Tommy Halferty, one of Ireland's finest guitarists, leads three French musicians in a successful marriage of jazz and folk. Irish songs such as My Lagan Love, Raggle Taggle Gypsies and The Bold Fenian Men get a new lease of life, with arrangements by Michel Zenino.
The group, collectively known as Ogham, respects the original tunes while building on them imaginatively -- and Halferty is adventurous in his interpretations. Apart from the traditional tunes, there are two originals with a folky sound: Fire and Rain by James Taylor and Ballade Irlandaise by Eddy Marnay and Emil Stern. The French trio is totally in sympathy with the undertaking, and Halferty's soloing is a joy.