In 1987, The Chieftains ventured to Beijing and Shanghai, united with Chinese ensembles and successfully fused the type of traditional Irish music they're known for with Chinese music. It seems a most unlikely combination but, in fact, the two prove quite compatible on The Chieftains in China, a superb, mostly instrumental live album. As ambitious and risk-taking as they are, none of these performances sound the least bit pretentious, forced, or contrived. Chieftains leader Paddy Moloney insightfully shows us the parallels between Chinese and Irish forms and makes the fusion sound completely organic and natural.