Excitement is in the air in Wexford Town, because as you read this Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2024 is in full swing! Yes, the biggest week on the traditional music calendar is happening right now in Ireland, with 10s of thousands of musicians indulging in the finest tunes and competitions you could imagine. Best of luck to all the competitors (especially those traveling over from North America), I’m sure it’s a fabulous week for everyone! (And good luck if you’re competing!)
By the way, if you’re there I hope to see you! On Friday at 8 p.m., I’ll be at St. Iberius Church to say a few words at the Flanagan Brothers Award Concert honoring Seamus Egan, the recipient of this year’s “Mike Flanagan Banjo Award,” which recognizes outstanding achievement in banjo playing. Egan will perform on the evening with Eamon McElhom (guitar), Seán Og Graham (button accordion), and Trevor Hutchinson (bass) – a mighty lineup of players! It’ll be a great night, so come on out if you’re around! For tickets and more, visit https://fleadhcheoil.ie/.
Speaking of Seán Og Graham, in the media player this week is “Bartin’s Bay,” the cracking new flute album by North Antrim flute player Brendan Mulholland. (Glenavy, if we’re being specific.) Mulholland is a superb player with excellent tone and style. If solo flute playing is your thing, this is an album you’re definitely going to want to hear.
“Bartin’s Bay” is Mulholland’s second solo effort, his first being “Jean’s Hill” in 2012. In addition to being a member of the traditional band Tempest, and an in-demand teacher, he’s also played with everyone and has appeared on several albums, including collaborations with Brendan Hendry & Paul McSherry (“Tuned Up,” 2007), Conor Lamb & Deirdre Galway (“Music in the Glen,” 2018), and Micky McCluskey (“Mulholland & McCluskey,” 2019).
The guests Mulholland has brought in to help him on the album include Terry Óg Conlon (guitar), Luke Ward (bouzouki), Liam Bradley (piano), Bríd Harper (fiddle), and Sean Óg Graham (guitar – remember him from the pivot above?). It’s an outstanding bunch, all of whom contribute positively.
This album is full of great tracks and lots of variety, from tune type to approach, and the two that I find stand out particular are “The Shoemaker’s Daughter / …” and “Bartin’s Bay.” On both, Mulholland’s playing is very focused (as it is throughout the album), but these tracks strike me as being excellent displays of his drive, style and finesse. Some of his variations in “Shoemaker’s” are particularly wild, which makes their execution all the more interesting, and while Mulholland brings the same sort of style to “Bartin’s,” he does it in a somewhat more controlled fashion with sublime results. (Óg Conlon’s subtle guitar and refined backing on both of these are quite good.)
I mentioned “variety” just now and “The Shelf / …,” a set of four polkas, is a good example of what I mean by that. There’s great bounce at the beginning of the track, because of the snappy rhythm in Mulholland’s playing, but also thanks to Bradley’s piano playing, which sets a buoyant rhythmic tone that sets it apart from most of the rest of the album. But in addition, the four tunes in the set are all distinct, each having its own sort of rhythmic signature.
Mulholland takes out a low Bb flute for a pair of tracks, “The Chicago Reel /…” (reels) and “Brendan Hendry’s /…” (slip jigs). Both are really lovely, not simply for the grand tone he pulls, but because the slower pace at which he takes the tunes I think really allows the listener to appreciate the subtleties in his music. Of the two on Bb, I think I prefer the slip jigs – the way the track is recorded I think really captures the character of the instrument well, but Mulholland’s playing there, particularly in “Foxhunter’s,” is really engaging. (“Brendan Hendry’s” is also a nice tune I wasn’t familiar with.) Óg Graham’s backing guitar adds gorgeous character there as well.
The album’s final track is “Fred Finn’s /…” which features Bríd Harper. This is another track that really drew my attention. What I love here is how joyfully the two musician seem play off each other. It makes for a really dynamic vibe that ends the album with a bang. (Wonder if more will come from this particular pairing.)
"Bartin’s Bay” is a superb flute album. Mulholland plays with serious drive and impeccable phrasing that’s always in great service to the tune. He’d be a different player than, say, a Seamus Tansey, Kevin Crawford or Matt Molloy, but you’d get the same sort of bump out of listening to him. A fairly pure drop album that could fit into any traditional music lover’s collection – definitely one to check out. For more info, visit https://www.brendanmulholland.com/
