The County Roscommon has produced an abundance of incredibly talented musicians through the years, and the brothers Alan and John Kelly are no exception. Born into a musical family, it was natural for them to pick up on the riches that surrounded them. Alan is well known to the Irish traditional music fraternity for his outstanding mastery of the piano accordion, having released a couple of solo albums before this, but this is younger brother John's first major outing.
The piano accordion is an instrument played commonly throughout Europe and beyond and was a staple in the Irish Ceilidh band scene during the forties and fifties through to the Irish dance competitions of the present day. It seemed to fall out of favour with the rise in popularity of the diatonic accordion and was perhaps frowned upon or even discouraged in certain circles. A recent crop of younger players -- Mirella Murray and Ciarán Ó Gealbháin spring to mind -- have taken the instrument and refined it to fit perfectly within the tradition creating a new repertoire and voice. Alan Kelly is certainly at the forefront of this movement. A fixture on the Galway session and gig scene, Alan has his own band that includes the biggest names in the business and sees him guesting on the main stages of the European festival circuit.
John plays the wooden flute with an unmistakable Roscommon lilt; it is an instrument synonymous with the county. From the first track you know what you're in for. Straight ahead jigs and reels played in an Irish fashion. A cracker opening tune, "Mrs. Crehan's," sets up a driving rhythm with guitar and bodhran transposing effortlessly into the second and third tunes. Great stuff. There are 12 tracks in all with a slow air and hornpipes thrown in for good measure. While there are no real surprises in content, quite a number of Paddy O'Brien tunes are given a fine treatment and Liz Carrol's "Diplodocus" shows up as well.
The album is really well thought out and put together; the changes are great and the production values are superb. Ciaran Byrne who mixed the album has to be mentioned. His is the golden touch that many people are beginning to find out about. An interesting addition is the use of the Hammond Organ on a few tracks which adds a lovely new dimension to the aural landscape, giving it an almost Britpop feel at times. The supporting musicians, Arty McGlynn, Rod McVey, Jim Higgins, Cyril O'Donoghue, Brian McGrath and John Maloney put the music right where it needs to be, no fuss, no muss.
All in all a very pleasant listen and a great introduction to the music of the Kelly brothers, of whom you will be hearing a lot of in the years to come.
