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Old time and stylish, 25 April 2007
I have had a copy of this recording for around sixteen years and it has remained a favourite throughout this time. It has a great old time feel about it with the tunes played with a great sense of rhythm and poise. Gavin can't resist improvising throughout but the stately pace and solidity of Paul Brock's playing enable him to add to, rather than detract from, the overall sound; In fact it is Gavin's sense of melodic and rhythmic variations that help make the recording exciting without ever resorting to ostentatious pyrotechnics. With Charlie Lennon bringing his considerable understanding of Irish Music to bare on the piano accompaniment you get a sense of how the great players of the 1920s who recorded in the US might have sounded if they had benefited from a more sympathetic backing. The tune selection holds no surprises, but then it is a tribute album, however the straightforward settings gives them an uncontrived and fresh sound, allowing Brock and Gavin the space to play off one another. The tendency to repeat each cycle of the tune four or six times helps create the sense that you are listening to a live session rather than a studio recording. Along with the early recordings of Liz Carol I would say this album has impressed me the most and in the days when I fancied myself as a bit of fiddle player this was the album that impressed upon me the importance of rhythm and phrasing in traditional Irish Music.
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