John & James Carty – The Wavy Bow Collection
Racket Records (RR015) – Out Now
Irish traditional music depends on the passing of its riches through familial generations to ensure its transport to the next decades and beyond. A common insight when looking at familial gatherings is the symbiotic tightness that exists within the playing of music between members of a family entrenched within the traditional genre and its manifold attractions. This umbilical cord-like tightness is something that cannot be fostered or forced – it just exists and its presence is profound and noticeable. This pairing of John and James Carty proves that and does so convincingly. Their paring is also an example of Anglo-Irish crossovers as John Carty himself was born in London and quickly emerged in his teens as one of the outstanding young musicians in the London-Irish circuit, playing fiddle and banjo. Inspired by his multi-instrumentalist father John P. Carty, a member of the Glenside Ceili Band in London in the 1960’s (and also All Ireland Champions, Fleadh Ceoil,1966), he also received tuition from the mighty and recently departed Clareman Brendan Mulkere. I remember hearing excitedly in 1979 of this sensational new player and marvelling at his technique and versatility.
Fast forward to 1992 and an album with Brian McGrath The Cat That Ate the Candle and it offers further proof of his excellence as a banjo exponent and a trio of fiddle albums for Shanachie Records that further extend his position as one of the finest exponents of the Sligo fiddle style. Now relocated to County Roscommon he passes on his music to his son James Carty who is now based in London. James Carty is one of the finest exponents of Sligo fiddle music and one of the leading players of his generation. Having grown up in a musical household in Boyle Co. Roscommon, James was exposed to lots of music from a young age. James teaches fiddle in the Mulkere Academy, privately and at various summer schools. He has also performed in Ireland, the UK, Canada and the USA as a solo musician and has appeared on a couple of commercial recordings, most notably The First of May with Harry Bradley on flute and At Complete Ease, with his father John and Brian Rooney. He has also completed his first solo album entitled Hiding Daylight in Dark Corners. At home in Knockroe Co.Roscommon James found his own distinctive style which he has developed having grown up listening to the recordings of the old Sligo masters Michael Coleman, James Morrison, Paddy Killoran to name just three and when he and John Sr play together the natural ease and flow that they exhibit when playing music shines through and finds itself on a new collaborative album The Wavy Bow Collection.
The Wavy Bow Collection takes its name from a technique used by Sligo fiddle master Michael Coleman from Gurteen. Coleman on seeing waves shape the sandy shoreline of New York he reportedly said that was how he wanted his bow hand to be -the effortless crisscrossing of fiddle strings known as the “Wavy Bow Technique”. This collection of tunes recorded between Sligo, London and Roscommon shows the familial tightness as expressed earlier and a welter of not so well-known tunes and local derivations of familiar pieces –a good example is found in Lord Galway meets Jenny, where a rare tune from harpist Cathy DeAngelo gives way to a majestic reading of Jennys Welcome to Charlie a favourite of De Dannan and The Johnstons and yet given a peculiar twist with an ending downstroke that’s unexpected as it is exciting. Another class pairing is that of Andy Statman’s Klezmer tune Flatbush Waltz, a tune favoured with Irish fiddlers, here rendered by John on tenor guitar and mandolin. John’s lovely downplayed banjo style is found on Juggerpunch with Jonas Mortensen’s bouzouki and Shane McGowan’s guitar –laid back in the extreme this is a downbeat delight. Corkscrew Hill, a set of three tunes by flute players, suits the fiddle and banjo particularly well and Johns brother, James Snr, blows some flute to add to the proceedings. At no time is the playing flash or superficial – it’s fully wrought and sincere and while relaxed in tone and execution it fires on all passionate cylinders and leaves one in no doubt that this is a family entrenched in the tradition. Going from reels to jigs, airs and O’Carolan compositions like O’Carolan’s Dream –the whole gamut of the Irish traditional canvas is explored and covered with such admiration, skill, aplomb and above all love that it would take a stone to remain unmoved by its magic. The Wavy Bow Collection is a vital display of top-class Irish Traditional music played with skill and passion…Need I say more?
Order via Bandcamp: https://racketrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-wavy-bow-collection