Cowboy Celtic (Red House, 1996)

At the first glance at the title of this album,the question was how much do we want to define styles of music. Not just "cowboy" music but "cowboy Celtic" music. What is the music world coming to? The bottom line on this album: it works.

Wilkie has pointed us to a link that has always been there, but has never been brought to our attention in quite this way. Assisted by The McDades, an extremely talented group of musicians, Wilkie weaves his way through familiar ballads such as "Annie Laurie" and "Shenandoah" along with foot stompers such as "Gary Owen" and "Custer Died a Runnin'."

He has attempted to melt the rolling hills of Ireland into the dusty trails of Texas. The arrangements are impressive and beautifully done. The artist's love for the music really shines through. So you may want to stick this in your CD player, shake the trail dust from your jeans and relax with your favorite jug of Irish Whiskey.