Eliot Grasso: Standing Room Only

ELIOT GRASSO: STANDING ROOM ONLY

Eliot Grasso: uilleann pipes

Patrick Mangan: fiddle

Jimmy Eagan: fiddle

Andy Thurston: guitar, mandola

Zan McLeod: guitar, bouzouki

This is the exciting debut album by the young and talented Baltimore piper Eliot Grasso, who learned from Kieran O'Hare and was influenced by the playing of the northern Irish piper Robbie Hannan. The latter wrote a most flattering introduction to the album, in which he justly pointed out how Grasso's great command of his instrument is equal to his musical curiosity, which compels him in particular to adapt most convincingly for the pipes tunes not usually associated with the instrument. Grasso plays a concert-pitch set as well as a Rogge B set which he puts to good use on the air "The Satin Slipper" and on a fiery set of jigs played in duet with his musical partner in Baltimore, fiddle player Jimmy Eagan, who also released his debut solo CD recently. Also appearing on fiddle on two tracks is Patrick Mangan, to whose own solo release Grasso had recently contributed, and with whom he concludes the album with some nice harmonies on the reel "The Monaghan Twig." I'm sure we'll hear more from this gifted young man.

Rating: *** 1/2

Price: $16.99