Michael McGoldrick has an impressive background, from his days with Celtic fusion group Toss the Feathers, through ongoing membership in Lunasa and Flook, not to mention his collaborations with Capercaille and Afro Celt Sound System. He's been picking up awards too, from the BBC's 2000 Young Traditional Musician of the Year to Irish Music Magazine's Best Overseas Artist. His second solo effort, Fused is smooth and easy, jazz-funk-dance-Celtic, and mostly instrumental. I could listen to it all day. It has that hip, techno feel that has been coming out of the British Isles lately. Fused is more mellow than some, energetic without pounding out of the speakers, the musical equivalent of drinking a great wine in good company at sunset overlooking the sea.
McGoldrick has some great collaborators here. Take James Mackintosh; this guy is everywhere. Did I mention that this is the third week running that he's appeared on albums I've reviewed? Here his percussion is sophisticated and easy, just the right presence without overwhelming the music. Capercaille's Donald Shaw contributes keyboards and programming, and Karen Matheson pops up in a brief vocal appearance. Flook members Ed Boyd and John Jo Kelly lend a hand on guitar and bodhran. Also joining McGoldrick are Che Beresford on drums, Ewan Vernal and John Saich on bass, Neil Yates on trumpets, Manus Lunny on bouzouki and guitar, BBC's 1999 Young Traditional Musician of the Year Dezi Donnelly on fiddle, Allan Kelly on accordion, Andy Jones and James Grant on electric guitar, and Johnny Kalsi on tablas. Karen Casey, late of Solas, also makes a brief appearance on vocals. McGoldrick himself plays wooden flutes, uilleann pipes, bodhran, low whistles, bamboo flute and electric guitar. The list of collaborators bears an uncanny resemblance to the line ups on the Ceol Tacsi disc I recently reviewed.
There seem to be some great creativity and partnerships happening these days around this loose collective of musicians.
McGoldrick and company create a rich tapestry of sound, in which the flute shines but doesn't dominate. This is not a soloist with accompaniment; it's got track after track of melodies surrounded and supported by a variety of instruments in an easy and sophisticated flow. I particularly liked the original set of "Fisherman in the Wardrobe" and "Goodbye Grant" by McGoldrick and Shaw. It features a conversation between trumpet and flute that gives way to uilleann pipe, above a relaxed percussion and bass line. "Lough Mountain" also shows great interplay between flute and uilleann pipes. Another standout was "Ridee" and "Paperbird," a set that shows the quieter side of the album; it's understated and seductive.
I also particularly enjoyed "Hip Agus Hop" and "The Roving Bar Maid," a very engaging set of tunes that begin with flute and percussion, adding in other instruments as the tunes develop. "Donal Og," with Karen Casey on lead vocals is a fabulous song, but then I'm very partial to Casey, another great musician who always seems to have the best arrangements to complement her singing.
As the title suggests, Fused blends Celtic melodies with the rhythms and instruments of several other styles. But from jazz to Asian to African this is smooth, easy mix of percussion, rhythm and melody. McGoldrick's resume is impressive, and this album shows he can deliver the goods.
