John Whelan & Friends
Flirting with the Edge (Narada)
The inventive button accordionist continues to reshape the genre, just as he did on his 1997 Crossroads release, extending his collaboration with world musicians and the exquisite Sirus String Quartet. Bernadette Peters’ beautiful, spare version of “Dublin Lady” and Connie Dover’s tearjerker “Red is the Rose” are two special vocal cameos. With Ugandan kalimba player Samite Mulondo and guitarist Oscar Lopez, Whelan and friends tour the world and its music with a distinctly Celtic edge.