In the media yoke this week is “Fleadh Town,” the newest album from bodhrán player Damien Quinn. “Fleadh Town” grew out of a performance and has been in development since 2019. Here, he’s brought a group of his longtime friends to play a selection of tunes that he feels are representative of his many years playing music as sort of “a moveable feast of culture,” he explained, “designed to engage all artists no matter the region, through recording and live performance.”
Originally from County Kildare, Quinn now lives in Galway City. A highly regarded bodhrán player, he’s been playing professionally for nearly 40 years and has performed with the likes of Donál Lunny, Van Morrison, the Chieftains, Cian, Elvis Costello and many, many others. For many years he was a featured soloist in Riverdance’s Liffey Company and in 2019 he even gave a TedX talk in which he performed his composition “Bodhár” that positioned the bodhrán as a voice of social consciousness. These days he’s very active on the Galway session scene, and last year released “Tell Her I Am,” a lovely effort that also featured Brian McGrath and Dónal Clancy, both of whom appear here.
In addition to McGrath (banjo / piano / music direction) and Clancy (bouzouki), Quinn’s pulled in Aiden Flanagan (flute), Cathal Hayden (fiddle), Pádraic Keane (uilleann pipes, whistle), Seamie O’Dowd (vocals, guitars, bouzouki), Alan Kelly (piano accordion) and Derek Hickey (button accordion) to help fulfill his musical vision. It’s a star-studded lineup that gives the music on this album a very heady high-octane drive.
And what music it is! The playing here is superb throughout and there are bangers from the get go. “Cameronian / …,” the opening set of reels, absolutely rocks. McGrath’s banjo playing together with Quinn’s percussion gives the track fabulous drive that is only magnified by the contributions of Hayden, Hickey and O’Dowd. This group’s playing is incredible and is replicated in each track on which they appear. Of those, I particularly like “Maids of Castlebar / …” and “Far From Home / …” – both include great tunes and are tightly executed with have great lift. (This is especially true of the latter of the two – a really great one.)
The tracks “Navvy on the Shore / …” and “Helvic Head” come in as a bit of musical contrast. Here, in addition to Quinn and McGrath, we also find Keane, Kelly and Clancy, who provide a different sort of feel. The piping sets these tracks apart for me – Keane is superb and I think makes a strong impression here. It’s wonderful music. (If you’ve not heard “Beo,” the album he did with Páraic Mac Donnchadha and Macdara Ó Faoláin, do yourself a favor and do so!).
I also really enjoy “Fermanagh Polkas.” On this one, Quinn and McGrath are joined by Flanagan and Clancy and they play a pair of tunes, “The Return of Spring / The Mountain Pathway,” that James Morrison recorded for Columbia in 1926. Again, a different kind of sound from the other tracks and one that sounds as at home here as it perhaps would have in a Columbia Records studio in the 1920s
And as well done as the instrumentals are, I think the track that I enjoy most is “In a Big Country,” a delightful take of the Scottish rock band Big Country’s 1983 hit. O’Dowd clearly grew up hearing the song (as did I) and he captures the spirit of the original in his singing, but the musicianeers (Quinn, McGrath, Hayden and Hickey) give it their own spin, part of which involves interpolating “Bill Collins’ Jig” into the arrangement. It’s a distinctive approach that works and I believe will have pretty wide appeal.
On his new album “Fleadh Town,” Damien Quinn takes a stable of top-flight guest artists and delivers a mighty musical punch that will delight traditional music lovers. The playing here is superb and kudos to Quinn for the outstanding lineup of musicians he’s assembled. They certainly deliver at a high level and do well in executing Quinn’s vision for what he wanted this album to be. Trad fans will definitely enjoy this one – it’s a great calling card, too, for music in Galway. Travelers who go to a spot like Tig Choili might just run into Quinn, McGrath, and co. playing away – hey, it’s happened to me! Not just a great preview, this album would be just the kind of thing that could help recreate that in-Ireland experience at home. Definitely one to check out! To learn more and to purchase, visit here.
