Josephine Keegan:The Nightingale

JOSEPHINE KEEGAN: THE NIGHTINGALE

Josephine Keegan: piano

Judging from the standing ovations she received while performing during Irish Arts Week in the Catskills this past summer, I was not the only one to think that Josephine Keegan, at 70 years of age one of the grand dames of Irish music, is on fire! Not only is she drawing applause for her live performances, but she is working harder recording CDs and publishing tune collections than many musicians half her age. Just before coming to the US, she released two new CDs. This one (see also "The Fairy Bridges"), on which Keegan plays solo piano, combines recordings made back in the mid-1970s and only recovered recently with a few tracks recorded last year in Chicago. An apt location perhaps since it was there one of the great Irish piano players from the 78 era, Eleanor Kane Neary, made her legendary recordings. Keegan's elegant piano playing here shows that she is not merely an excellent accompanist, but also, like Mrs. Neary, a most tasteful interpreter of traditional tunes. Her arrangements of O'Carolan's pieces, which constitute the bulk of the album, are especially noteworthy for their clever counterpoint.

Rating: ****

Price: $21.99