 2008 'An amazingly eclectic mix... Astounding' fROOTS, November 2008 'Inspired... a contender for album of the year' Irish Music Magazine, November 2008 'Wonderfully diverse... World-class guitar-playing.. Low sensuous singing... Hummable, captivating, infectious, masterly... A top drawer album from one of the best independent labels in Celtic music.' The Living Tradition 'Two of the mightiest pairings in current folk, McGlynn-Casey and Newman-Ni Chathasaigh combine to give a tour-de-force of breathtaking order. Classic.' Net Rhythms 'The playing is miraculous, the musicianship supreme... Marvel at... The virtuosity and intense musicality, Chris's superlative flatpicking and tremendous gift for improvisation and Arty's rhythmic inventiveness... The sheer range of textures and moods Nollaig conjures from her fiddle is astonishing, while the warmth and power of Máire's harpistry would melt even the sternest harp-allergy. Spellbinding' Live Ireland (Chicago) 'One of the best albums of the year.' The Glasgow Herald, 13 October 2008 'A marvellous combination: tremendous breadth and depth... entertaining introductions... consummate playing, brilliantly articulated... breathtaking' (Live review of their concert in the Queen's Hall, Edinburgh) ABOUT THE ARTISTS...