Self Produced Celtica
by Celtonerd Steve Winick
"Such bird, such nest," as the old proverb goes. In other words, you can tell a lot about a person from the home he keeps. Well, nerdlings, my nest is a mess just now, with books, papers, and press releases overflowing from every surface. More importantly, wherever you look, there are bloody great stacks of CDs. Most of them are of Irish, Scottish and English folk music... in other words, status quo in the nest of the elusive Celtonerd!
But enough about me. I'll begin this column with a question: why is it that every hot new Irish group has to be compared to the Bothy Band? We heard it 10 years ago with Altan, we heard it five years ago with Dervish, and now we hear it with Lúnasa: "not since the Bothy Band...." Well, I'm here to say this: they ain't the Bothy Band! I don't mean this as a negative or discouraging comment, for I think Lúnasa Live [Lúnasa LSA 001 (1998)] is one of the best Irish instrumental band albums in a while. I just think that when you compare a group like Lúnasa with the Bothies you do a disservice to both sides. Among other things, Lúnasa is a more subtle group, with a more eclectic repertoire and style and a less driving rhythm section. Their disc includes a klezmer tune, several Breton airs and dances, music from Québec, from Nova Scotia, from the U.S., from France and from Scotland as well as several selections that are actually Irish! Sweet, controlled uillean piping from John McSherry, breathy flute playing from Michael McGoldrick and brisk fiddling from Séan Smyth are the melodic heart of Lúnasa's music, and the syncopated strumming and gentle pickwork of Donogh Hennessy on guitar is an equally indispensable component. The most distinctive feature of their sound, though, is undoubtedly Trevor Hutchinson's electric double bass, which adds deep resonant harmonies, eerie drones, and gentle, cool-jazz attack to the rhythm section. There are many highlights here; the subtle interweaving of double low whistle lines from McGoldrick and McSherry on Pierre Bensusan's hornpipish tune "The Last Pint" is one, as are Smyth's sprightly fiddling on Michel Bordeleau's reel "Fleur de Mandragore" and McSherry's fast, clean and inventive piping on "Colonel Fraser." And for a good time, you couldn't do better than the album's closer, a set of bouncy jigs that groove like crazy. [Distribution by Direct/ 50 Stroud Green Road/ Finsbury Park, London, N4 3EF/ U.K.]
Next on my list is the Galway-based group Calua with their debut CD Bóthar Gan Briseadh ("Down the Line") [self-produced CALCD001 (1997)]. This is mostly an album for flute lovers, as Séamus Mac Conaonaigh's flute and whistle lead on almost every track. Mac Conaonaigh is a very talented player, able to handle the demands of driving reels on both flute and whistle, but also subtle enough to lead a listener through unhurried hornpipes and airs. In addition to his playing, he contributes several new and unusual tunes to the album. Pádraig Ó Broin, on guitar and bouzouki, acts mostly as Mac Conaonaigh's accompanist, and he handles the role with subtlety and flair. As a couple of tunes demonstrate, Ó Broin is equally capable of beautiful lead playing, and of composing lovely melodies. Damien Quinn rounds out the trio on bodhrán, adding nice rhythmic backing throughout the disc. Like Lúnasa's album, this is a feast for fans of Irish tunes. [no address listed]
Undoubtedly the most eclectic release here is Unleashed! [self-produced BPCD003 (1998)] by the Ennis group Bushplant. Opening with a sort of hard-rock number that expresses a laudably environmentalist message in rather banal poetry and music, the album goes on to feature Finnish fiddle tunes, sentimental Irish schmaltz-ballads, relatively nonsensical reggae songs sung in bad island accents, some native-American inspired pieces (including a Buffy Ste.-Marie song), traditional Irish music and a Breton song. Led by Gerry Molloy's guitar and vocals and Mary Custy's strong Clare fiddling, the band also features flute, sax, bass, drums and various percussion touches like rattles and rainsticks, which adds up to an unusual palette of sounds. In general, this makes for an interesting listen, but the band isn't terribly consistent, and there are some live tracks with very poor sound. For the fan of traditional music, the most exciting track will probably be "Cider on the Carpet," led by John Lambe on uillean pipes, which, along with a few sets led by Custy's excellent fiddling, makes this worth investigating. [no address listed]
Several of the albums that came my way recently have something of a ballad-group feel. Staying in the West of Ireland for the moment, I'll comment first on the self-titled debut CD by The Céilí Bandits [self-produced cdcb001 (1998)]. The Bandits are an unusual quartet based in Doolin, Co. Clare. As their name suggests, they play traditional Irish music and songs in a style influenced both by conservative céilí band playing, and by more progressive (and aggressive) approaches like the ballad group. Their lineup includes vocals, bouzouki, banjo, fiddle, guitar and bodhrán, and their playing is brisk and sure; at their absolute best they remind me of De Danann in the late 1970s. You won't find the level of virtuosity or subtlety here that graces Lúnasa or Calua, but you will find a lot of upbeat and enjoyable Irish session tunes and a few pretty songs. Highlights include Joe Dolan's humorous song "Trip to Jerusalem" and a set of reels named after Philadelphia banjo player Mick Moloney. The only annoying thing about the disc is the inaccurate sequence of the track listings; God help you if you don't already know which tunes are which! [no address listed]
Even more tied into the ballad-group aesthetic is the unimaginatively-titled CD Collection of Songs and Music [Self Produced] by Mick Walsh of Kilkenny. In all, I had a lukewarm reaction to this one. First of all, it suffers a bit from the usual ballad-group problem: it's made mostly of songs you could find done better on albums by the Clancy Brothers, the Irish Rovers and the Dubliners. The chestnuts here include the cheery "Galway Races" and "Rare Old Mountain Dew," the gloomy "Crooked Jack" and "Lakes of Coolfin," and the poignant-but-funny "German Clock winder" and "Wearing of the Britches." The songs are interspersed with sets of equally common tunes, played on guitar, bouzouki, mandolin and banjo. The playing is generally good, but Walsh tries to play too fast for himself in places (as on the tune "Nine Points of Roguery"). Finally, the sound quality is a few degrees less than hot. [Mick Walsh/ 20 Clarnwood/ Kilkenny, Ireland]
Having lingered long in Ireland this time around, let me cross the broad Atlantic for the next couple of releases. First of all, Market Town [self produced BT9602 (1996)] by Blackthorn, is a similarly ballad-centered album from Canada. Blackthorn features both male and female vocals, fiddle, guitar, mandolins, banjo, flute, piccolo, whistle, accordion, bass, bodhrán and percussion; clearly they're capable of widely varying arrangements. Like Walsh's, their album features mostly well-covered tunes and songs, although a few more obscure ones, like " 'Twas Pretty to Be in Ballinderry" do appear. Also on the minus side, the singing is a bit mannered; clearly these are North Americans trying hard! On the other hand, the playing and arrangements are quite sophisticated and make use of all those instruments nicely. Their tunes, too, have a North American (contradance?) feeling to them, but it's not as distracting there. In all, a good job and a fun listen. [383 East 37th Avenue, Suite 430/ Vancouver, BC V5W 4C1/ Canada]
Which brings me, finally, to my own part of the world. The Mollyhawkes (formerly Renegade), from the state of Pennsylvania, released their latest album, The Great Sun, some months ago. Their influences include the ballad groups, of course, but also significant touches of traditional music, American folk, sea shanties, and other related styles. In addition to all this, the material on The Great Sun draws on the writing of band member Jeff Morgan. The result is a nicely varied album of tunes and songs with enough of the familiar to make it comfortable, and enough of the new to keep it interesting. Irish and Scottish chestnuts like "The Muckin' of Geordie's Byre" mix nicely with traditional Scottish and Irish tunes, American songs like "Leather-Winged Bat" and new numbers like "The Road to Falmouth." The title song, a particularly beautiful number, matches a strange and powerful prayer from the 17th century that Morgan found on an embroidery sampler in a church in Wales to an old Welsh lament tune, producing a moving and thought-provoking song. Their singing is particularly strong, as they have three good lead vocalists; Susan Kocher deserves special mention for her performances on "The Great Sun" and "Cockles and Mussels." If the Mollyhawkes have a weakness, it's in the instrumental department; they're not virtuosi like the members of Lúnasa. Still, they do a creditable job on their tunes, particularly those where they're joined by Philadelphia uillean piper Roy Rogers. It all adds up to an enjoyable album with a little something for everyone. [Jeff Morgan/ Rag Fair Publishing/ Box 79/ Pt. Pleasant, PA 18950]
And that's the bottom of one stack of discs. Time to explore another one.... Til next time!
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