Michel Balatti - The Northern Breeze

The Northern Breeze is the debut solo album of Italian flute and whistle player Michel Balatti, driving force of bands such as Birkin Tree and Liguriani. The core of the album repertoire is Irish music: from traditional tunes to a selection of reels, jigs and slow airs by some of the predominant contemporary composers within the tradition. The album features Scottish guitarist Michael Bryan, multi instrumentalist Fabio Biale on most tracks. Guest appearances by Irish flute player and singer Nuala Kennedy, Irish concertina player Caitlin Nic Gabhann and harpist Elena Spotti. Simple artistic production and minimalistic arrangements were chosen to highlight the strength of the melodies and the expressiveness of Balatti's flute playing.I've had the great pleasure of performing on stage many times with Michel Balatti over the years. He is a fine flute player with a thorough understanding of the style and repertoire in Irish music. His flute playing sounds as authentically Irish as the best playing you might expect to hear in co. Clare or Sligo. This is a beautifully arranged and produced recording. Martin Hayes