Live in Palma

For traditional Irish/Celtic music — jigs, reels, ballads and folk songs — it's hard to go wrong with Dervish. The Irish band commands a loyal following among lovers of Irish music, and as this two-CD set illustrates, not all of them are residents of Dublin or Belfast. Live in Palma was recorded in 1997 at Teatre Principal in Palma de Mallorca, where the Spanish audience was treated to the charming lead vocals of Cathy Jordan as well instrumental jigs and reels. A charismatic singer and a poignant storyteller, Jordan is in top form on such traditional songs as "I Courted a Wee Girl," "Máire Mhór" and "The Hills of Greanmore." Jordan really shows what she's made of on "Edward by Lough Éirn's Shore"; with Dervish's other members laying out, Jordan goes a cappella and has no problem making herself incredibly vulnerable and exposed. Meanwhile, Jordan's colleagues are loose and spontaneous on instrumentals that range from the jigs "I Buried Me Wife and Danced on Top of Her" and "Packie Duignan" to the reels "Drag Her Round the Road" and "The Trip to Sligo." Superb from start to finish, Live in Palma is Dervish's strongest release.