PAUL SMYTH: UP AND AWAY

Paul Smyth: flute

Michael Cooney: uilleann pipes

Ged Foley: guitar, fiddle

Mike O'Connor: bodhran

Padhraic Smyth: piano

Flute player Paul Smyth, a cousin of Lunasa fiddler Sean Smyth, comes from Kilmovee in East Mayo, where his school-teaching parents were great local supporters of traditional music. Smyth's nicely paced and rather sparely ornamented playing on this recording reminded me immediately of another album, John Creaven's "The Story So Far," and like it I think this new CD would be of particular interest to new students of the idiom. But  this is not all that "Up and Away" has to offer--even if one couldn't imagine a recording more different from Frankie Gavin's album of the same title. The selection of tunes, which achieves a nice balance between well and lesser known pieces, is excellent. Smyth's playing is enhanced by Ged Foley's solid guitar accompaniments, and piper Michael Cooney joins in on one track. Nice music.

Rating: *** 1/2

Price: $19.99

Our Catalogue 

Contents:

1. Jigs: Whistler at the Wake / Paddy Carty's / The Rambler

2. Reels: The Humours of Lissadell / Trim the Velvet

3. Hornpipes: The Blackbird / Dermot Grogan's 

4. Reels: Down the Broom / Trip to Cullenstown / The Raheen Reel

5. Air & Slip Jigs: The Rocks of Bawn / Tom's / A Fig for a Kiss

6. Reels: Tim Maloney's / Richard Dwyer's / Noon Lassies

7. Mazurka: Skelton's

8. Jigs: The Kilmovee Jig / The Lark in the Morning

9. Reels: Trip to Birmingham / The Boy in the Gap / James Byrne's

10. March & Jigs: Lord Mayo / Hammy Hamilton's Jigs

11. Polkas: Up and Away / Nancy / Come to the Fair

12. Jigs: The Shores of Lough Gowna / My Darling Asleep /  The Galway Rambler

13. Reels: The Culfadda / The Ashplant / Within a Mile of Dublin