Acclaimed for their seamless blend of traditional Celtic music, jazz, and chamber music, Nightnoise was formed by former Bothy Band and Relativity member Micheál Ó Domhnaill and classically-trained fiddler Billy Oskay. The "free-flowing pieces" they created during improvisations caught the attention of Windham Hill Records, who released their self-titled debut album in 1984. Despite Ó Domhnaill’s reluctance to tour, Nightnoise played their first shows with the addition of Ó Domhnaill’s sister, Triona, on piano and harmonium and flute/whistle player Brian Dunning. The line-up recorded a series of albums for Windham Hill, notably 1990’s THE PARTING TIDE. Johnny Cunningham (ex-Silly Wizard) replaced Oskay for 1993’s SHADOW OF TIME. After 1995’s excellent A DIFFERENT SHORE and the relatively middle-of-the-road THE WHITE HORSE SESSION (1997), Nightnoise quietly disbanded.