Paddy Keenan/Tommy O’Sullivan
The Long Grazing Acre
HoT Conya Records HCR 003; 51 minutes; 2001
If any Irish traditional musicians merit the term
‘legendary’, then the uilleann piper, Paddy Keenan, would appear high on the
application list. Yet Paddy’s own persona has often seemed to mirror the
unfathomable nature of his chosen instrument. From a Traveller family, he
sprang to the forefront in the 1970s with the unsurpassable Bothy Band while
simultaneously ensuring his own place in the panoply of uilleann piping through
his 1975 self-titled solo album and Doublin’, recorded with
the fiddler Paddy Glackin. Offered the chance to join Moving Hearts, Paddy left
his admirers with one of the great imponderables, instead opting to retreat out
of the limelight.
His second solo album, Poirt An Phíobaire, appeared
in 1983 and, apart from the occasional guest spot, remained his last recording
until a move to the US reinvigorated his enthusiasm for playing. Establishing his
own label (whose apt name is Traveller slang for ‘hot shit!’), Paddy first
issued Na Keen Affair in 1997, an album which featured Kerry-based
guitarist Tommy O’Sullivan as one of the accompanists. The pair subsequently
formalised their musical relationship, touring widely and bearing fruits with
the release of The Long Grazing Acre.
While Paddy’s repertoire has expanded over the
years beyond the boundaries of his heritage to encompass almost anything from
bluegrass to jazz, The Long Grazing Acre sees him firmly ensconced
within his roots. That tightly-fingered chanter style breezes through a
composite selection of reels and jigs, the latter including Brother John,
composed in memory of his late brother, a formative influence on Paddy’s
musical development. Keenan was one of the first to employ the low whistle and
gives vent to his skills here on more of his own compositions, plus another, Jutland,
by Tommy and always manage to avoid the pitfalls of ambient doodling which trap
lesser musicians.
O’Sullivan’s accompaniment is as understated as
ever while James Blennerhasset and Greg Sheehan add double bass and assorted
percussion respectively. Such instruments might make purists grimace but the
overall exploratory mood of the album is comprehensively reinforced by the
subtlety of Keenan and O’Sullivan’s arrangements. This also applies to Tommy’s
songs, especially the traditional The Maids of Culmore, though Killing
the Blues obtrudes like the rawest sore thumb. Overall, however, this is a
mighty album and one enlivened by some characteristically blunt sleevenotes!
This review by Geoff Wallis originally appeared in
fRoots – www.frootsmag.com.
For more information about Paddy visit www.paddykeenan.com.