BANG THE DRUMS LOUDLY

Few musical traditions give dewy-eyed nostalgia like Celtic can. And few can be as break-down-the-walls rousing. In Celtic Drums, veteran British percussionist and composer John Richardson digs deep into his Celtic roots (and who doesn't have 'em nowadays?) to produce a wonderful album that keeps hitting both those Celtic peak experiences, over and over again.

From behind a killer drum kit, Richardson and his band cut loose on such character instruments as the bodhran, fiddle, whistle, recorder, bouzouki (bouzouki?), and (guaranteed to awaken any listener's Celtic roots) the quintessentially nostalgic call of the uillean pipes - like bagpipes in a mist.

A foot tappin', heartstring a tuggin' romp, from beginning to end.