Steve Tilston & Maggie Boyle - All Under The Sun (1996/2019)

This is a wonderful collection of articulate Steve Tilston and Maggie Boyle songs and traditional pieces. All Under the Sun is deftly performed on acoustic instruments to accentuate Tilston's skilled fingerpicking, Boyle's rich and expressive Irish voice, and their collective thoughtful songwriting. It also boasts the services of Fairport Convention bassist Dave Pegg, multi-instrumentalist Maartin Allcock, and percussionist Dave Mattacks along with Tony Hinnigan, whose cello and charango adds welcome layering to the sometimes sparsely arranged music. Boyle also demonstrates her command of the Irish flute on several selections, but her duet with Tilston (guitar) on "The Threepenny Bit" is particularly noteworthy. Tilston's "Here's to Tom Paine," which was later covered by Fairport on Who Knows Where the Time Goes?, makes its debut here. In a surprising twist they conclude the album with the oft-covered country-pop number "(Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I."