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www.celtic-connection.com
FEBRUARY 2002
CELTIC MUSIC REVIEWS
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THE ALEXANDER BROTHERS 45 Favourite Party Songs and the New Song: Jimmy Shand The Legend
We recently received a call early one morning at The Celtic Connection from The Toronto Star and the journalist asked me, "what do vou know about the Alexander Brothers?"
I replied, "I can tell you that they're a very popular traditional group from Scotland and whenever they come to Vancouver on tour, they always sell-out the venue."
I then referred the caller to Mike Paul of Island Music for more in-depth information about the duo. Island Music handles their CD and tour booking arrangements in Canada.
But, just out of curiosity, I asked the reporter why The Toronto Star was interested in this information. He said, "because nobody seems to have any information on these guys and they're outselling just about everyone else on amazou.com right now."
The Alexander Brothers, Jack and Tom, have been a musical duo for the past 42 years. They tour the United States, Canada, Australia, the U.K. and Ireland on a regular basis and they also entertain on a Caribbean cruise once a year.
Brother Jack is the vocalist and piano player while Tom is considered among the top accordion players in Scotland and the U.K. As with many Celtic artists, the brothers have outgoing, friendly personalities and after their many years touring, they have friends in all the cities where they play. In fact, their many fans look on their tour dates as a visit of old friends from Scotland.
The duo now have a new CD entitled: The Alexander Brothers 45 Favourite Parly Songs and is a compilation of their best party pieces over the years. Jimmy Shand the Legend was written by Jack and his wife Lillian Alexander and is the first track on the CD.
It covers some of Jimmy Shand's best known music and includes The Bluebell Polka which the late Jimmy Shand was identified with. Jack has captured that distinctive Jimmy Shand sound on his accordion.
This release includes some of the best traditional Scottish, Irish, American and Country favourites, along with a Burns selection and other heart tuggers. So there really is something for everyone.
With 45 selections to choose from, it was very difficult to se-
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lect favourites, but here are a few.
Mine are Jimmy Shand The Legend, Savoy American (a selection of Yankee doodle dandies), Campbeltown Lock (Scottish traditional favourites), Wild Side Of Life (Old American Country favourites), When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, The Boys From The County Armagh (Traditional Irish favourites). Mull Of Kintyre. Shetland Reels. Scottish Waltzes, Dumbarton Drums, and Flower Of Scotland. Also, included on the CD is The Island Of Tiree, written by Moira Kerr of Glasgow.
For more information and to purchase, The Alexander Brothers Favourite 45 Party Songs and the New Song: Jimmy Shand The Legend, call Island Music at 1-888-907-9977 or (604) 984-9110.
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ALTAN The Blue Idol
Fans of this Donegal band will also be overjoyed to hear that Altan will soon release their new album entitled: The Blue Idol. Narada Productions of Milwaukee is poised to release a new CD for the group that has been labelled the best Celtic band of all time.
Altan has managed to stay at the cutting edge of Celtic music since its inception in the mid-Eighties. It was formed by the husband and wife team of Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh (fiddle and vocals) and Frankie Kennedy (flute), who sadlv succumbed to cancer in 1994.
Mairead continues to lead the band and this year marks the release of their ninth album with The Blue Idol.
This time Altan has invited guest vocalists such as Dolly Parton, who can be heard on The Pretty Young Girl, a translation of one of Ireland's great Gaelic folk songs.
Strabane, County Tyrone superstar Paul Brady shares vocal duties with Mairead on a stunning version of the traditional song Daily Crowing.
Mairead's sister Anna Ni Mhaonaigh sings on the traditional Irish track Cuach mo Londubh Bui.
Other well-known Celtic guest artists are bodhran player Jim Higgins, Donal Lunny on key-boards, and flute player Harry Bradley.
The great uilleann piper Liam O'Flynn who, as a member of legendary Irish folk band Planxty, established an international audience for uilleann piping, plays on the Mark Kelly/Ciaran Tourish composition Roaring Water.
Altan members are Ciaran Tourish on fiddle; Mark Kelly and Daithi Sproule on guitar; Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh on fiddle and vocals; and Dermot Byrne on accordion.
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
Altan respects the past history, their sources, mentors and teachers by honouring them in playing the music that has been handed down by them. Mairead cites her father Francie (himself a fine fiddle player) as inspiration.
The great players of Donegal like John Doherty and Con Cassidy whom band members knew and learned from, are remembered through their music. Altan manage to imbue a freshness of approach that redefines and invigorates that tradition. The material on The Blue Idol is proof that the rich and venerable tradition of Irish music continues to develop and evolve.
Fiddle player, Ciaran Tourish, describes the music of Altan saying, "We stick to what we know best, but all the while seek to push the boundaries just a bit, keeping it interesting for us and our audiences."
Altan really know how to get the audience moving! Watch for them on tour throughout spring 2008 in the U.S. and Canada. Check out Narada Production website for Altan tour dates and areas at: www. narada. com.
Vancouver fans will be able to catch this dynamic Celtic group in concert at the Centennial Theatre, North Vancouver on April 26. Tickets are available at the Centennial Box Office, call (604) 984-4484 or Highlife Records and Zulu Records.
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MARGARET O'CARROLL Songs My Mother Taught Me A Collection of Irish Songs
Just received from Kerry Records of Farmington, Coxinecticut is a new CD entitled, Songs My Mother Taught Me, the debut CD release of Irish Soprano Margaret O'Carroll.
This Irish born singer, a gold medallist at the Dublin Feis Ceoil, began her voice and piano studies with her mother Elizabeth and continued at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin and the Cork School of Music.
Margaret credits her Wexford-born mother for her deep love of storytelling. "She taught me how to sing a song and how to tell a story. 'Sing from your heart,' she would say."
O'Carroll has an impressive performance history as a soprano soloist, and has sung throughout Ireland in Handel's Messiah.
She has toured extensively with the National Folk Theatre of Ireland and created the first performance of a number of Irish works including Mo Dhaoine (My People) O'Chearbhaill and Sally Da Barra.
A versatile singer, Margaret has starred in such roles as Student Prince and Bitter Sweet. Asacon-cert performer she has sung throughout Ireland with such artists as the late, great Irish tenor Frank Patterson with whom she sang her first Messiah.
Since moving to Los Angeles, O'Carroll has sung leading roles in Magic Flute and Cosi Fan Tutte to name a few.
Her Los Angeles concert debut was at the Los Angeles Music Centre, as guest artist for the annual Rose of Tralee ball.
Her New York concert debut was at the Waldorf Astoria as guest artist at "An Irish Evening," honouring Irishman Paul O'Dwyer.
Tracks on Songs My Mother Taught Me are She Moved Through The Fair, Down By The Sally Gardens, I Know Where I'm Coin', 'Tis Pretty To Be In Ballinderry, Silent, O Moyle, Kitty Of Coleraine, The Ninepenny Fidil, I Know my Love, Shannon River. I Have A Bonnett Trimmed With Blue, The Old Turf Fire, The Leprechaun, Shula Agra.
Margaret O'Carroll is one of the few female classical voices in traditional Irish music today and this authentic and delightful debut recording belongs in every fine music collection.
For more information, visit www.kerrvrecords.com, or call (860) 677-1348.
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CARA DILLON Cara Dillon
Cara Dillon is the new voice out of Ireland, nominated for 4 BBC Radio Folk Awards, Album of the Year, Horizon Award (Best Newcomer), Folk Singer of the Year, Best Traditional Song - Black is the Colour.
Born in 1975 and raised in Ireland, Cara Dillon comes from a family steeped in the musical traditional of that country. She sings the traditional music of Ireland with her own unpretentious style, clarity and unique arrangement of the traditional.
Tracks on this CD include: Black Is The Color, Donald Of Glencoe, Craigie Hill, Green Grows The Laurel, Lark In The Clear Air, The Lonesome Scenes Of Winter, Blue Mountain River, I Wish I Was, The Maid Of Culmore, She's Like The Swallow, I Am A Youth That's Inclined To Ramble.
For more information, visit www.caradillon.co.uk or call (905) 677-5050.
GREAT BIG SEA Sea Of No Cares
Warner Music Canada is set to release the new Great Big Sea album Sea Of No Cares this month.
When Great Big Sea set out to record this new album, their goal was to add new colours to their already diverse palate and head in directions they had never travelled before.
The result, Sea Of No Cares is an album as eclectic and, at the same time, as accessible as anything Great Big Sea has ever recorded.
Having platinum records and playing to sold-out concerts around the world, the band felt that in order to grow musically, the time had come to introduce new sounds into their repertoire.
Those new colours include electric and flamenco guitars, mariachi trumpet sections, and drums provided by Spirit of The West's Vince Ditrich, ex-Big Sugar Gavin Brown and the band's own manager, Louis Thomas.
Alan Doyle said, "We wouldn't necessarily set out to do an all original or all traditional album. We're not particularly concerned about where a song comes from, so long as it's good. The key is to keep the essence of Great Big Sea."
The essence and energy of Great Big Sea is very much alive in Sea Of No Cares, but there is also the added colour of new material and sound in their new CD, adding interest for the audience and the musicians.
Shipping News, the film released at Christmas starring Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore and Cate Blanchett, features five Great Big Sea tracks, Bad As I Am, Goin Up, Dancing With Mrs While, The Jolly Butcher and Billy Peddle. All of these tracks can be found on previously released Great Big Sea albums.
Tracks on the new CD are: Sea Of No Cares, Penelope, Clearest Indication, Scolding Wife, Stumbling In, A Boat Like Gideon Brown, Widow In The Window, French Perfume, Yarmouth Town, Barque In The Harbour, Own True Way and Fortune.
Great Big Sea is Alan Doyle on vocals, guitar, bouzouki and mandolin; Sean McCann on vocals, guitar, bodhran and shakers; Bob Hallett on vocals, fiddle, tenor banjo, accordions, bouzouki, mandolin and whistles; Darrel Power on vocals, bass, bones and mandolin.
Great Big Sea fans can celebrate because this Newfoundland-based quartet will be launching the album stateside in the spring, while a comprehensive Canadian tour is set to take place in the fall.