Folks, for the past 17 years Knoxville, Tenn., has played host to an outstanding annual event called the “Tune Junkie Weekend” and as fate would have it, this year’s TJW is just around the corner, taking place from Feb. 7-9. Made up of sessions for all levels, workshops, a céilí, a concert, and some real camaraderie, it’s a brilliant event that both strengthens and enriches the traditional Irish music community in that neck of the woods.
A tightly crafted weekend, it attracts some of the finest participants. For example, a couple of this year’s featured instructors familiar to our New York readers include Tony DeMarco (fiddle style) and Liz Hanley (tradition song), but the list of featured guests is long and comprises fine musicians such as Eamonn Dillon (uilleann pipes), Don Penzien (DADGAD guitar), Hannah Harris (fiddle), John Skelton (whistle), Claire Shirey (concertina), Turlach Boylan (flute), Andy Kruspe (bodhrán), Randy Clepper (banjo/bouzouki), and Irish dance with Katelyn Dunn & Jonathan Srour.
It’s great to see weekend events like these becoming more common around the U.S. Congratulations to Chad Beauchaine, the Traditional Irish Arts of Knoxville’s board president, the board’s other members, and all the volunteers who make the TJW possible – if past returns are any indication, this year’s event should be a truly roaring success! For more information and to register, visit www.tradknox.com/tunejunkieweekend.
In the media yoke this week is “The Boys of 25,” by Seán Gavin (flute, uilleann pipes) and Colm Gannon (button accordion). Like James Cullinan’s album last week, this is a superb bit of pure drop music that stands tall on strength of Gavin and Gannon’s musicianship. There are no frills here, just straight traditional music played with extreme class. It’s work that will thrill discerning music fans, both here and in Ireland.
Gavin is widely considered one of this country’s finest traditional musicians. A protégé of the legendary Chicago flute player Kevin Henry, Gavin has played with great bands like Bua and NicGaviskey (with Sean McComiskey and Caitlin & Bernadette Nic Gabhann). He has also toured extensively with Téada and contributed to standout albums such as “Music From the Lost Continent” (alongside Jesse Smith, John Blake, and Johnny “Ringo” McDonagh). In addition, Gavin is a key figure behind Detroit's Irish Music Institute, an esteemed educational organization dedicated to preserving the tradition. In 2016, he was awarded the prestigious Seán O'Riada Gold Medal, further cementing his place as one of the foremost artists in the field.
Gannon is another important figure in traditional music. He grew up immersed in the tradition, learning from his father, a button accordion player from Connemara, and earned his place as a 1994 All-Ireland winner. Gannon later earned a master’s degree in Traditional Music Performance at the University of Limerick. Over the years, he has toured with some of the genre's most celebrated acts, including Riverdance, Dervish, and DeDannan. His solo albums, “Return to Droim,” “Rights of Man,” and “Trasna Na dTonnta” (the latter recorded with his father), have received widespread critical acclaim. Gannon’s contributions can also be heard on noteworthy albums such as Harry Bradley’s 2013 “The First of May” and the brilliant “Ewe With A Crooked Horn” with Jesse Smith. His long and distinguished career stands as a testament to his deep commitment to the music and its ongoing evolution.
Also appearing here are Michael Gavin (bouzouki), John Blake (piano and guitar) and Cecil Morton (tambourine). All three do an excellent job, but a special shout out to Blake (ex-Téada), who elevates every project he’s involved with.
“The Boys of 25” consists of 13 instrumental tracks played to the highest of standards. Gavin and Gannon share a strong and intuitive chemistry that endows their music with great lift, a quality that permeates each of the album’s tracks and gives a very unified feel overall. The tunes are beautifully selected with great good taste. They’re draw from old and new sources, but Gavin and Gannon, both of whom play with great character and style, are wonderfully able to make each one their own. The jigs “Judy Hynes / Billy the Butcherer” are an example of what I mean. The former, a tune associated with the playing of the influential 19th/20th century piper Patsy Touhey and the latter, Gannon’s contemporary setting of an old, popular chestnut, fit well together, but it’s the combination of deep historical understanding and the confidence of rich experience that gives this track its “pop.”
This informed sensibility is shared across tracks. Tune settings are taken from older sources, including players like Tom Morrison, Paddy Killoran, John McKenna, and others, to more recent folks, including Terry “Cuz” Teahan, James Kelly, Johnny McGreevy, Johnny O’Leary and Frankie Gavin. The most contemporary tune is Dermot Byrne’s “Barndance for Nia,” but the tune itself (and its interpretation) is entirely at home here alongside the older fare, but it’s the way they play that makes everything work.
“The Boys of 25” is an excellent album and one that deserves a spot in the collection of every traditional music fan. Gavin and Gannon are superb musicians and this album, from its selection to its execution, is evidence of their excellence. Highly recommended! The duo will launch “The Boys of 25” this Friday at the New York Irish Center as part of Don Meade's Blarney Star Concert Series – it promises to be a great, great evening of the finest traditional music. To learn more and to purchase, visit seangavinmusic.bandcamp.com/.
