Season’s greetings, all! A couple excellent albums to report on this week in the lead up to Christmas. The first in the media yoke is David Munnelly’s “Retro.” Munnelly is a virtuoso button accordion player and on this tight, bare bones album, he’s given us a rake of interesting tracks to chew on. This is a handy little collection – it’s tight, well executed
and perhaps most important, it doesn’t try to do too much. For the most part, it’s solo box playing at a very high level complemented by perfectly executed accompaniment. Fans of the button accordion will dig this one, as well listeners who enjoy the elegance of simplicity.
Originally from Béal an Mhuirthead, a Gaeltacht town in County Mayo rich in local musical tradition, Munnelly grew up immersed in music. He’s been a member of Niamh Parsons’s band, has worked with the Chieftains and De Danann, he’s recorded with the likes of Mick Conneely (a frequent collaborator who plays bouzouki on this album), banjoist Jonas Fromseier, the group 3’oh (Joseph McNulty & Shane McGowan), flute player Ies Muller, a collective of box players called “Accordion Samurai,” and much more. He’s in today’s vanguard of box players in the Irish tradition.
Munnelly shows us why from the get-go. “The Girl that Broke My Heart / …,” a track on which he accompanies himself on piano, he plays a couple of well known reels, but the way he executes both the melody and backing at first leaves the listener a bit off-kilter that’s reminiscent of something The Gloaming might do. But when Conneely comes in on the bouzouki, it refreshes the melodic focus and is a breath of fresh air that changes the track’s feel. It’s a clever, novel approach that sets the stage for what becomes a dynamic listening experience.
After this noteworthy opening, he settles into lively and engaging approach that more fully adheres to what most might call the “pure drop.” The very next track, for example, is a jig set that starts with “The Wearied Lad / …” that embraces this sensibility. It feels homey and familiar, compared to the album’s opener, albeit with the same sorts of virtuosic flashes Munnelly is known for. “The High Road to Galway” is another track like this – brilliant, relaxed reel playing in which you can really hear the space in Munnelly’s music. The light touch and sophisticated harmony Conneely brings on this track is especially nice. Then there’s “Eanach Cuain / …,” another set of jigs but one that plays further with and even develops the album’s lean style. The way the box is mic’d, coupled with sparse piano accompaniment, gives this one a real sense of intimacy that enhances the fine Munnelly creative playing.
The one track I wasn’t entirely prepared for was “Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore.” On it, Munnelly sings. His voice is bold and reedy and it is elevated by his very fine accordion accompaniment. It’s a brilliant, bracing track and perhaps the album’s most memorable.
Fans of Munnelly’s music will love “Retro,” as will aficionados of traditional music played on the button accordion. The music here is urbane, complex, and well controlled. Munnelly’s playing is at its best and the way it’s produced really allows listeners to listen to the nuance in his music. Lots to love with this one! Check it out at https://munnellymusic.bandcamp.com/ – I highly doubt you’ll be disappointed!
I’ve had Brian Hughes’s newest album “When The Wind Blows Wild” spinning in the media yoke as well. Hughes is a world-class whistle and uilleann pipe player and the album he’s put together here is simply gorgeous. With a top flight playing, a great selection of tunes, and a truly superb supporting cast, this is music that explores and celebrates the whistle’s artistic possibilities – it’s a real keeper.
Hughes is a Kildare man and a virtuoso on his instrument – someone you’ll find referred to online as “the premier whistle player of our time.” He’s certainly done it all musically: All-Irelands on the whistle from a young age and several well regarded albums, including “Whistle Stop,” “Whirlwind,” “The Beat of the Breath,” and “This Day 20 Years,” and “However Long the Day,” an album he made with Dave Sheridan, I wrote about in this column in 2022. He’s also an in-demand touring musician and popular teacher at festivals and teaching weeks.
It’s no surprise that a player of this caliber has attracted the hard-hitting collection of guest artists featured here, a group that includes Garry Ó Briain (guitar, mandocello, piano), Conal O’Kane (guitar), Colm Phelan (bodhrán, percussion), Dave Sheridan (fiddle), Lexie Boatright (concertina, harp), Dan Bodwell (bass), and Paul McNally (Scottish small pipes). All do outstanding work here to enhance Hughes’s already excellent playing.
The selection here is great and there are lots of tracks to speak well of. I love the Hughes’s energy and style on “Trip to Birmingham / …,” the album’s opener. It’s got great drive but there’s a lightness in his music that gives it the lovely lift that’s apparent throughout the album. I think in particular of tracks like the slides “Charming Lovely Nancy / …” and the hornpipes “McGivney’s / …” (the latter two including Sheridan’s nuanced fiddling). These contrast the opening set of reels in terms of feel, but maintain the same sort of energy and again showcase his approach well.
A good few of the guests make a real splash here, too. McNally’s small pipes on “The Iron Man” are well-incorporated and add character to the track. Baltimore’s own Lexie Boatright, who leads the band The Consequences, also showcases her deep talent on a few stand out tracks, including the polka set “John Walshe’s / …” (concertina), the jig set “McIntyre’s Fancy” (harp) and the slow air/slides “Dermot O’Dowd’s / …” (harp). Hughes’s playing is great on all three, but Boatright’s contributions make these tracks really shine.
“When The Wind Blows Wild” should be considered a significant statement in the world of whistle music and if you’re a fan of folks like Micho Russell, Mary Bergin, and Joanie Madden, you’ll surely consider this album a must-have. The playing is superb, well arranged, and has a warmth that fans of Hughes and of the whistle will appreciate. Give it a listen, for sure! To purchase, visit here.
