Sharon Shannon, The Sharon Shannon Collection 1990-2005 (Compass, 2006)
Sharon Shannon plays the accordion with an instantly recognisable, charismatic style that is very much her own. Her musical versatility extends beyond the accordion, however, and a number of tracks on this collection feature Sharon playing whistle and fiddle.
This two-disc retrospective covers Sharon's career from her first solo album, released just before the Woman's Heart phenomenon, up to her more recent recordings, which have seen Sharon collaborate with various stellar musicians drawn from different genres. The first disc comprises a selection of traditional and contemporary instrumental tracks, where Sharon is joined by a whole host of accomplished traditional musicians, including Donal Lunny, Steve Cooney, Mary Custy and Donogh Hennessy, to name but a few. The second disc finds Sharon and her fellow musicians accompanied by a range of guest vocal performers, Jackson Browne, Declan O'Rourke, John Prine, Sinead O'Connor and the late, much-missed Kirsty MacColl amongst them. This second disc is less about Sharon, and her playing is often lost in the mix, but it is a great testament to her reputation that she has attracted the attention of such a wide range of talent.
Disc one begins with the jaunty "Cavan Potholes," composed by the ubiquitous Donal Lunny, underscored by dynamic bass from Eoin O'Neill (ex-Moving Hearts) and rhythmic percussion from Ray Fean (sometime Capercaillie contributor). The inclusion of a moody saxophone solo courtesy of Richie Buckley lends this track a similar style to some of the early Moving Hearts instrumentals, which isn't wholly surprising given the contributions of Lunny and O'Neill.
My favourite tracks on this collection are still amongst the first Sharon Shannon performances that I heard, from her eponymous debut album; tracks such as the sparkling "Coridinio," the impressive set of tunes "Glentown," and the equally pleasing "The Penguin." My reason for singling out these tracks in particular is the immense satisfaction of hearing Sharon exchange musical licks with Steve Cooney's equally charismatic guitar and bass playing; the two musicians prove the perfect foils for each other. "The Penguin" provides a perfect example of why there is no need for percussion when you have Steve Cooney providing his own rhythms through his unique guitar technique.
Sharon's second album, 1994's Out The Gap was produced by legendary reggae producer Denis Bovell, and resulted in a most interesting alliance, the influences of which continue to be heard in some of Sharon's later work such as "The Whitestrand Sling" from 2003's Libertango that features a stunning brass section. The more sublime offerings from disc one are also worth highlighting, notably "Butterflies" and "Maguire & Patterson" which are both furnished with some charming piano accompaniment courtesy of Brian Connor (now collaborator with Eleanor McEvoy).
As I alluded to earlier, the second disc of this collection is made up of an impressive cast of feature vocalists, but actually features relatively little of Sharon herself. The quality of the music is absolutely top-notch, and it is a pleasure to get the chance to listen to these impressive vocal performers in a different setting to that in which they normally perform.
Three of these collaborations come from Sharon's album The Diamond Mountain Sessions, released in 2000. Mary Staunton provides crisp and clear vocals on "Love Love Love" in perfect contrast to John Prine's more ragged, but equally striking voice. "The Galway Girl" finds Steve Earle joining Sharon to recreate the type of sound made popular by The Pogues, and is a song which instantly demands that you sing along.
The death of Kirsty MacColl was a tragic loss to the music world, and it is a great tribute to her memory that the track "Libertango" is included here with Kirsty's perfectly delivered smoky vocals interweaving with Sharon's accordion playing to create a sultry, Mediterranean ambience. Sinead O'Connor contributes a mesmerising version of the traditional ballad "Anachie Gordon" with her trademark haunting vocals that were surely delivered from heaven for material such as this.
