CD REVIEWS FOR JUNE 2007
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
NUALA KENNEDY
The New Shoes
Nuala Kennedy is a musician in the broadest sense of the word: teacher, composer, session musician, singer and flute virtuosa.
From the first track on her new CD The New Shoes, you get a sense of the amazing ability of Nuala Kennedy and her expertise on the flute and that continues throughout the album. Kennedy has the rich clarity of voice for her songs in Gaelic and even when she sings in English, she carries that beautiful lilt to her singing.
Born in Dundalk, County Louth, Kennedy grew up steeped in the rich history and sound of traditional Irish music, where she played in the award winning ceilidh band Ceoltoiri Oga Oghrialla.
In 1995, Kennedy moved to Scotland and co-founded the highly recognized trio Fine Friday. She has toured extensively in Ireland and the UK. She currently plays with Anam, a well-established traditional group focusing primarily on Gaelic songs.
Kennedy's recent commission Astar:Journey composed for the Celtic Connections International Festival in Glasgow was heralded as "breathtaking" and a "triumph" by Scotland's national press.
This August, Kennedy will be a musician-in-residence at Omi International Arts Centre in New York. When she is not in the studio or on the road, Kennedy is a much sought after teacher and she has earned several scholarships and various academic accolades.
The New Shoes was recorded on the Compass label and is a gem for the collection of traditional music fans.
TANNAHILL WEAVERS
Live & In Session
The Tannahill Weavers are one of Scotland's premier traditional bands. Band members are from the town of Paisley in Scotland, near Glasgow - the same town where Scottish poet Robert Tannahill lived from 1774 to 1810.
Tannahill was a weaver, which was the main industry in the area at the time. So, the boys combined the names and took that as the name of their band. The group has made an international name for their special brand of Scottish music, blending the beauty of traditional melodies with the power of modern rhythms.
Over the years the Tannahill Weavers have been trailblazers for Scottish music, and their tight harmonies and powerful, inventive arrangements have won them fans from beyond the folk and Celtic music scenes.
The Tannahill Weavers have the ability to take your emotions right along with them as they sing some of the reflective and soul-searching traditional Scottish songs, right up to where they launch into their foot stomping fiery reels and jigs.
Their new CD Live & In Session was recorded on the Compass label.
COPPER SKY
One For The Morning Glory
Copper Sky is one of Vancouver's well-known and loved Celtic bands. They have just released their first CD One For The Morning Glory and they have picked some well-known Maritime, Celtic music and fiddle tune gems for this album.
For the past five years, Copper Sky has been delighting audiences around the Lower Mainland with their lively style of music. The group has a lot of fun playing music and they enjoy a loyal fan base who follow them from one gig to the other.
Members of the group are: Paul Evenden, known for his strong vocals and wealth of songs. He is also a multi-talented musician, usually found playing no less than five instruments on stage. Jennie Bice for her vocals and fiddling. Ernie Higgins on vocals, guitar, mandolin and bodhran. Mary Brunner, who is a well-known fiddler, is also a member. Mary often plays around town with a number of bands and is a fixture on the Celtic music scene.
Some of the tracks on the CD include: The Ballad of St. Anne's Reel; Hills of Connemara; Mountain Dew; Morning Glory; Fogarty's Cove; No Price Tags On The Doors Of Newfoundland; The Night That Paddy Murphy Died; and The Parting Glass.
For more information about Copper Sky, visit their website at: www.copperskymusic.com.
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