KEANE CONNOLLY MCGORMAN

And for good reason: Fergus (flute) and Ruairi McGorman (bouzouki and guitar) are brothers. They are the sons of famous flautists Catherine McEvoy and Tom McGorman. Needless to say, they have been immersed in traditional music since their earliest childhood. Fergus is the author of a delicate album.

Their two accomplices are also accomplished musicians who have both released albums. Pádraic Keane on uilleann pipes and tin whistle and Aidan Connolly on fiddle and melodeon.
Each of them has won numerous music awards and taken part in a variety of projects, from concerts with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra to extensive tours of Europe, America and Australia.

Their first album took them three years to make, but the result lives up to expectations: excellent. Their music, while refined and precise, is nonetheless rich and lush. Fourteen tracks and thirty-one songs, that's enough to pass a pleasant moment.
And as if their talent wasn't enough on its own, they've enlisted the help of harpist Noreen O'Donoghue on two tracks. On Robert Jordan, the opening bars on the harp, quickly joined by the tin whistle and then the uilleann pipes, are reminiscent of early Chieftains albums.
Jack Talty, who recorded the album in his studio, joins them on track 13, a suite of two waltzes including a Scottish one, The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen. More original is the presence of La Cinquantaine, a French melody from the late 19th century.
In just over 45 minutes, we have here some good and even some very good. A real success.

Raelach Records RR023 – www.raelachrecords.com