DERMOT BYRNE & STEVE COONEY

For many years he has played with guitarist Steve Cooney. The Melbourne-born Cooney returned to Ireland in 1980 and has since accompanied a host of musicians including Séamus Begley, and his name appears on no fewer than 250 albums in various capacities. He also released a solo album two years ago.

Dermot and Steve have finally decided to bring their collaboration to fruition on an excellent album, The Donegal Melodeon, which alas is only 35 minutes long. The melodeon is a two-tone diatonic accordion with a single row of buttons.

This recording is a very fine collection of tunes that Dermot learned from the generations that preceded him in Donegal, in particular the musicians of the South-West of the county (John Doherty, Con Cassidy...), around Teelin, where S. Cooney settled. An area renowned for its tradition of music, song and dance.

In this part of Donegal there is a lot of influence from the travelling tinsmiths (the Traveller community). Dermot's father, himself an accordionist, played a very important role in his son's education and Teelin's fiddle style is perfectly reflected in his approach to the melodeon.

While Dermot plays melodeons in various tunings, Steve plays guitar, bass, bouzouki, keyboards, percussion and didjeridoo, an instrument he imported from Australia.

Eleven tracks and eighteen tunes in all follow one another: highlands, reels, hornpipes, barndances and jigs, dances characteristic of this county in the north of Ireland. These include Duncan Davidson, the famous Merry Sisters, An Gasúr Mór and Glencolmcille Barndances. All of these tunes will get the listener's feet tapping and even a few dance steps.

Dermot and Steve take the tradition to new heights here, combining impeccable technique with undoubted talent. An album that will count in 2022.

Autoproduit DBSC02 - dermotbyrnebox@yahoo.com