Patrick Street - Irish Times 0458

For their third record, Celtic royalty Patrick Street have brought in some heavyweights. Adding to the already impressive roster of Andy Irvine, Arty McGlynn, Jackie Daly, and Kevin Burke, the quartet have employed the talents of fiddler James Kelly, piper Declan Masterson, keyboardist and +Riverdance creator Bill Whelan, and most importantly, guitarist and songwriter Gerry O'Beirne. O'Beirne, whose two self-penned tunes for 3 Irish Times 3 are among the group's finest recordings, are a breath of fresh air amidst the somewhat stale trappings of traditional Irish music. "In the Land of the Patagarang," his wondrous character sketch of an Irish felon's forced immigration to Australia is both chilling and gorgeous, showcasing his unique voice and 12-string guitar prowess while providing the band with one of their most creative arrangements. "Strokestown" is a warm, bittersweet ode to small town life in County Roscommon, Ireland, and O'Beirne effectively describes his lovelorn predicament as being "down, living in a four street town." Andy Irvine provides a lighthearted rendering of "Humours of the King of Ballyhooley," and offers the listener a portrait of a dying political veteran in the powerful "Forgotten Hero." The real gem on 3 Irish Times 3 is a fantastic cover of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra's "Music for a Found Harmonium" -- a rollicking reel that has since found new life in movie trailers and television commercials -- that serves as a powerhouse opener for what many call Patrick Street's finest record.

Patrick Street is comprised of some of Ireland's most accomplished musicians. Formed in Dublin in 1986, the current group includes fiddler Kevin Burke (the Bothy Band), bouzouki player and vocalist Andy Irvine (Sweeney's Men, Planxty), button accordionist Jackie Daly (DeDannan) and guitarist Ged Foley (the Battlefield Band, The House Band). Previous members include guitarists Arty McGlynn (Van Morrison, Planxty) and Gerry O'Beirne and Uillean pipe and keyboard player Declan Masterson. Patrick Street's self-titled debut album was produced by multi-instrumentalist Donal Lunny (Planxty, the Bothy Band, Moving Hearts).

Burke, Irvine, Daly and O'Beirne first came together to tour the United States as "Legends Of Irish Music". The enthusiastic reception that they received encouraged them to make the band more permanent. Taking the name "Patrick Street", the four musicians recorded four albums and toured the United States five times between 1987 and 1993. In the Fall of 1994, O'Beirne was replaced by Foley and Patrick Street joined with French Canadian band, La Boutine Sorriente, for a tour of New England. While much of Patrick Street's repertoire is traditional Irish music, the group has recorded original tunes by Irvine, Daly and O'Beirne, as well as tunes by Si Kahn, Woody Guthrie, Andy Mitchell, Dave Richardson and Colum Sands.

The core quartet of Patrick Street has been augmented by additional musicians on several albums. Donal Lunny played keyboard and bodhran on the group's first album. Enda Walsh played keyboards on their second effort, No. 2 Patrick Street. Patrick Street's third album, 3 Irish Times 3, featured the group's largest arrangements with the addition of Declan Masterson (Uillean pipes, low whistle, keyboards) and Bill Whelan (keyboards). The producer of Patrick Street's 1993 recording, All In Good Time, Whelan played keyboards and sang background vocals on the album.