After three decades as one of folk and traditional music’s leading fiddle players, John McCusker has plenty to look back on in our Artist of the Month interview in which he shares his musical heroes, memories and more.
John McCusker’s ‘The Best Of’ is an ideal introduction to the breadth and depth of one of the very best traditional musicians working today…a rare musician whose fiddle style and overall production sound is both distinctive and alluring.
For ‘Dialogues’, Scotland-based cellist Su-a Lee celebrates her folk music friendships with Duncan Chisholm, Jenna Reid, Patsy Reid, Donald Shaw, Phil Cunningham, Karine Polwart, Julie Fowlis, Natalie Haas and more. It’s a triumphant album; you won’t hear a more rewarding album in a long time.
With ‘It’s Been A While, Buddy’, Ríoghnach Connolly & Honeyfeet continue their unique journey, sharing dollops of theatrical fun amongst more honest, personal, heartfelt lyrics, whilst always inhabiting a sprawling terrain of musical forms.
Recorded with guitar player Jim Richardson, the album, Inside Out, is an apt record of the late Andy Dinan’s considerable talent and legacy. Grace Kelly and Michael McGoldrick share their memories in this special album review.
Nora Brown’s ‘Long Time To Be Gone’ is an engrossing and resonant album from start to finish. Fellow banjo player Jake Blount got it absolutely right when he recently tweeted: “If you’re not listening to Nora Brown yet, you’re wasting your life”.
There is a commanding and soulful vitality on display throughout Carry Me Home that stands as a wonderful final thread to Mavis Staples and Levon Helm’s shared musical connection.
If you love music and sometimes muse over why it occupies such an important place in your life, you will revel in Jude Rogers’ sweeping, often raw, but decidedly life-affirming book ‘The Sound of Being Human: How Music Shapes Our Lives’.
Bryony Griffith & Alice Jones’ “A year too late and a month too soon’ is traditional folk music at its most beguiling. An immersive album on which the songs are centre stage, performed by two of Yorkshire’s finest, delivered with absolute conviction and palpable charm.
There was a definite buzz around RURA’s Celtic Connections appearance and their collaborative EP launch gig featuring an extended band and guests: Duncan Chisholm, Julie Fowlis, Hannah Rarity, Ross Ainslie and Michael McGoldrick. It couldn’t have been better.
The Transatlantic Sessions are, in many ways, the centrepiece of Celtic Connections. The performances were exuberant and full of energy, featuring a star-studded house band and guests Leyla McCalla, Siobhan Miller, Sarah Jarosz, and Paul Brady. An unforgettable night.
If you are looking for bright, stirring, exceptional fiddle playing and variety, then Aidan Connolly’s “Portland Bow” will make your day. His warm, melodic playing carries the collection, adding just enough ornamentation to put his personal stamp on a great set of tunes.
