MOZAIK: CHANGING TRAINS
Andy Irvine: vocals, bouzouki, mandola, harmonica
Donal Lunny: vocals, bouzouki, guitar, bodhran
Bruce Molsky: vocals, fiddle, guitar, 5-string banjo
Rens van der Zalm: fiddle, mandolin, low whistle, oud, guitar
Nikola Parov: kaval, gaida, gadulka, nickelharpa, tinwhistle, guitar, percussion
Liam O'Flynn: uilleann pipes, tinwhistle
The original idea of Mosaic (as it was spelled then) dates from the mid-1980s, when Andy Irvine and Donal Lunny briefly performed with Hungarian singer extraordinaire Marta Sebestyen, Scottish singer and fiddle player Dougie MacLean, and a few others. With a slightly different spelling, a new Mozaik emerged in 2002 when Irvine asked the current members if they would tour Australia with him. The band's first album, "Live at the Powerhouse," was recorded live in Brisbane in March of that year. "Changing Trains" is Mozaik's second album, and the first to be recorded in a studio. It features the typical blend of Irish, American, and Eastern European traditions which is the trademark of the group, and to which Andy Irvine fans have been accustomed for a long time. The latter sings two of his own songs, a fun one about the good old days at O'Donoghue's, Dublin's famous pub and music landmark, and Actually, the album sounds downright Planxty-like at times, especially with Liam O'Flynn guesting on uilleann pipes and whistle on several tracks, except perhaps with a more pronounced Eastern European tinge than before. Multi-instrumentalist Nikola Parov often plays the O'Flynn part in the group as well, while Bruce Molsky brings his unmistakable fiddle playing and singing to the fore on numbers like "Sail Away Ladies," "Reuben's Train" (cleverly married to a Romanian tune), and "Train on the Island." This is an eclectic band to be sure, but the superior musicianship of the participants holds it all together, producing not just a wondrous balancing act, but a fascinating and most pleasing soundscape as well.
Rating: ****
Price: $16.99
