BOXING BANJO

Originally made up of brothers Daragh (accordion & piano) and Mícheál Healy (banjo & mandolin) and their friend Joseph McNulty (fiddle and bodhrán), they recruited a singer and guitarist from Limerick Seán O'Meara. A first album from their inception Round 1, what could be more natural than to name the second Round 2.

They claim to be influenced by the Flanagan brothers who played their music in New York between 1920 and 1930, and like them, the Healy brothers play the same instruments, banjo and accordion, box in English. Hence the choice of their name Boxing Banjo. Musically their very rhythmic style is reminiscent of Four Men and a Dog or North Cregg. The accordion, fiddle and banjo open the hostilities, supported in counterpoint by precise and dynamic guitar playing.

The energy of this young band is contagious and is in full force on their new album of traditional tunes and contemporary songs. It starts with the song Bright Side of the Moon, a mix of blues, catchy trad and jazzy fiddle riffs.

From the outset the tone is set and the upbeat style continues right through to the final note on track 11. Beare Island follows with a solid batch of traditional tunes on which Daragh's accordion and his brother's banjo compete in a clever tournament. On Whiskey Before Breakfast it's an old time American tune that sees Daragh launch into a series of improvisations, the fiddle developing 1920s jazz figures. As for the songs, they move happily from Bob Dylan's Kansas City to the standard Star of the County Down. Diarmuid and Gráinne is the only song that brings the tempo down by taking us into the world of Irish mythology. The album ends with Pleckin' About, a series of traditional tunes full of energy. A bundle of energy from four vibrant musicians. A great discovery.

Autoproduit BBCD002 - boxingbanjo@gmail.com