Sean O'Driscoll & Larry Egan: The Kitchen Recordings

SEAN O'DRISCOLL & LARRY EGAN: THE KITCHEN RECORDINGS

Sean O'Driscoll: banjo, bouzouki

Larry Egan: accordion

Mick Daly: guitar

Olga Barry: bodhran

John Gallery: spoons

Irish musicians know that kitchens are the best room for a great home session, and the two musicians featured on this album, who wanted to emulate the spirit as well as the sound of home-made music, did just that by recording in O'Driscoll's kitchen! From Blarney, Co. Cork, and now living in Cork City, banjo player Sean O'Driscoll spent many years in Minneapolis where he performed and recorded with accordion player Paddy O'Brien (Hill 16) and others. For this new album, he has teamed up with Larry Egan, a young accordion player from Co. Wicklow who also now resides in Cork and who, despite his young age, has already garnered four solo All-Ireland trophies. In fact, it is Egan's playing which steals the show here, as O'Driscoll's banjo technique, while adequate, is a bit rough around the edges. Another interest of this recording is the selection of material, which includes quite a few seldom heard tunes and some of O'Driscoll's own compositions.

Rating: *** 1/2

Price: $24.99