Hammy Hamilton: The Moneymusk

HAMMY HAMILTON: THE MONEYMUSK

Hammy Hamilton: flute, bansuri

Paul McGrattan: flute

Connie O'Connell: fiddle

Peadar O'Riada: concertina

Tom Stephens: guitar

Eoin O'Neill: bouzouki

Con O'Drisceoil: piano

Much awaited re-release on CD of Hamilton's first solo recording, first available in 1990 as a cassette. This is more than a mere reissue, as the CD includes six brand new tracks, which brings the total to a generous 18 tracks for this new version of the album. It's such a pleasure to rediscover Hammy's wonderful playing and hear it at "center stage"--I felt that it didn't get quite the exposure it deserved on the recently released CD "It's No Secret," recorded with Seamus Creagh and Con O'Drisceoil. From the original tape, there are some tremendous duets with fiddle player Connie O'Connell and with fellow flute player Paul McGrattan, as well as the two great jigs, "The Woodcock" and "The Kerfunten," which Hammy composed and which are now universally played. Among the new material, on which I find Tom Stephens' otherwise excellent guitar accompaniments a bit too high in the mix, a couple of sets of "northern" polkas originally recorded by John McKenna and James Morrison, the classic reels "The Skylark" and "Roaring Mary," the simple but effective "Pigtown" and "Anything for John Joe," and the lovely air "An Buachaill Caol Dubh." A welcome re-release indeed.

Rating: ***1/2

Price: $26.99