Joe Burke with Charlie Lennon
The Morning Mist
New Century Music NCMCD 100; 69 minutes; 2002
I
been listening to recordings of Joe Burke for over 30 years and this is as good
as it gets - effortless playing from two outstanding musicians – accordionist Joe
and his piano accompanist Charlie. The album has a very relaxed feel and a
brilliantly clear and musical recording from Charlie’s new Cuan studio at
Spiddal in Connemara, engineered by Eamon Goggin. The box and the piano just
sound lovely. This album does justice to all involved – it is a masterpiece. 
The
tunes are mostly well-known standards (e.g. The Dawn, The Morning Mist,
The Scholar), but the album also contains some interesting novelties
like the French Musette waltz Le Petit
Accordion and the airs The Lament
for Aughrim, Eochaill, The Green Fields of Canada and The Wounded Huzzar on which Charlie provides sympathetic synthesizer
backing. Joe also plays O’Carolan’s Concerto which you don’t hear too
often on the button box! Altogether there
are a bumper twenty-one tracks of the best of traditional Irish music. Highly
recommended!
This is an original review by Seán Quinn.
For more information about Joe visit www.joeburkemusic.com/.