From the CD " Draw the Bow "
Malachy Bourke is, one of, if not the finest soloist performing Irish Traditional Music on fiddle today, He is not affected by the trappings of the ' flash ' approach to the music, which is all to common today.
Instead, he has delivered here a pure, undiluted version of Irish solo fidddle, playing as it was always meant to be, and has succeeded in making a unique recording where personal style and great ability abound.
This is his debut recording, and to my mind, there is simply nothing on the Irish Music market today to match its clarity,style and great understanding of how Irish Traditional Music should really be played and sound.
Tracklist :
1) Jigs: strike the Gay Harp - Dusty Window Sills
2) Reels: Musical Priest - Old Pinch of Snuff
3) Hornpipes: Thomond Bridge - Flowers of Spring
4) Reels: Silver Spire - Wheels of the World
5) Reels: Coalminer in D - Star of Munster
6) Jigs: Jerry's Beaver Hat - Scotsman Over the Border
7) Hornpipes: Old Harvest Home - Flaherty's
8) Jigs: The Coach Road to Sligo - Fraher's Jig - Tripping Up the Stairs
9) Reels: Julia Delaney's - Spike Island Lassies
10) Jigs: Tell Her I Am - Derrane's Jig
11) Hornpipes: Gene Kelly's - Josie Begley's Fancy
12) Reels: Dr.Gilbert - Queen of the Fair
13) Jig: Harry Oh
MALACHY BOURKE: DRAW THE BOW
Malachy Bourke: fiddle, viola
Brian Bourke: bodhran
On the back cover of the CD, Bourke gets a most flattering endorsement from his former teacher Frankie Gavin, who does not hesitate to call him "one of, if not the finest soloist performing Irish traditional music on fiddle today"--does this mean Gavin is no longer playing? Bourke is indeed a fine player, and the fact that he performs at a very steady pace and with virtually no accompaniment (there is some bodhran, at times a bit too trebly, on some of the tracks) gives the listener a perfect opportunity to savor his intricate ornamentations, bow work and variations. Many of the tunes are well-known, exceptions including two acrobatic hornpipes once recorded by James Morrison, and one hornpipe composed by Frankie Gavin. According to the notes, Bourke plays a fiddle which once belonged to the great Paddy Killoran, and performs a set of reels beginning with "The Silver Spire" as a tribute to the master. Bourke also uses a viola on one medley of reels, "Julia Delaney's & Spike Island Lassies."
Contents:
1. Jigs: Strike the Gay Harp / Dusty Window Sills
2. Reels: Musical Priest / The Old Pinch of Snuff
3. Hornpipes: Thomond Bridge / The Flowers of Spring
4. Reels: Silver Spire / Wheels of the World
5. Reels: Coalminer / Star of Munster
6. Jigs: Jerry's Beaver Hat / Scotsman Over the Border
7. Hornpipes: The Old Harvest Home / Flaherty's
8. Jigs: The Coach Road to Sligo / Fraher's Jig / Tripping Up the Stairs
9. Reels: Julia Delaney's / Spike Island Lassies
10. Jigs: Tell Her I Am / Derrane's Jig
11. Hornpipes: Gene Kelly's / Josie Begley's Fancy
12. Reels: Dr. Gilbert / Queen of the Fair
13. Jig: Harry Oh
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