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REVIEW FROM www.livingtradition.co.uk

 


 

 

 
CARLOS SWEENEY MCCARTIN - CARLOS SWEENEY MCCARTIN 

CARLOS SWEENEY MCCARTIN - CARLOS SWEENEY MCCARTIN 
Private Label CSMC2019-01  

Dylan Carlos on fiddle and Cein Sweeney on flute are crisp and clean, wrapping their fingers round some great traditional music, firmly backed by John McCartin on guitar. They have many musical friends, from the likes of Lúnasa, Flook and even the Bothy Band, which is no surprise when you hear the quality of this debut CD. Based around Leitrim and Cavan, with Roscommon but a spit away and the Costa del Longford handy enough, this trio is all about the tradition, tunes from Ireland's deep country. Killarney Boys Of Pleasure, Jackson's Rolling Jig, Bill The Weaver, Boy On The Hilltop, The Cordal, Up In The Garret, Young Tom Ennis and Lucy Campbell are among the fine old melodies treated well here despite - or perhaps because of - their long forgotten origins.

The line between old and new becomes blurred when we talk about compositions by Sean Ryan, Paddy O'Brien, Johnny "Watt" Henry, Ambrose Moloney, Vincent Broderick, Martin Wynne, Cathal McConnell or Joe Liddy. Alan Kelly's The Wingflapper and Charlie Lennon's Round The House And Mind The Dresser might be considered more contemporary, and John McCartin's Stig Jig certainly has a whiff of Riverdance about it. The rest is pure tradition - well, maybe the Canadian Caucus Reel needs a special dispensation - and there's none of that tedious messing about with hornpipes or polkas or slow airs either! Between the reels and the jigs, you'll find nothing but jigs and reels here. This is the pure drop, in triplets or double four time - take it or leave it!

www.carlossweeneymccartin.bandcamp.com 

Alex Monaghan

 

This review appeared in Issue 130 of The Living Tradition magazine