The latest reviews from Kevin Bryan.

Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick, "Walnut Creek" (Fellside FECD 243)- The musical partnership between English folk legends Carthy and Swarbrick began more than four decades ago and has continued on an intermittent basis ever since , with this new collection culled from some of the concerts that the duo gave at various venues around the world between 1989 and 1996. The natural empathy which exists between the two venerable musicians informs all their performances here as they revisit gems from Martin's early solo output such as "Broomfield Hill" and "Peggy and the Soldier" alongside the jaunty "Porcupine Rag" and "The Sheepstealer," a fine track from their 1992 collaboration, "Skin and Bone." Splendid stuff.

Rachel Kolly d'Alba, "French Impressions" (Warner Classics 2564 67181 4)- A passionate recital of music for violin and orchestra from the former child prodigy, featuring compositions by Eugene Ysaye, Ravel,Chausson and Saint-Saens. Swiss violinist Kolly d'Alba turns in a particularly fine interpretation of the latter's "Violin Concerto No.3 in B minor," which was penned for the legendary Sarasate in 1880 and is delivered with a rare blend of showmanship and intelligence by Rachel and conductor Jean-Jacques Kantorow.

The Waterboys, "An Appointment With Mr.Yeats" (Proper PRPCD 081)- This excellent album finds Waterboys frontman Mike Scott fulfilling a long held ambition by unveiling his own musical settings of fourteen of W.B.Yeats most evocative poems, including "September 1913" and "Song of Wandering Aengus." The finished product is a little less self-consciously folksy than Scott's previous dabblings in the delights of the "Celtic Twilight", and many of the tracks actually offer a slightly toned down version of the epic wide-screen sound which characterised early Waterboys classics such as "The Big Music" and "The Whole of the Moon," with "Let The Earth Bear Witness" and a bluesy "Lake Isle of Innisfree" emerging as the best of the bunch.

Hedy West, "Ballads and Songs from the Appalachians" (Fellside FECD 241)- Georgia born Hedy West was one of the leading lights of America's folk revival during the mid sixties, and this CD re-issue brings together the entire contents of the three highly sought after albums that she recorded for the Topic label during this period. Her spare and unadorned approach lent an air of genuine authenticity to Hedy's musical storytelling as she breathed new life into compelling narratives which had crossed the Atlantic with the early British settlers such as "Little Matty Groves, " "The House Carpenter" and "The Wife of Usher's Well."

Richard Warren, "The Wayfarer" (TV013CD)- Singer-songwriter Warren follows up last year's well received debut set, "Laments," with a new package of songs which were written and recorded in a cellar during the peculiarly grim winter of 2010.The contents are understandably not blessed with too much in the way of sweetness and light as Warren summons up the spirits of musical influences such as Jimmie Rodgers, Alex Chilton and Jeffrey Lee Pierce to embellish eerily atmospheric cuts such as "The Willow, " "Through The Fire" and "Johnny Johnny."