Around this time last year, I wrote of the “Féilire Amhrán Traidisiúnta na hÉireann/Traditional Irish Song Calendar,” created by Dublin-based singer and researcher Michael Steen. It was an exceedingly cool concept – imagine, an old school wall calendar that connected seasons, months, and days to over 300 songs in Irish and English and used QR codes to let people actually access performances of them. Brilliant idea, right? Each day became a kind of musical treat. The PDF Steen had sent me was so interesting that I wound up buying a physical copy and damned if I haven’t been completely delighted as the calendar was exactly as awesome as I had hoped.
Unfortunately, the buying experience for U.S.-based customers was tarnished by last year’s elimination of the de minimis exemption, which made low-value goods subject to standard U.S. import tariffs. This not only added significantly to the cost of the calendar, but in many cases delayed the calendar’s delivery until after the year had already started. For many, this legal incursion took a bit of wind out of the old sails.
However, there is great news to report here. Not only has Steen announced that he’s put together a calendar for 2027, into which he’s added 50 new songs as well as many not-before-used images from the National Museum of Ireland, National Gallery of Ireland, National Folklore Collection, and Dublin City Library and Archive, but it’s being printed in Maine and will be distributed through Ossian USA, which means that the ordering process is greatly streamlined.
I’ve had a look at the upcoming edition of the “Féilire Amhrán” and I’m very happy to say that the presentation meets the high standard set last year making it once again a must-have for anyone interested in traditional music. It’s that cool. And because preorders are currently open and shipping slated to being in late October, it means delivery will be in time for Christmas. This makes it an absolute no-brainer of a perfect holiday gift for the Irish music enthusiast in your life. But wait, there’s more! They offer pretty great bundle discounts if you’re thinking about buying a copy for more than one person on your holiday list. Superb stuff! Head on over to http://www.songcalendar.ie/ to order.
In other news, I’ve got Jack Talty’s newest, “Coire an Cheoil” (“Cauldron of Music”) in the media yoke. Talty is, of course, one of today’s great concertina players as well as the brains behind Raelach Records, one of today’s great recording companies. He’s also a prolific composer, as evidenced by this new release, comprised of 32 original compositions, spread over 15 tracks, on which Talty’s joined by an eye-popping array of guest artists. Together, Talty & co. give us a full album of top shelf music, but the bigger story here is that what we get here provides us a look into Talty’s expansive musical imagination. The music he’s given us here is diverse and engrossing and to call this album anything short of a tour de force would be doing it a great disservice.
Jack Talty.
Although “Coire” is led by Talty’s brilliant musicianship, I see this album less about “Talty the musician” and more about “Talty the composer.” This, because Talty doesn’t actually appear on every track and on a couple, he’s not even a featured melody player. This approach, which gives his compositions a bunch of different “looks,” proves the quality of his work and underscores the confidence he has in those he’s asked to join him.
And this firepower he’s brought on board is really something to behold. The 23 musicians listed in the credits include Cormac Begley, Matthew Berrill, Áine Bird, John Blake, John Carty, Aidan Connolly, Steve Cooney, Síle Denvir, Claire Egan, Pádraic Keane, Neil Martin, Michael McCague, Ruairí McGorman, Brian McGrath, Colm Murphy, Aoife Ní Bhriain, Saileog Ní Cheannabháin, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, Séamus O’Donnell, Neil Ó Lochlainn, Diarmuid Ó Meachair, Damien O’Reilly and Mark Redmond. Many, many of these folks are legends in the music and others legends to be, but each one is a superb player who brings a real magic to the album.
There are lots of noteworthy tracks. “The Farm Gate / …” is a lovely set of slides that features Talty alongside Aidan Connolly (fiddle) and Steve Cooney (guitar & organ). We also hear Talty playing on “Brú na Boirne,” a beautiful planxty that includes contributions from Pádraic Keane (uilleann pipes), Ruairí McGorman (bouzouki), Síle Denvir (harp), Matthew Berrill (clarinet), Aoife Ní Bhriain (fiddle), Claire Egan (viola), and Neil Martin (cello). These tracks are great because not only is the playing superior, but the tunes are a lovely introduction to the nuance in Talty’s compositional style.
Some of the great tracks on which he gives over to others include “Válsa na Rógiarí / …,” performed by the Carty-led band At the Racket. This one is a real stand out for me, not simply because I love ATR’s music, but because these tunes, two waltzes and a reel, are particularly well matched to the band’s sound. I also think very highly of “Summerhill Terrace / …”, Talty’s tribute to the Flanagan Brothers. Here, Talty and Michael McCague provide harmonic accompaniment, piano and guitar respectively, with Diarmuid Ó Meachair on melodeon driving the tunes and doing a superb job breathing life into them. Another exceptional track is “A Horpipe for Aoife.” Played by Aoife Ní Bhriain, who does an astonishingly good job, the tune veers into Bach “Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin” territory, and gives the album something very different in nature that is also quite beautiful.
“Coire an Cheoil” is an album that fans of traditional music will love. Talty’s compositions make it a very modern album, but they’re played by folks whose music is deeply informed by the living tradition. It’s great stuff and recommended to anyone who loves Irish music. To learn more and to purchase, visit here.
