Joe Derrane & Frankie Gavin: Ireland's Harvest

JOE DERRANE & FRANKIE GAVIN: IRELAND'S HARVEST

Joe Derrane: button accordion

Frankie Gavin: fiddle

Brian McGrath: piano

A musical meeting of two giants is not automatically a recipe for success, but this one delivers, and then some. Joe is playing better than ever, and Frankie does all that he does so well, in a way that creates a powerful whole. The affinity of both players for the music of the Golden Age is reflected in their choice of tunes from classic recordings of the 78 era, including the famous "Tarbolton" medley from Coleman, and "The Union Reel" in the version Joe adapted from Kimmel's playing and recorded as a solo in 1949. Among the more unusual material, an opening track of marches and the Irish national anthem, both played with gusto. A comparison with the "Tribute to Joe Cooley" album which Frankie recorded with Paul Brock seems unavoidable. In fact, the musicians have found a very similar groove, and while Brian McGrath's piano playing is a bit heavier than Charlie Lennon's, it is always spot on--all the more remarkable since the album was basically recorded in one day. The recording was done at a Maryland all-analog studio which specializes in jazz and doesn't not resort to any kind of filtering, compression, or overdubbing. The result is a magnificent "live" sound. And with 18 tracks in all, there's a lot of music to enjoy. My only criticism would be that the booklet could have used some closer editing, as misspellings abound. But from a musical point of view, it doesn't get much better than this. .

Rating ****1/2

Price: $15.99 Recommended