VARIOUS: THE VIRGINIA REEL
A terrific CD recorded by members of the Blue Ridge Irish Music School, based in Charlottesville VA. This is mainly due to the efforts of fiddle players Sara Read and Tes Slominski, who have nurtured a whole group of excellent young musicians and dancers from that area. The 15-track CD, recorded at Bobby and Sara Read's own studio, is nicely varied, with ensemble as well as solo and small-group playing, some dancing, and a couple of songs. The BRIMS cast, which includes Tes and Sara, is joined in this project by talented multi-instrumentalists Aran Olwell, son of famous local flute maker Patrick Olwell, Paddy League (heard here on banjo, mandolin, guitar, and bodhran), and Rob Greenway (flute). Paddy and Rob were, with Sara and Tes, members of the excellent band Roaring Mary (whose own CD is still available), represented on the CD by an exciting closing track of reels recorded live during their farewell concert at a Charlottesville venue. There are a lot of recordings released in the US these days which get labeled as Irish traditional music, but few which deserve that label. This one does, and then some. And it's a steal...
P.S.: THIS IS IRISH MUSIC, NOT MUSIC FOR THE AMERICAN FOLK DANCE
Rating: *** 1/2
Price: $12.00
