Oisín McAuley, lead fiddler of the celebrated traditional group Danú, is a younger exponent of a style specific to Ireland’s northwestern county of Donegal. Local players have developed an easily recognizable, every-note-in-its-place directness and although use of ornamentation is relatively sparse, bagpipe-like double-stops and drones are often employed. Growing up in a gaeltacht (Irish-speaking community), McAuley was steeped from birth in an ancient culture that has survived centuries of ruinous history while only slowly accepting modernization. He cites his grandfather and John Doherty, a much-revered regional icon, as major early influences. Not surprisingly, he also admires Altan, a superstar folk ensemble from the area. Before joining Danú, McAuley earned a degree in classical violin and spent a year in Brittany, immersing himself in that French/Celtic nation’s deathless folkways. He is obviously strongly attracted to bluegrass, jaunty Québécois dance tunes, and jazz from various eras as his music subtly reflects them all to one degree or another. But getting back to basics, McAuley has a particular gift for interpreting Ireland’s searingly emotional, high-and-lonesome slow airs. Even more than his awe-inspiring virtuosity, it is this that transforms an already remarkable solo debut into an extraordinary recorded document, ineffably haunting and full of promise for the future. --Christina Roden