New Irish Music Releases December 2004

　アイルランド伝統音楽レコード店の老舗、ダブリンはクラダの12月の新譜リストです。なお、価格は一枚概ね16〜20ユーロですが、日本から買う場合は VAT 21% を引いてくれるはずです。送料は最初の CD が7ユーロ、次から一枚2ユーロです。
　なお、赤字のタイトルは伝統詩歌を含む作品です。
　‘Miss McLeod’s Reel’を含むアルバムが CIC から出てますねえ。

CLADDAGH RECORDS©
Dame House
Dame Street
Dublin 2

December 2004
Telephone +353 1 6778943
Fax +353 1 6793664
http://www.claddaghrecords.com
mailorder@crl.ie

SILVER NOTES. Christy Sheridan. Christy Sheridan plays mandolin and banjo and has a predilection for slow airs. On this album he presents twelve of them, with one played twice. The arrangements are disposed towards easy listening with assistance from Peter Eades, Stephen Sheridan, John Sheahan, Martin Fay and Diarmuid O’Leary.

MUSIC FROM THE ROBERT AP HUW MANUSCRIPT. Volume 1. Paul Dooley. PDCD002. A selection of ancient music taken from a seventeenth century Welsh manuscript, and played on a replica of the Trinity College metal-strung harp. The music included is much more ancient than the period when it was written down, as the seventeenth century source was copied from earlier manuscripts. Like all early music from manuscripts, it is Paul Dooley’s own interpretation of how these pieces would have sounded.

4 AND 9. The Bridies. The Bridies are Máire Egan and Brenda Curtin, fiddlers, lilters and singers, who began their careers in Michael Flatley’s shows. ‘4 and 9’ is an old comic ballad (also known as ‘The Half Crown’), which they sing to its full comic effect with excellent harmonies. It’s very much a show biz album, with lots of percussion. They‘re seasoned performers and their live shows must be very entertaining.

A LOVELY MADNESS. Beoga. BMCD 001. Jazz and blues played on traditional instruments. Little to interest traditionalists. Two boxes, a Hammond organ and a bodhran, heavily augmented by guest musicians.

TRADISH. Brendan Power. TETHNIK 109. Self-composed jazz and blues, with a few Irish sounding tunes included, by the great New Zealand harmonica player. Very skillfully played, with some of the best Irish musicians assisting.

CAOINEADH AIRT UÍ LAOGHAIRE. Cór Ban Chúil Aodha & Peadar Ó Riada. ACFODHLA 001. This lament is one of the masterpieces of Irish poetry. It dates back to the eighteenth century and is one of the most passionate pieces in Irish literature. Composed as an extemporary spoken piece by Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill on the slaying of her husband Art Ó Laoghaire, Peadar Ó Riada has put it to his own music, and it is sung here by the women’s choir of Cuil Aodha, quite close to where Art lived. This lends the recorded version a more immediate relevance.

BROCK McGUIRE BAND. FPL 102. This band consists of Paul Brock (accordion, melodeon), Manus McGuire (fiddle), Enda Scahill (banjo, guitar), Fergal Scahill (fiddle, guitar) and Dennis Morrison and Denis Carey sharing keyboard duties. It’s appealing very well-played music, with an old-fashioned taste to it. Most of it is traditional Irish music, with forays to French Canada and Shetland, and there are a few modern pieces.

THE LIGHT AND THE HALF-LIGHT. Seán Doyle. COMPASS 74387 2. This is the debut album for Seán, who has been singing for many years. He has a strong deep voice, and his delivery reminds one of Tommy Makem. The song selection is a strong one with some seldom heard items. Accompaniment is organized and the recording produced by his son, John Doyle, the well-known guitarist, and includes contributions by many well-known Irish and American musicians.

CLAIRSEACH NA hÉIREANN. THE HARP OF IRELAND. Siobhán Armstrong. MCD 0401. This is a good selection of early harp music played on yet another replica of the Trinity college harp. The playing is skilful and extremely pleasant.

DROPS OF SPRING WATER. Comhaltas North American tour 2004. CL62. This is similar to other recordings of Comhaltas tours. Although seemingly a studio recording, it has the energy of a live session (and a very good one). Most of the performers are fairly young, and only Brendan McGlinchey and Sean Norman are familiar.to me. There’s some lovely fiddling from McGlinchey, and practically everything on the album is worth listening to.

SPIRIT OF AN IRISH CHRISTMAS. Róisin Dempsey. TARACD 4014. Christmas songs sung by an ex-singer from Riverdance.

FOINN SEISIUIN 1. Ceoltóirí Cultúrlainne. CL 61. This is a book and double CD set recorded live at Comhaltas headquarters in Monkstown. The book was published first, and the CD was made in response to requests for recordings of the printed tunes. Page numbers given next to each track. It’s an excellent idea and the performances are good listening. Book and CD come separately.

THE BOSTON EDGE. Joe Derrane, Seamus Connolly, John McGann. MAPLESHADE 10332. Beautiful music from three experienced musicians. Derrane on accordion and Connolly on fiddle need no introduction, but McGann is a revelation. An expert flatpicker, he adds a new dimension to accompaniment. It’s a relief to hear an accompanying guitarist (and soloist) who doesn’t think he’s a rock star. This is mighty traditional music, with an American twist that is in many cases reminiscent of the great musicians of the 1920s.

AN MILEOIDEAN SCAOILTE. Johnny Connolly. CICD 157. Great tunes, some of them arranged for sets, by a Connemara master who is rock steady in his rhythm, and musically incomparable. His mighty technique is displayed best in his playing of ‘Miss McLeod’s Reel’ in three different keys on what is to most people a rather limited instrument.

WHO? Darren Maloney. CD001. This is the first album by a brilliant banjo technician, with a penchant for composing his own tunes.

A DROP IN THE OCEAN. Josephine Keegan. As a young schoolgirl, the great fiddler Josephine Keegan began to assemble a manuscript collection of tunes. These were mostly tunes she had heard which were not in the printed collections available to her. This work has continued through her lifetime, and the results so far are published in this handsome 220 page book. There are lots of traditional tunes in it, with some of her own composition (she’s a prolific composer). There are also quite a few from other people still alive. It’s beautifully typeset and illustrated with photographs of the composers. It would make a lovely Christmas present (or any other time)