Two Journeys

I usually hate long winded reviews, and I apologize for going on, but this album is actually worth it. And yet, sadly, most people will never hear it.

Imagine an epic journey that starts in Brittany (western France), then arcs through the Celtic Isles, across the Atlantic to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and then goes down through the Appalachians to the bayous of Southwest Louisiana. Along the way, add in a bluesy soul, a little jazz and tons of heart.

This is great music. Music that is filled with emotion (and humor), and that is driven by an authentic spirit. The picking, playing and singing are stunning. (Just scope out the vocals on "Mick Ryan's Lament" or "The Holy Well.")

If you aren't familiar with Tim O Brien, this is a great introduction. He was a founder of the ground breaking "newgrass" band, Hot Rize. He's had a distinguished, but low key, solo career that has won him a ton of respect and influence within the folk-alt.country-bluegrass community, (like Grammy nominations.)

On his project, "The Crossing" he brought together a summit conference of Ireland and America's best traditional musicians (Earl Scruggs, Del McCroury, Altan, Paul Brady, Kelly Jo Phelps) to explore his heritage, both musically and culturally.

This album continues on that path but is much tighter and more focused. There's an incredible band of great musicians who really throw themselves into the spirit of the project. These aren't just "cameos." There's Karen Casey, Kevin Burke and John Williams from traditional Celtic music and two of Tim's favorite compadres: Darrell Scott and Dirk Powell. Every one is a "headliner" in their own right (and there's more.)

There's just a ton of great material here. There are some originals, some classic old folk tunes and three instrumentals. My daughter has been taking Irish step dancing lessons and she loves the rousing jig "The Apple Cart/ The Apple Press." The new material is extremely timely, such as "For the Fallen." And he and Karen Casey do a really creepy version of the old Gothic tale, "Demon Lover" that'll make your hair stand on end. (Watch out for those pirates with cloven hooves!)

But I think my favorite cut has got to be the title track.

Dirk Powell, is married to Christine Balfa, daughter of the legendary Dewey Balfa, who with his brothers, led the revival of traditional Cajun music. Now Dirk and Christine front the terrific band, "Balfa Toujours." Christine's 19 year old nephew, Courtney Granger, has joined them and sings with the all the soul of the bayou.

Tim produced a CD for them a few years back, and the title track was "Deux Voyages (Two Journeys)," a moving ballad by Dirk and Christine about being an Acadien (Cajun) and their connections to the lands of their ancestors. Courtney duets with Tim here. It's a classic that transcends time and genres. Listening to it, you can feel the deck of an old sailing ship pitching beneath your feet while a storm howls in the rigging. (Really.)

"Two Journeys" mixes French and English, Cajun and Celtic, soul and passion, joy and sorrow. We are a nation of restless immigrants and every song on this album touches the American soul.

I just returned from a two-week vacation in Ireland, where I fell totally in love with a country, its landscapes, its villages and cities, and with a gentle and civilized and long-suffering people. In Dublin I went to a store specializing in Irish music and this was playing on their sound system. I brought this home with me, along with others, but this is my favorite CD of everything that I purchased in Ireland.

This CD wonderfully captures what to me is the soul of Ireland. It is pensive, poignant, sorrowful, magical, wondrous, eternally timeless, and exquisitely beautiful. The instrumentals are not filler - they are examples of virtuoso performances by talented writers and musicians, and they touch one's heartstrings just as profoundly as the wonderful songs that have sorrowful and very beautiful vocals. This CD is definitely not maudlin, please don't misunderstand. It captures the strength, suffering, survival, and eternally magical spirit of a people who have endured and refused to lose their culture and their essence, no matter who invaded and persevered with those agendas in mind. It also links those qualities with the history and musical heritage of the US.

Like Ireland? Like Irish music? Want to discover some of the best examples of instrumentals and lyrics and vocals that can convey the essence of centuries of struggle and survival and triumph and soulfulness? Get this wonderful celebration of the US and the Emerald Isle and prepare to be dazzled and enchanted! Highly, highly recommended.

The two styles aren't wildly separate, but there's enough between them to make it pleasing to hear them together. From the slow philosophy of "Turning Around" to the playfulness of "Me & Dick's Trip to Ireland," from the antiquity of a ballad like "The Demon Lover" to a stirring new number like "The Holy Well," this album bridges the gaps and makes art out of the finished product.

Only in America could this sound have been created. But only in Ireland could it have been conceived. This is an album recommended for a broad spectrum of listeners, and maybe, just maybe, it will get fans of one kind of music to listen to another. One can only hope.