One of the most highly regarded and sought-after Irish-American groups in Celtic music, the all-female collective Cherish the Ladies formed in the early '90s as a onetime concert band by folklorist/musician Mick Moloney. Their heady blend of stellar musicianship, breathtaking singing, and lively step dancing soon won them fans all over the world, resulting in a string of ten critically acclaimed records, the most recent of which is 2005's Woman of the House. The group, consisting of longtime leader Joanie Madden, Mary Coogan, Heidi Talbot, Mirella Murray, and Roisin Dillon, have shared the stage and studio with such legendary performers as Joan Baez, James Taylor, the Clancy Brothers, the Chieftains, Arlo Guthrie, and Pete Seeger. ~ James Christopher Monger