In the media yoke this week is “50 Odd Years Revisited,” the newly-released reissue of Jimmy Power and Josephine Keegan’s 1985 album. Power was one of the stalwarts of Irish music in London in the second half of the 20th century and a brilliant fiddler whose playing was grounded in a more old-fashioned mode of expression. If straight up traditional music is your thing – especially if you’re interested in connecting the dots between Ireland and England – consider this album a must have.
Born in 1918 in Ballyduff, Co. Waterford, Power grew up playing fiddle. His music mostly came from his grandmother and uncle before falling under the spell of the recordings of Michael Coleman, Hugh Gillespie, and especially Paddy Killoran in the 1930s. After a stint in the Royal Irish Fusiliers (in whose band he played uilleann and war pipes), he moved to London in 1947 and gradually became part of the vibrant Irish music community there, finding a close friend and mentor in the fiddler Michael Gorman. In London, Power was a member of the Four Courts Ceili Band, led a respected session at the Mulberry Tree on St. Leonard’s Street and later established the Favourite in Holloway, North London, as an important session hub. (It was where the seminal album “Paddy in the Smoke” was recorded.) His own recordings include “Irish Dances” (1967), “Irish Music from the Favourite” (1975), “Irish Fiddle Player” (1976) and “50 Odd Years” (1985).
He’s joined here by pianist Josephine Keegan. Keegan was born in Scotland but moved to Armagh when she was 4 and in her youth learned both fiddle and piano, becoming a highly skilled player on both instruments. Over the years, she won many feis competition medals and has been a part of several important recordings, including many with the legendary fiddle player Sean McGuire as well as five solo albums. An inveterate tune collector and composer, she won the Gradam Ceoil for composition in 2005.
This reissue project was spearheaded by Lamond Gillespie. Gillespie might be a familiar name to some readers, as he’s behind a flurry of superb albums I’ve written about here in the past, including “The Inimitable Máirtín Byrnes,” “The Great Fiddle Player” (featuring Michael Gorman) and another of Power's called “Go Home and Have Your Dinner.” He has put his heart and soul into curating and preparing this album for reissue and deserves a hearty congratulations for his efforts.
This “50 Odd Years” reissue project came together when Jimmy Power’s son Tom offered Gillespie the album’s original master tapes, which were languishing in his attic. Upon receipt of the tapes, Gillespie sent them out to Abbey Road Studio for digitization and the results comprise the first 16 tracks of this album. The sound of these tracks is fresh, full and well balanced, and the playing is gripping. Power’s phrasing is full of life and Keegan makes for an outstanding co-conspirator, her rhythm articulating perfectly with the subtleties in Power’s approach. “Paddy Ryan's Dream / …” is a gorgeous way to start the album and a superb example of what I mean. Power attacks the tunes with great flair and Keegan’s forceful foundation gives it an extra kick that punctuates the rhythm well. “Master Crowley’s / …” and “The Templehouse / …” are two other tracks like this. On both, Power is again aggressive with the bow but Keegan’s more measured backing gives the overall sound a different taste. Great music, great interplay, and a real treat for traditional music lovers taken with an older way of playing.
The remaining 15 tracks of this reissue consist of bonus material drawn from a variety of sources that are of varying technical standard – something to be expected when compiling tracks from different sources and time periods. Regardless of sound quality, the playing on these additional tracks is lovely and helps give us a stronger sense of the breadth of Power’s musical legacy. Power is flying high on tracks like “Egan’s” (with Reg Hall on piano), recorded in 1962. There’s a sweet sense of intimacy on “The Humours of Lissadell / …” with Michael Gorman and Margaret Barry, recorded circa 1958 and a contrasting exuberance on the track “The Jolly Tinker / …” that includes Reg Hall, David Nuttall (banjo) John McLaughlin (spoons) and Tom Power (guitar) from 1966. Fun music to listen to!
I love this album. The music is honest, joyful, has a ton of lift and is extremely enjoyable to listen to. Power has a rough-and-ready quality in his playing that is captured wonderfully, and as I suggested earlier, Keegan is a perfect accompanist. This is one smart listeners out there will want to pick up – it’s great traditional music rendered with a purity of spirit. To learn more and purchase, visit https://lamondgillespie.co.uk/.
