All of the albums that Sharon Shannon recorded for Green Linnet in the ’90s are worth owning, but if you’ve never experienced the pleasures of her neo-Celtic experiments, Spellbound would be the most logical starting point. This CD, which spans 1989-1998, isn’t the last word on the experimental button accordionist, but it can still serve as an impressive introduction to her work. Spellbound paints an accurate picture of Shannon — an exploratory artist who benefits from Irish/Celtic traditions without being enslaved by them. On this eclectic, entirely instrumental collection, one hears Shannon fusing her Celtic foundation with pop, French-Canadian music, calypso, ska, polka, and other styles. Instruments typically associated with Celtic music — including fiddles, mandolins, and hammer dulcimers — are prominent, but Shannon also employs saxophonists, organists, and electric guitarists. There are many rewards on this CD, which illustrates how nicely Shannon’s risk-taking has paid off. – Alex Henderson