GEAROID O'HALLMHURAIN & PATRICK OURCEAU: TRACIN'
A superb CD--notice the 5-star rating--by Clare concertina player Gearoid O'hAllmhurain and French-born fiddler Patrick Ourceau, whose command of the East Clare idiom is impressive to say the least. The combination of concertina and fiddle is one of my personal favorites, and the sound here brings back to mind the all-time classic Noel Hill and Tony Linnane duet record. Gearoid and Patrick play incredibly tightly, and with great soul, in that seemingly nonchalant, unhurried, bluesy way which one associates with the music of East Clare and East Galway. Their repertoire pays tribute to all the great players of the area, Canny, Hayes, Fahy, Cooley, Kelly, etc. Gearoid and Patrick have surrounded themselves with stellar accompanists as well, Felix Dolan, his son Brendan, and Barbara MacDonald Magone on piano, and Eamon O'Leary on guitar. In fact, the CD is so satisfying on so many levels, not only for the great music but also the exquisite artwork, the record notes which are as captivating as a summer novel, the wonderful old photographs of those who came before and who are the subject of much of the "tracin'," musical and otherwise.
Rating: *****
Price: $17.99
Highly Recommended
Highly Recommended
