Releases > Releases April 2018
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DAMIEN O’KANE
Avenging and Bright
Pure Records, PRCD46, 11 Tracks, 50 Minutes
www.damienokane.co.uk
Damien O’Kane got into a bit of Cosplay for the album’s photoshoot, dressed as a 16th Century Irish Chieftain, with a full sized targe, a broad sword and the characteristic fir cape that Spencer so despised. On the surface this could be a Hibernian Victorian fantasy, until you hear what he has achieved with his music. Following on from his Areas Of High Traffic, high tech O’Kane is here again, yet more subtle this time. He still plays with tunes and rhythms; his Boston City a version of the Boston Burglar, he resets to his own melody. The title track from the Thomas Moore song about the treachery of Conchubar, the King of Ulster, is sung over an electric guitar riff and a steady drum beat. He extends the final word of the last line of some verses, emphasising ideas. Thomas Moore after all was a child of the 1798 Revolution and there was a lot more than Romantic mythology in his song writing.
A recurring musical motif across the album is the marriage of the electric tenor guitar and piano. There’s a distinctly Knopfler moment at the start of the Homes of Donegal. Damien’s voice gently dominates the tracks, but listen to what is going on in the background; it’s so sophisticated as it builds to a final echoing “Donegal Pride of All” which we know from Paul Brady’s version. The reel Castle Kelly is a slow burner, picked out on a damped down electric guitar, it grows as the banjo joins in unison, the track ultimately falling away like a receding tide. Damien makes a splash with his own composition Dancing in Puddles, a piece composed for his daughter Daisy, a simple repetitive motive from a template of string harmonics. It’s a gentle way to take this modern folk album into the night.
Seán Laffey
DANNY DIAMOND
Elbow Room
Own Label, 10 Tracks, 42 Minutes
www.dannydiamond.ie
Danny says he’s from Dublin, but the surname points to the north. He has played with Slow Moving Clouds and with Mórga, and had two solo albums to his credit when he launched this wunderkind last October. This is uncompromisingly a solo album, he even did his own engineering.
The technique is effortlessly flawless, though part of it is experimental; for the first tune he uses the low C tuning taking after the great Johnny Doherty of Donegal. It’s a real sign of changing times to compare the famed tin fiddle of Johnny with the luscious tone of Danny’s instrument, made for him by Dublin–based luthier Youen Bethorel.
This truly is that, a totally solo excursion, and a very rare and I must say a brave thing in these times, the only accompaniment is his own double stopping. It leads to an introspective quality he eschews the scléip of a shared musical insight and delivers as much a meditation as a performance. This allows some tunes, such as The Blackbird, to be worked into unusual shapes.
This is a collection that will reward deep study; casual listening is allowed, but to fully appreciate the CD and the quality of the playing and the depth of thought behind, will amply reward time spent on it.
If the era of the groups and balladeers has passed, we need signposts as to how the music, and the singing, dancing and handcrafts can survive and prosper and they will. A collection like this gives great hope
John Brophy
THE STRING SISTERS
Between Wind and Water
Own Label, 12 Tracks, 57 Minutes
www.stringsisters.net
Take a bunch of ladies at the top of their traditions, each with a distinctive musical voice, each with the ability to tap into ancient music and to bring those influences to bigger more modern canvasses. That’s The String Sisters; in many ways a product of the vibrant Celtic Music Festival circuit, first formed at the Celtic Connections in Glasgow in 2001, they got their name in 2005, they released a live CD in 2007 and now they have a studio album out.
The band is: Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, fiddle, vocals (Ireland), Annbjørg Lien, Hardanger Fiddle (Norway), Liz Knowles, fiddle (USA), Catriona MacDonald, fiddle (Shetland), Liz Carroll, fiddle (USA) and Emma Härdelin, Fiddle, vocals (Sweden). The album was recorded in studios across the Northern hemisphere from Sweden to Shetland to Donegal and Chicago. The ladies are joined by The String Misters, on backing instruments, for example Dave Milligan plays piano on Mo Nion Ó, a newly composed lullaby by Mairéad. New works are a feature here with Liz Carroll’s Walking Intro leading out Open to the Elements that she originally wrote for a TV documentary. Another piece written on commission is Hjaltland by Catriona originally for the 2004 Telemark Festival. There are solid traditional tunes too, the Gravel Path to Grannie (a place in Donegal not an elderly relative), Tiger in the Galley a Swedish Polska from the 19th Century, here it is paired with a driving modal full on band composition, Jarl Squad from Liz Carroll.
Two years go I drove around Cape Breton for a week with their Blooming Conductor, on an almost continuous loop, it was recorded live at the 2015 Celtic Colours (with Liz Doherty guesting), as I skirted lonely lake Ainsley it was the perfect companion. Between Wind and Water brings back so many happy memories; the only trouble now is the album is so good, which track to put on that never–ending playback?
Seán Laffey
THERESA KAVANAGH
An Choill Uaigneach, Own Label, 11 Tracks, 44 Minutes
www.theresakavanaghmusic.com
This Donegal fiddler released an exceptional debut album in 2006, definitely a highlight of that year, but has waited more than a decade for her second recording. Theresa is bravely frank about her struggle with the spiral of frustration, depression and despair, which seems to afflict so many talented musicians. Fortunately for her, and for us, she was helped to overcome this debilitating self–doubt by many members of the Irish music community, including some of her collaborators on An Choill Uaigneach, and has now produced another outstanding collection of fiddle music old and new.
Donegal fiddle music is often associated with hardened old men playing powerful raw tunes in a compelling but rather unfathomable style. An Choill Uaigneach is rather different. Its title translates as The Lonesome Forest, and there is certainly a strand of loneliness and longing running through it: rather than the wild untamed notes of the Dohertys or the Dorans, much of Theresa Kavanagh’s music expresses a yearning, a soulfulness which is both touching and beguiling. Starting with the Reavy reel Wild Swans at Coole, Kavanagh’s fiddle edges into blues and soul with its smooth dark resonances. The addition of Fraser Fifield on saxophone, and some brooding harmonies from Manus Lunny and Ewan Vernal, bring this track and others close to the magical music of the fairies, or the trowies as they would be called in Shetland and Scandinavia.
Theresa plays in a style reminiscent of Tommy Peoples, and indeed there are two of Tommy’s tunes here which have that same bittersweet sound. Jocelyn’s Jig and Gráinne’s Jig are a great example of the joy and sadness the fiddle can express. Many of the original pieces here have that same quality, choosing a moody minor path just when you expect them to soar into the sunshine: Sword of Light, The Rooney Boys, Henry Jimmy Shéamaí’s Waltz for example.
Other tracks are more buoyant, with a clear Lunny influence which rather reminds me of Coolfin: the traditional Hag’s Purse and Pride of Erin with Kathleen Boyle, Donald Shaw, and Brendan Kavanagh on flute, or the gentle Rian Máthartha with its beautiful melody underpinned by almost Caribbean accompaniment. There’s more: a pair of crunchy new hornpipes, some grand old highlands and reels, and the sad sweet song Bitter the Parting by John Doyle. Despite these tinges of melancholy, I’d say Ms Kavanagh has come through The Lonesome Forest and emerged as an even more impressive musician.
Alex Monaghan
DÁIRE MULHERN
Boxman
Own Label, 15 Tracks, 62 Minutes
www.facebook.com/DaireT.Mulhern
Here’s a debut that marks Dáire Mulhern as a force to be reckoned with. The album begins with a box/guitar duo playing a fine set of hornpipes highlighting a lovely clear, crisp tone from this box. A driving accompaniment on guitar adds strength and power to the music. An excerpt of highly intricate triplets features, played in true virtuosic style with considerable ease.
A lovely traditional style of reels follow stemming from composers Séamus Connolly and Paddy O’Brien. Séamus’s brother Martin writes the introduction to the liner notes. Indeed, he was tutor to Mulhern, stating he knew from an early stage that this was a talented player who would develop into a master of his craft. This collection proves that, showcasing a stellar range of tune types on both accordion and melodeon.
Many box players are mentioned as influences with the late Joe Derrane noted as being a huge inspiration. There’s also a pair of delightful melodies that come from songs composed by Percy French. A playful musical duet ensues from box and guitar. There’s variety in abundance on this recording and the music feels chilled and relaxed throughout. The subtle addition of right hand chords adds colour to the palate and the balance is just right from classic repertoire such as The Golden Eagle hornpipe to more unusual tunes like The Klesmer Piece and Jewish Polka.
Mulhern is at the top of his game here. Listen to the ease of dexterity as his box sings out The Mathematician hornpipe. He zooms up and down the keyboard with flair and panache adding devilish chords in all the right spots. A fun–filled track here, whilst he captures the endearingly haunting hornpipe The Drunken Sailor in a completely different way. The album finishes with a wonderful medley of clogs. As Richie Dwyer quotes, “Once in a while a musician comes along with such quality in their playing that you smile, knowing that the future is in good hands. One such player is Dáire Mulhern.”
Edel Mc Laughlin
PLANTEC
Live at The Festival Interceltique Lorient
Co–op Breiz, 12 Tracks, 68 Minutes
www.plantec.fr
A brand new CD and DVD from Breton Celtic rockers Plantec, recorded in front of a huge crowd at the 2017 Lorient Inter Celtique Festival. Anyone who has ever attended that August Festival will tell you it is the world’s largest Celtic festival by a country mile. Big in every aspect, big crowds, big venues, big imagination and enormous ambition. This is where Seán Davey launched the Brendan Voyage, where Dan Ar Bars and Alan Stivell reigned supreme. Plantec are the new generation carrying on this big–hearted Celtic–Rock tradition.
Originally formed in 2002, Plantec is brothers Odran and Yannick Plantec on bombard and guitar, joined by Gabriel Djibril on synths and programming. They crowd funded this album through Kiss Kiss Bank Bank and looking at the size of the audience on the DVD they surely have a big fan base.
The opening track begins with a minute of crowd noise, their anticipation and expectation building as the band set up the first tune Red an Amzer, a gavotte with the bombard calling the faithful to dance. This is an album full of traditional dance tunes: Herp Hars is a Circassiion Circle, Koun a Gavotte, Hent Ar Vuhez a Rond, Linelis an Andro and the final track Feulz a Breton Polka.
The crowd know each and every dance and through the crush of the throng they move, circle and spin to the music. If you know your Breton onions this is a Croque Monsieur with extra mustard. If you are new to Breton music this is at the front end of a rich tradition and well worth discovering, and dancing to.
Seán Laffey
BRONA MCVITTIE
We Are The Wildlife
Own Label, 10 Tracks, 46 Minutes
www.bronamcvittie.com
This may be a debut solo yet there’s no mistaking the distinctive sound of Brona McVittie from the echelons of traditional bands like The London Lasses, Rún and more. We got a taster of this enigmatically haunting album, We Are the Wildlife, when Brona released her double A side single with tracks; The Newry Mountains and Under the Pines last year. It was a tantalising taster and the full release is confirmation that the anticipatory excitement was justified.
It’s an exploration of texture, utilising the traditional instrumental types, including harp and flute, as the core of the soundscape yet intelligently interspersing and layering subtle yet edgy productional arrangements themed with a futuristic electronic sound vibe. The outcome is hypnotically languid with an undertone of musical spice. Add Brona’s inimitable vocal tone to the mix and at various points throughout the album the electrical spark ignites.
Take the exquisitely creative arrangements to The Jug of Punch; a song steeped in tradition yet Brona tilts it sideways with a flair of percussive and vocal syncopation that works amazingly well. Similarly with And The Glamour Fell On Her, as the vocal adeptly builds an echoed wall of sound that finesses into a choirlike heavenly layer of tonal purity that draws you right in.
In contextual contrast, the marriage of the percussive rhythm and vocal staccato in Molly Brannigan is a striking overlay to a powerful instrumental which include productive nuances of sound that formulates an intriguingly stunning vibe. This album can only be described as a musical recipe where the ingredients, when put together, should not pass the taste test, yet in this case, they emit a full range of complementary flavours and the result is a delicious ten track album of compelling musicality. Fantastic solo debut.
Eileen McCabe
John DUHAN
The Irishman’s Finest Collection
ARC EUCD2763, 17 Tracks, 61 Minutes
www.arcmusic.co.uk
I have reviewed this prolific songwriter/performer on a number of occasions in the past and I am delighted to see this 2018 release that will no doubt introduce him deservedly to an even greater audience as well as sating the appetite of his many fans worldwide.
From the fifteen–year–old with the beat group (remember when those were the “in thing”?) Granny’s Intentions to the songwriter whose songs are covered internationally, Johnny has kept true to his roots and this is in many ways why his appeal is both lasting and beyond boundaries. As the saying goes “all stories are local” and this is what gives them and Duhan’s songs the resonance that appeals across borders.
The new CD includes of course the required standards from his repertoire and while familiar they are always welcomed anew to hear Johnny singing songs we associate with others. With seventeen tracks a reviewer with a word count limit is restricted in what he can say but here goes. The Voyage needs no words of mine. The Blight particularly struck me. Is this a song about The Famine or just the story of a man seeing the destruction of a crop? In Duhan’s hands it is both poignant and thought provoking. Flame is a potential international hit once again drawn upon a simple thought that is built into a wonderful meditation. The playing of Nollaig Casey adds considerably to the brilliance of this track.
Face The Night is another time that Duhan takes the commonplace to bring us a wonderful song that bears close listening. Similarly, one cannot but help be moved by Resurrection that he calls his hymn to creation – one can see the world in the mind’s eye as he sings with such sincerity. What can one say about his magnificent Don’t Give Up Till It’s Over? This is a wonderful choir backed version that will raise the hairs as you hear a true anthem for the ordinary person whether in Ireland, Iraq or indeed anywhere in the world. Duhan has brought us a great new album for 2018 and amassed a huge battalion of talent to accompany his sincere voice and deeply felt lyrics.
Nicky Rossiter
SOPHIE COYLE
Blame Me For The Storm
11 Tracks, 37 Minutes
www.facebook.com/sophiecoylemusic
Story–driven folk songs with a gothic sweep. Like the Hazelwood copse and mossy bank images in Delirium, Sophie Coyle’s music is gathering a reputation for a unique folk sound with a strong narrative strain. But there’s more to it – a weave of artistic elements that movingly elevate this work. A poetic quality to Sophie’s lyrics is immediately apparent and very special.
Then the unexpected turns to the musicality, the vocal dexterity, a light fluid quality in Coyle’s voice which highlights dark subversive ferocity betimes, songs that explore folkloric and biblical narratives, playfulness in melodic tone but nailed with deadly precision in lines like: “And until you feel remorse, I will haunt you from the belly of the burning gorse.”
Killer lyrics, literally, deft testament to the ease with which Sophie re–imagines the murder–ballad milieu, but like her own oft–humorous drawings in the liner–notes, there’s musical lightness, much like the flit of her Brave Bird, criss–crossing the CD with subtle featherlike brushstrokes of instinct and influences in tone and theme; inspirations ranging from an Ella Fitzgerald feel in the sultry Rainy Season to a palpable sense of DH Lawrence’s literary passion amidst the woodland soft and dank folktale settings of Coyle’s acclaimed song Delirium. That song featured in a recent film, melodic appeal undercut with death in the tail.
In Jonah and the Whale, Sophie’s husband Jinx Lennon adds great gravelly and Cohenesque vocals to a vividly terrific song. Exquisite harmonies and arrangements throughout the album, with a medieval tone at times. But also, the unexpected – Coyle’s edgy turn from biblical to the savage contemporary: “Uruguay your youth has scattered, blown to pieces all that mattered. Gone the best of human nature, all it took was one dictator.” Lines illuminating how the significant poise in Sophie’s vocal confidence feels crucially linked to how her well–crafted lyrics stand alone in quality and tone.
A richly–layered CD, delightful on every level.
Deirdre Cronin
GEZA FRANK & JEAN DAMEI
Event Horizon
Own Label, 10 Tracks, 55 Minutes
www.eventhorizonproject.com
Despite hints of the Waterboys, of Millish, and of new Irish groups such as Moxie or Atlas, Event Horizon takes a unique approach to Irish music, inspired by astrophysics and extra–terrestial phenomena. Actual recordings of some of these phenomena are included in one or two tracks. It’s perfectly possible to enjoy this CD without any reference to planets and stars and galaxies, but the cosmological inspiration for each track is provided in the sleevenotes and some of the information is highly intriguing.
Runaway Star, for example, is based on the unexplained phenomenon of some stars – and perhaps whole solar systems – being ejected from their galaxy and heading off at high speed into the darkness of intergalactic space. This might sound far removed from Irish music, but the piece is imagined from the perspective of a person on the surface of a planet torn way in this manner, with the rushing constellations of their galaxy gradually replaced by the empty blackness of the interstellar void, not unlike ancient myths of star–eaters and celestial destruction.
On another level, Géza Frank is simply a superb exponent of the low whistle and uilleann pipes, and Jean Damei is a talented guitarist in several styles. The melodies composed by this pair are often fast and furious, at times more like modern Scottish piping than the Irish tradition, and the musicianship is impressive. Frank and Damei enlisted fiddler David Lombardi and guitarist Barry Reid, alongside Tyler Duncan and Jake Birch to overlay electronic beats and effects on their compositions, guided by cosmic themes, and the result is a rhythmic club vibe in most cases: think Niteworks, Sketch, Elephant Sessions, as well as the Irish bands mentioned above.
Most of the tracks here have a simple driving dance rhythm, but there are some exceptions. Olympus Mons is a very decent slip jig to honour the largest mountain in our solar system. Meteor Shower is a slower, more contemplative track inspired by a phenomenon, which may have ignited life on Earth and could also be the end of it if we don’t destroy ourselves first. Event Horizon ends with a big band version of this pair’s first composition, The Pulsar, a swirling reel with that regular dance beat and some delicate guitar and fiddle. “It’s Irish music, Jim. But not as most of us know it”: are you up for the challenge of something new? Go forth and prosper.
Alex Monaghan
BERNADETTE MORRIS
Where the Heart Is
5 Tracks, 16 Minutes
www.bernadettemorris.com
This album allows the listener into the heart, home and family of Bernadette Morris. Deeply personal, the work is lovingly dedicated to Peter and Aoibh, ‘mo ghrá beirt sibh’, the salutation. Her crystalline, confident voice and the well–crafted lyrics, similar to a young Janis Ian, delve into the unfathomable themes of life and death.
Never allowing the voice or instrumentation get in the way of the songs, she shows amazing promise, with five tracks that are sufficient to capture any audience. By The Water’s Edge is ostensibly a love song, across a divided community, the river as metaphor for demarcation, the edges providing respite from strife where the lovers can lay their ‘love to rest’. Here Lies A Man is a tribute to a much loved, fiercely respected father, who was ‘always the first to take a stand’, a collaboration with Bob McNeill, it is sweetly melodic and enduring.
Until We Meet Again is a eulogy, a poem of love and loss, a raw expression of harrowing grief for a child. Despite the gut wrenching topic, the song is unsentimental, stripped down to the essentials: ‘you had a heartbeat, you had a soul’. The parental heartbreak of those who were ‘never to touch you’ is balanced with the assurance of faith that they will all meet again. The fact that the child was given the ‘gift of a name’ is something to celebrate. Here the child is being given another gift, a tender and prayerful love song. It is empathically expressed, with some optimism, perhaps some consolation also found in its making by this very talented songstress. With exceptional accompaniment on bass, flute, whistles, guitar and piano, Bernadette Morris’ heart may be at home, but her innate and unique abilities will take her further afield.
Anne Marie Kennedy
NIAMH VARIAN–BARRY
Wings
Own Label, 11 Tracks, 41 Minutes
www.niamhvarianbarry.com
You could paraphrase that old Dire Straits song when talking about Niamh Varian–Barry “the girl can play”. And she can sing too. Having spent time with Solas she has, as they say “previous form”. This is her debut album and on it her musical genius really does take wings.
Dusty Little Wings is a gentle contemporary folk song with a running guitar line overlaid with sensuous fiddle, stitched by a steady drum pattern. No matter where you turn on this album Niamh is in full control of the musical and emotional narrative, her voice unforced, persuasive. Her fiddle tone is rich and warm on the melody She’s Here; it’s a moment of contemplation at the centre of the album. The purity of the fiddle runs through the slow air Dancing The Baby.
Her final track Satisfied Mind could have come out of the Appalachians, vocals and a sparse banjo are all Niamh needs to make music. For me the big ‘I must play it again’ moment came when I first heard the track Padrino. A godfather of a tune. Her classical roots show through on Escapade in A Minor as if Paganini went for a spot of Fungi watching off Dingle. A top–drawer debut, a top–drawer album, from a top drawer performer.
Seán Laffey
ADAM SUTHERLAND
Some Other Land
Own Label, 11 Tracks, 46 Minutes,
www.adamsutherland.co.uk
A big sound with half a dozen accompanists doesn’t mask the fact that this album is full of Adam Sutherland’s music. It’s the second CD from the Loch Ness fiddler and composer extraordinaire, and although the word “solo” doesn’t really fit, all sixteen pieces here are Adam’s own and his fiddle leads every one.
There’s a rawness, a natural savagery, in Sutherland’s music, even in the suave piano–bar jazz of Emma’s Waltz or the delicacy of Tune for Hayley, which makes these compositions both attractive and challenging. Some, like his enduring hit The Road to Errogie, are simple to grasp – but others are fiendishly complex. Don’t be deceived by the cultured looks of this dapper fiddler with his sharp shiny suit (bought for some award ceremony or other) and his baby blue eyes: behind them beats the animal heart of a musical genius, ruthless as both composer and performer. Some Other Land starts with a tribute to another fiddle genius, Angus R Grant of Shooglenifty, The Wizard: a cross between Skynyrd and Stockton’s Wing, thumping bass and drums behind a monumental slow march. Adam follows that with a more traditional medley of strathspeys and reels, still with his trademark spiky unpredictability. The Lada and The North–Sider both have a bit of a Balkan feel to them, although they are in straight 4/4 barring eccentricities. Things don’t get properly weird until Alap, a piece inspired by classical Indian music – brief but breathtaking, showing another side of Sutherland’s fiddle mastery.
Jigs, a couple of rhythmic puzzlers including Sushi 7/8, and Adam’s punchy political protest The Broken Man and the Banker bring us to the beautiful final melody Dusk on Loch Ness which combines Scottish highland fiddle with cool jazz piano. Some Other Land adds the formidable talents of Hamish Napier, John Somerville and Steve Forman to Adam Sutherland’s long–time sidemen John Paul Speirs on bass, Marc Clement on guitar and Iain Copeland on drums. The title comes from Adam’s inspiration for many of these pieces – the land of dreams, and the mystical landscape around Loch Ness, which can sometimes be one and the same.
Alex Monaghan
TUPELO
The Heart’s Bloodline
Cracked Records, 10 Tracks, 38 Minutes
www.tupelo.ie
Tupelo are an alt–folk act hailing from Dublin and Mayo. The different musical backgrounds of the band members help in creating a sound which can only be described as unique. Tupelo bring us double bass, acoustic guitar, fiddle, mandolin, harmonic, dobro and several banjos.
The album opens with a very strong track in Break Loose that displays the energy and verve of this duo. They tone things down a little with track two called Cotton to Silk and feature a lovely bit of instrumental music in the bridges. This is a song very much to my liking and deserving of a wider audience.
Nursery Rhyme is a fascinating title for a track from such a vibrant band, but it delivers in a pounding delivery that must sound great at a live gig. The tempo is slowed again on the soulful Queen of the Vale featuring a lovely backing vocal in parts. I must admit some fascination on seeing a track called Rivets in You. It turns out to be perhaps the stronger track on the album and one that I return to over and over although I am still a bit mystified.
They save the best until last on this CD with Solid Ground. This is a wonderful vocal offering that displays the strength of the band as it introduces fantastically intricate backing. It leaves us wanting to hear a lot more from Tupelo and if radio plays allow this will introduce a wonderful band to a deservedly wider audience. We have a very talented new songwriter in James Cramer who tells us in notes that, “Books upon books of songs and verse and obscure thoughts and concepts were reviewed and revised and edited and tweaked to compile ten tracks, to assemble a tracklist, to become an album”, and this pays off in spades. Check them out at www.tupelo.ie.
Nicky Rossiter
NOEL BERMINGHAM
When the Tide is Out
Own Label, 14 Tracks, 70 Minutes
A banjo player from West Clare, Noel Bermingham has absorbed his local tradition over more than two score years as well as listening to great exponents such as Barney McKenna, Kieran Hanrahan and Tom Cussen. He plays in an old style, nothing too flashy, letting the traditional melodies work their magic with minimal ornamentation and none of the modern jazz or bluegrass embellishments. One striking feature is the use of the banjo’s powerful low notes to punctuate the tunes, allowing them to ring, instead of the staccato higher strings favoured by some younger players. When the Tide is Out presents the music of West Clare and beyond in a gentle and sympathetic light, but also with Noel’s personal stamp: his choices, his tempos, his subtle variations. Bermingham’s repertoire is what you might expect: reels, jigs and hornpipes, plus the occasional showpiece. Gráinne’s Jig, Cooley’s Reel, The Trip to Durrow, Tobin’s Favourite, The Tailor’s Twist and The Plains of Boyle are played as you might hear them in the bars of Doonbeg, Kilkee or Quilty. Carolan’s Concerto, The Blackbird and the virtuoso Mason’s Apron are not really session tunes but fit neatly between the jigs and reels. Sligo fiddle standards such as The Tarbolton and The Old Grey Goose are comfortably handled on Noel’s tenor banjo. The only unfamiliar title here is Kilcavan Banks which appears to be a local name for that great old reel The Banshee.
A range of understated accompaniment on guitar, bouzouki and piano adds depth to each track, and Noel’s son Shane plays whistle on the final pair of reels, but this recording is really all about the banjo, so if that’s what takes your fancy you might want to track down When the Tide is Out.
Alex Monaghan
