Lúnasa – The Merry Sisters of Fate

By dispensing with chordal rhythm instruments like guitar and bouzouki in favour of acoustic double bass, Lúnasa revolutionised the low-end groove of modern traditional music. Trevor Hutchinson's upright bass and Donogh Hennessy's driving flatpicking provide an elastic, modern foundation for Kevin Crawford's virtuoso flute, Seán Smyth's searing fiddle and Cillian Vallely's uilleann pipes. The title set exemplifies their craft: three melodic leads trading counterpoints and unison runs with thrilling tight coordination.