Dave McNally shares his Celtic Connections highlights, covering The Transatlantic Sessions, Natalie MacMaster, Donnell Leahy and Frances Morton, Michael McGoldrick, Tim Edey and Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves and Brian Finnegan.
During their Celtic Connections performance, Catrin Finch’s mastery of the Welsh harp intertwined seamlessly with Aoife Ní Bhriain’s deft fiddle playing, creating a rich tapestry of sound that thoroughly captivated the audience.
Six years after their eponymous debut, Julie Fowlis, Éamon Doorley, Zoë Conway, and John Mc Intyre return with Allt Vol. II: Cuimhne, an album harmonious in every aspect: magnificent vocals, classy musicianship, and absorbing airy arrangements.
OVA shows no let-up in Afro Celt Soundsystem’s recording of thrilling, incredibly varied music that knows no boundaries. It is a fitting final testament to Simon Emmerson’s vision and his immense feat in making it happen.
Fortunately for us, Christy Moore’s songs, albums, and gigs keep coming, and on ‘A Terrible Beauty’, the tenderness, empathy, solidarity, and absence of pretension never waver – long may it continue.
Dave McNally takes in the sights and sounds of WOMEX 24 in Manchester, including Ireland’s Clare Sands, Ríoghnach Connolly fronting local legends Honeyfeet and compelling, energetic singer Gladys Samba leading the exhilarating collective, Les Mamans du Congo.
Featuring Julie Fowlis, Ewen Henderson, the late Simon Emmerson, and more, the musicianship across Highlands is consistently first-rate, and every song is a complete delight. It’s many sublime moments more than warrants listening to, in or out of the Lush Spa.
John Spillane’s “Fíoruisce – The Legend of the Lough” is epic storytelling, requiring a scale of ambition that few would contemplate. It sits alongside such fine works as Peter Bellamy’s The Transports and Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown.
Featuring several special guests, including Cathal McConnell, Liz Knowles, Brían Mac Gloinn, Anaïs Mitchell and Will Oldham, Nuala Kennedy and Eamon O’Leary’s Hydra features an excellent selection of superbly sung songs and handsome melodies. It doesn’t get much better.
Brilliantly preserved and imbued with a shared, democratic performance ethos, The Complete Friends of Old-Time Music Concert, featuring the Georgia Sea Island Singers and guests, is so vital and powerful that it feels almost like being there.
Unpredictable, varied and quirky, on the surface, Emily Barker’s ‘Fragile as Humans’ ought not to sound anything like a coherent whole but unequivocally does and represents her most personal, emotive album to date… a compassionate listen in every sense.
Swamp Dogg’s ‘Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th St’ is a warm and absorbing mix of the new and old, an attention-grabbing seamless blend of bluegrass/country and soul, topped off with Swamp Dogg’s underrated persuasive vocal delivery and unique presence.
Live in Kyoto captures the energy and inspired playing that typically infuses a Lúnasa gig, with the sparkling sound of their unique combination of instruments, and the added freshness of great tunes that are not so familiar.
Six years after their last release, Traditional Irish band Altan return with Donegal, an album packed with energy, freshness, and virtuosity. The quality of the tunes, singing, and playing that they serve up on this release is unsurpassed.
We chat to The McGoldrick Family about ‘One For The Road’…we’re in total agreement with Brendan McGoldrick, his son, Michael McGoldrick and their three granddaughters have made “a mighty record”.
Michael McGoldrick and Family put on a great show at Celtic Connections for the launch of their debut album, One For The Road. The passion, talent, and exceptional versatility meant they all had much to be proud of.
Transatlantic Sessions never fails to deliver, and with Allison de Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves now members of the house band, alongside guests that included Lindsay Lou, Kim Carnie, Joshua Burnside and Carlene Carter, it was another unforgettable evening.
