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Myth and Memory The Reelies Every once in a while, one hears a standout in the throng of Celtic inspired bands making their way through the world of Ren Faires and small clubs. The Reelies, a trio comprised of harpist Erika Lieberman, guitarist Jeff Kalmar, and fiddler JoAnna Farrer, shows plenty of potential to reacha wider audience." The group's sound has a freshness that comes from an ability to improvise along a wide range of traditional forms.Yet their approach also suggests the stylistic influences of performers such as Loreena McKennitt and Connemara, both of whose work is represented on this recording. McKennitt's The Stolen Child gets a dreamy, evocative new introduction here that fits the mood of the lyrics while "The Mermaid's Tale" does an excellent job of showing off the strong instrumentals. It is impossible not to pause and listen to Farrer's playing. She is simply one of the best fiddlers I have heard in a long time, despite her classical violin training, which some purists may scowl at. Yet her instincts for reels, jigs and strathspeys are so dead-on that I suspect that she is one of those rarest of performers, able to shift easily between musical styles and give each a completely new feel. The fact that the others manage never to be overwhelmed by Farrer is atribute to their own fine playing (on several different instruments) and to the unity of the group. Unfortunately, here is also where they run into problems: the vocal skills of Lieberman and Kalmar do not stand up to what is working so well with The Reelies. Although they serve as the lead voices on most of the tracks, Lieberman and Kalmar are rarely able to carry the songs with any real authority, often flatting out or straining for expression. These limitations are felt most on pieces well-known for the voices that have accompanied them previously (such as McKennitt's). One cannot help but wonder what The Reelies could do with a strong, distinctive lead singer, who could lend his or her voice to the creative interpretation of the music. With everyone free to expand on their own talents, my guess is that this is what would lift the group out of the mundane and into the ranks of the sublime. --Mary Dalton

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