Jim Eagan: At Reavy's House

JIM EAGAN: AT REAVY'S HOUSE

Jimmy Eagan: fiddle

Eliot Grasso: uilleann pipes

Peter Fitzgerald: banjo

Andy Thurston: guitar, tiple, mandola

Mark Evans: bouzouki

Myron Bretholz: bodhran

Jim Eagan is a young fiddle player from Baltimore, Maryland, one of the so-called "new generation" of Irish musicians showing precocious talent--another is piper Eliot Grasso, who also appears on this recording, and whose unaccompanied duet with Eagan is perhaps the best track on it. Although Eagan has already recorded with John Whelan, this is his first solo album and, as the title suggests, it consists of performances of tunes composed by the late great Ed Reavy, of Co. Cavan and Philadelphia. However, Eagan pretty much stayed away from the "Reavy top ten" and chose to explore instead the lesser known tunes in the composer's catalogue. Eagan's style, full of crisp bow work and chromaticisms, is well suited for the interpretation of Reavy's often quirky and sometimes tonally experimental melodies. I found myself wishing for a bit more nuance in the playing, though, so that the arrival of the air "Silent the Lonely Glen" on the track before last wouldn't feel like a welcome but late change of pace. Good guitar, bouzouki, and bodhran accompaniments--although my personal preference would have been to hear piano on some tracks. The artwork, based on close-up shots of Eagan's lion-headed fiddle and fancy pegs, is gorgeous, but makes reading the liner notes nearly impossible. All in all, this is very much worth hearing, not only on the merits of the material, but also to discover a player from whom you are likely to hear more in the future.

Rating: *** 1/2

Price: $16.99