This is a very interesting recording. It features two grand old men of the Clare music scene playing tunes in the living room for their friends and each other. There is a wonderful atmosphere here, a brief window into what Irish music might have been like in the old days before it hit the commercial big time.

This recording must be approached with care and understanding. Gerdie and Joe are old guys now, afflicted by arthritis and the ravages of age. Joe has a bit of trouble with his high B's and Gerdie hits some wrong notes and can't do the ornaments he once could (there are moments where it is clear he was a very technical player in his prime). You must be prepared to look past that.

If you do, you'll find a depth of feeling in this music virtually unmatched by the current generation of great musicians. As good as today's acknowledged masters are technically, these two men simply have a feel to their music that is a notch above. There is a sweetness in the playing, even a bit of bittersweet. Clare has had it's share of poverty and sorrows, and amidst the simple joy of playing, I hear the hint of that sadness coming through - something I don't hear in the music of the younger players. Two gentlemen who simply love to play, who aren't afraid to play the tunes at a slower pace, and who pack two hearts-full of feeling into the music.

Finally, by now you've probably realized that I am not fond of modern Irish accompaniment. There is some accompaniment on here, but it comes from Eoin Ó Neill. He is one of the few accompanists who can add something without destroying the delicate modal essence of the music. That, with sensitive mixing that keeps the two Gentlemen to the fore, combines to make this a delightful record of the first order.

Purchase from Custy's Music, which is connected with Eoin's Clachán record label that produced this recording.

Kitty Hayes is a grand old lady of Irish music. She has a remarkable story. She played concertina so long ago when she was a teenager, but had to give it up because of the burden of caring for her family. They gave it back to her by encouraging her to return to concertina playing, not long ago. She plays in a lovely old style, stately, unhurried, a very rhythmic, purposeful style of playing with lots of weight and meaning behind the notes. The recording was made in her kitchen, surrounded by friends and family members. As the liner notes say, "There were no breaks, as Kitty loves the music and loves to play."

Once again, Eoin Ó Neill and John Ó Connor were instrumental in seeing this recording created. We owe them a debt of gratitude for keeping the old ways alive. Besides Eoin, she is joined on some tracks by family members. As a result of her playing and the setting it was recorded in, the recording feels intimate and warm, like a homecoming to one's favorite family gathering.

Purchase from Custy's Music, which is connected with Eoin's Clachán record label that produced this recording.

West Clare is one of the hotbeds of concertina music, a region which has managed to retain its regional style in the face of increasing globalization of media. There is definitely a "West Clare" style and Tommy did play that, but unlike many his style was highly personalized. He used a fair bit of ornamentation but with a fairly simple system and employed unique approaches to rolls, triplets, and crans. I believe his playing of the pipes influenced his concertina technique. On pipes, he also used some unusual ornaments, such as cutting low notes with the back D or the C natural.

For this recording he played concertina, pipes, and whistle. Like Jackie Daly's, this recording is completely solo and unaccompanied. All aspects of his beautiful playing are clearly audible and there is a personal, intimate feel evident. There is no showmanship or flash, just pure music from the heart.

Buy direct from the label at http://www.iol.ie/~marmusic/, or it's also available from Custy's Music.

This has to be some of the sweetest piping I've ever heard. Brian doesn't go in for showmanship, beats per minute, ornaments per bar, etc. Instead, he's interested in making music. He plays the tunes at a "measured pace" (to use the phrase from the excellent and detailed accompanying notes). Every little detail of his judiciously chosen ornamentation, every slight push or pull on the tempo, every swell, clip, and warble of the chanter is clearly audible. What's more, it is clearly intentional. Here is an accomplished piper who clearly has the talent to ornament every note at breakneck speed in perfect, flawless time, if he were to want to. He is in complete control of everything. Yet he plays in a majestic, noble way, understating the technique, to produce an immersive gentleness and soft, flowing sweetness that somehow takes one back to the best memories of the carefree, halcyon summer days of childhood. And the seldom-heard south-Leitrim tunes are to die for.

I almost could have listed his first solo recording, A Piper's Dream here, because it's nearly as good. However, I think the tunes, the playing, the accompaniment (by harper Gráinne Hambly) on this one is just a bit better. As an added bonus, noted pipes-maker Benedict Koehler plays duet with Brian on a few tracks.

Buy direct from Brian at his website http://www.piperbrian.com.

Jackie Daly epitomizes what's best in traditional music. He has a unique style that makes the music compelling and exciting without losing touch with it's origins. This, his first recording, is completely solo and unaccompanied. The music is quick Kerry style with a lot of energy. The ornaments are crisp and effective without cluttering the music. Since it is unaccompanied it makes a great study recording because it's possible to hear all of the nuances.

It seems to be hard to obtain right now. Occasionally Amazon.com has a used one. Or try this Google.com search for other sellers.

This is Clare fiddling in the purest form. The melancholy moods and old intonation capture the desolation of the rugged, wind-swept land of West Clare. So much of today's music is played in the constraints of the modern equal-tempered tuning system, even on pitch-flexible instruments like the fiddle. But here, some of the tunes detach themselves from the notion of notes, rising above, almost speaking words, pitch constantly bending.

Kevin plays the tunes as his grandfather Junior Crehan taught him. There is a lot of melancholy on this recording. He had always intended to get Junior into the studio, but it never worked out and then Junior died. If we can't get that solo recording of Junior Crehan's music, this is the next best thing. Kevin's playing is magical and otherworldly and it's also a superb recording technically.

This record is currently unavailable as of March 2005. It may become available at a future date on his web site http://www.kevincrehan.com. Unfortunately, the web site is also having technical difficulties as of March 2005.

This is an impressive recording from a pair of musicians from the "new" generation. They totally eschew the fast tempos, fancy-pants accompaniment and theatrics of most contemporary recordings, instead opting for a very old-school approach. There is only the pipes, fiddle and whistle playing of the two named musicians. The tempo is leisurely and the groove laid back and rich with expression. The music is rich and juicy. The entire record is made with flat pipes (B and B-flat), with fiddle tuned down to match, or flat-pitch whistles. The drones lay down a rich, chocolaty foundation upon which lolls the sweet, expressive chanter and fiddle, accompanied by O'Brien's meaty regulator work and Ó Raghallaigh's thick double-stopping and bending. I'm getting hungry just reminiscing...

I don't know what else to say, besides: listening to this recording feels like coming in from a long walk on a cold, rainy day, putting on a fire, wrapping up in a comforter, and sipping a fine whiskey.

Purchase from Custy's Music or Ossian-USA. Visit the publicity website at http://www.kittylieover.com.