Michael McGoldrick - Aurora

(January 2010) 12 tracks (53 mins): Freefalling * Late Nights At The Central * Mackerel And Tatties * Annam Cara / Ships In The Night * Mickey's Reels * Stone Of Destiny * Corrievreckan * Pontivy * Waterbound * Baltimore Beginners * The Jolly Angler * Tunin Dre.

Master of flutes and pipes and always at the cutting edge of Celtic music, Michael McGoldrick has previously collaborated with artists including Jim Kerr, Youssou N'Dour, John Cale, Idir, Karan Casey, John McSherry, Frankie Gavin, Sharon Shannon, Alan Stivell and Kate Rusby.

Michael has been pushing the boundaries of traditional flute playing since his teenage years when he won numerous championships, founded Manchester's influential Celtic rock band Toss The Feathers and made his first recordings. As well as having been a member of the group Capercaillie since 1998, he has also been a member of Flook, Lunasa, Big Sky and Afro Celt Sound System.

He won the 1995 BBC Radio Two Young Tradition Award and was awarded Musician Of The Year at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2006. Michael has also recently been one of the BBC Transatlantic Sessions 'house band'.

Michael plays wooden flute, uilleann pipes, mandolin, dobro and guitar - the album also features bandmates Dezi Donnelly (fiddle), Donald Shaw (keyboards), James Mackintosh (drums, percussion), John Joe Kelly (bodhran), Parvinder Bharat (tabla), Neil Yates (trumpet), Ed Boyd (guitar), Ewen Vernal (bass) and Che Beresford (drums).

With additional guest musicians Tommy Smith (saxophone), Heidi Talbot (vocals), John McCusker (fiddle), Manus Lunny (bouzouki, guitar), Emma Sweeney (fiddle), Alan Kelly (accordion), Andy Seward (bass), Donal Lunny (bouzouki, guitar, bodhran), Brendan Power (harmonica), Anna Massie (guitar), Signy Jakobsdottir (percussion), Ian Fletcher (electric guitar), Dermot Byrne (button accordion) and Colin Farrell (fiddle).