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The band has just released a long-awaited CD, “The Singing Kettle” (Shanachie 23002), which is the culmination of three years’ rehearsal and recording. “Our approach to the music,” says accordion player Paddy O’Brien, “has always been driven by a shared appreciation for the styles of East Clare, East Galway, and West Clare. Most of the tunes come from older musicians we’ve known and learned from over the years.”

The title track, “The Singing Kettle,” was composed by Tipperary fiddler, Sean Ryan, and is played as the first reel in a solo selection by Patrick Ourceau. When asked why the band chose that particular tune for the CD title, O’Brien says, “We hope the music on this recording conjures up the simple comforts of an old Irish house, with a kettle simmering on the open fire, and the prospect of uninterrupted musical pleasure when a day’s work is done.”
Sixteen other tracks feature compositions from Sean Ryan and Tommy Coen, and music from the repertoire of great solo players like Bobby Casey, Mrs. Crotty, Jack Coen, and Jimmy McGettrick, and outstanding ensembles like the Kilfenora Ceilí Band. The album’s four songs are from the pens of Dubliner, Mick Fitzgerald, and Scotland’s, Archie Fisher, among others. “The Singing Kettle” is now available at the Chulrua website, www.chulrua.com