Album: The Chieftains feat Ry Cooder, San Patricio (Concord)

This is how those Irish champs the Chieftains see their music folding into the tropes of Mexico, rough-riding on the story of the Irish "San Patricio Battalion", who fought in the US/Mex war of 1846.

Chief collaborator is Ry Cooder, but others who appear include Linda Ronstadt, Liam Neeson and Los Tigres Del Norte. No crossover opp has been missed. Whether you enjoy the blend of pipes, bodhrans and chitarras will depend on both the nature of your musicological curiosity and the nap of your sentimentalism.