Laurence Nugent
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Two For Two (Shanachie) (star) (star) (star) 1/2
Laurence Nugent builds a bridge spanning Chicago and Ireland with his lyrical, yet adventurous, second album. A Northern Ireland native and Chicago resident since 1992, the two-time All-Ireland tin whistle champion excels on whistle and flute on this 16-song collection, which mixes traditional jigs and reels with a handful of more adventurous pieces. On either instrument Nugent’s tone is lush and his playing amazingly facile, though the occasional slow air like “Cape Clear” displays his inherent melodicism. A bit farther afield is “McDermott’s/The Home Ruler,” in which bassist Larry Gray and percussionist Jackie Moran lend a jazzy cast, while the minor-key Breton tune “Dans En Dro” finds Nugent working with Eastern tonalities. A bonus is the presence of such top Irish music names as Liz Carroll, Kevin Burke, Ged Foley and Sean O’Driscoll, but Nugent’s own handiwork makes “Two For Two” sparkle.