The Red Wellies

THE RED WELLIES

Claudine "Beanie" Odell: fiddle

Duncan Wickel: fiddle, uilleann pipes

Vincent Fogarty: bouzouki

Aaron Olwell: flute, concertina

I met Vincent Fogarty and Beanie Odell a few years ago when they stopped by our local Washington DC session, and had the pleasure to play with them again a couple of years ago during Irish Week in the Catskills. They both impressed me with their musicianship, particularly Vincent whose bouzouki accompaniments were among the finest I have had the pleasure to hear behind my own fiddling. Although Beanie is a bit more shy musically in person, this delightful debut CD shows that she is an excellent, tasteful fiddle player as well. Rounding up the trio on fiddle and uilleann pipes is Beanie's nephew Ducan Wickel, a bit of a prodigy who, while not yet 20, has toured with guitarist John Doyle and is a member of the Cathie Ryan Band. As the Red Wellies, they have been performing in the Asheville NC area, where they are based, and beyond. Beanie and Ducan, who play twin fiddles all through the CD, have been playing together now for 13 years, and the result is a near-unison playing, with a few harmonic departures here and there, which is very reminiscent of the Kane sisters, but with its own original sound. Their tune list includes quite a few well-known melodies, but they always manage to find a fresh approach to them and keep the attention of the most tune-savvy listener. On a few tracks, the twin fiddle sound gets complemented by Wickel's pipes or by flute and concertina expertly played by Aaron Olwell, son of the famous Central Virginia flute maker, and a musician in much demand these days. Lovely music.

Rating: ****

Price: $16.99