We're pleased to welcome back guest blogger Dr. Squeeze with reviews of two amazing Irish trad albums. Sorry we didn't get to these earlier, but it's not like this music is going to get stale. It's still gonna be great even five or ten years from now. So slap on your headphones and have a read-through! Thanks to Dr. Squeeze for the guest blog.

Two Irish Trad Albums Reviewed
Guest Blog by Dr. Squeeze
 
Danny O'Mahony. In Retrospect.
2011. self-released.

I just got my hands on the recently released first CD of master Irish button box player Danny O’Mahony and it’s like a breath of fresh air. The album was released in May 2011 after many years of Danny saying he wouldn’t make a CD – thank goodness he changed his mind. Here we have a master box player, several times All-Ireland champ, playing straight up classics with flawless technique on priceless vintage accordions. Danny comes from Ballyduff in North County Kerry and earned a performance degree from University of Limerick. He has toured throughout Europe, North America and Australia and has a weekly radio show, ‘Trip to the Cottage’, which features Irish Traditional Music and Song on Radio Kerry. He also performs with the Shannon Vale Ceili Band who won the 2011 All Ireland Band title. On this his first CD, he is joined by some good friends and great performers such as Cyril O’Donoghue on bouzouki, Patsy Broderick on Piano and Johnny McDonagh on Bodhrán and Bones, but it’s really the accordion that dominates here and what a beautiful sound!

Danny plays three different accordions on the recording: a 1940’s vintage grey 3 voice B/C Paolo Soprani, another 1940’s grey 3 voice Paolo Soprani in D/D#, and finally the Ioria 6 voice D/C# box of the late great Tom Carmody from the 1930’s. The Ioria was bequeathed to Danny by Tom’s widow and Danny is presently doing research on the life and music of Tom Carmody and The James Morrison Band that dominated recordings of Irish Music in New York in the 1930’s. In Retrospect takes us back to those days of early Irish music in New York, with a faithful reproduction of the sound and the tunes. Custy’s Traditional Music Shop in Ennis says: “This album rates up there as one of the best accordion releases over the last ten years”. Definitely.


Danny O'Mahony: An Pointe/Cronin's/Come West Along the Road

 
Danny's Website (only way to purchase the album)

Excellent Video on Comhaltas
 

As an added treat: here's a great video of Danny and Micheál Ó Raghallaigh together on box and concertina. Enjoy!

The Innisfree Ceili Band. Music of North Connacht.
2009. self-released.

When the folks at Hearth Music asked me if I would like to review the new CD by the Innisfree Ceili Band, I jumped right unto it. I am always interested in anything that involves accordions and I am also a member of the Shilshole Bay Ceili Band here in Seattle. Not only does the Innisfree Ceili Band boast two accordion players, both button and piano, but they also have four flute players, three fiddlers, a piano player and a drummer. One of the fiddlers, Oisín Mac Diarmada is already well known as the founder of the Irish Christmas in America show and a member of the famed Irish group Téada. The Irish Times praised them for « keeping the traditional flag flying at full mast » and the Innisfree Ceili Band carries on the tradition. All the players in the group grew up playing together in the North Connacht region of Ireland and represent the styles of Sligo, Leitrim, and Roscommon. Following in the footsteps of the great Ceili Bands of yore, such as the Tulla and the Kilfenora, the Innisfree Ceili Band plays with the smoothness and drive of a great dance band.

The word ‘Ceili’ in Gaelic means a social gathering or a party. In the early days, most Ceilis hosted singing, dancing, and story telling. Ceili dances became popular after the Public Dance Halls Act in 1935, passed to discourage the wild house parties and crossroads dances, replacing them with licensed, regulated and government-controlled dances in larger venues that could afford the license fees. This led to larger dance bands in a more formal setting, often dressed in suits or tuxedos and hiring drummers, pianists, and even saxophone players. The glory days were in the 40’s and 50’s, then declined with the new ‘Seisîuns’ involving smaller groups in pubs, playing for their own enjoyment or as background music to drinking your Guinness. The Innisfree Ceili Band is helping to bring back the tradition of the old Ceili Bands and were the winners of the 2008 All Ireland Ceili Band Competition.

Sit back and listen to this collection of jigs, reels, hornpipes, polkas, and marches. This is music that will set your toes tapping and lead you to the dance. Their blend of flutes, fiddles, accordion, piano and drum set is seamless and flows like a well-oiled dance machine. You will hear some great tunes handed down from legendary musicians such as Michael Coleman, Father Charlie Cohen, Michael Gorman, James Morrison, Paddy Kiloran, and Denis Murphy. And the dance goes on…..

Innisfree Ceili Band: The Real Blackthorn Stick/Trim the Velvet