Awesome thread! Ack, only 5? Most of the people on this list have disregarded that particular parameter, as will I.
Tori Amos, Ben Folds - piano players extraordinaire
Loreena McKennitt, Afro Celt Sound System - where Celtic takes on a new meaning
Melanie Doane, Alanis Morissette - female vocalists on a journey
John Denver, Tim O'Brien - my folk & bluegrass roots
Bare Naked Ladies, Jack Black - who can sing and be funny all at once
The Cranberries, Sinead O'Connor, U2 - Irish rock
Therion - in a class of their own where ethereal meets metal
The Tea Party, Jeff Martin, The Tragically Hip - folk rock with powererful roots
Imaginary Heaven, Anuna - ethereal and haunting brilliance
Ashley MacIsaac, Mary Jane Lamond, The Irish Descendants - the tiniest sampling of the brilliant traditional music coming out of Newfoundland/Nova Scotia/Cape Breton (Eastern Canada)
~ Abhaill