THERESE MCINERNEY - Down The Strand
Private Label TM1001
County Clare has always had the ability to produce very fine fiddle players, and Therese McInerney is no exception. She has obviously listened and learned well from some of the best in her home county and beyond, and has the talent and confidence to take what she’s heard and make it her own, and has now placed a selection of her repertoire on CD, along with three songs.
Many of the jigs, hornpipes and reels (lots of reels – this is Clare!) will be familiar, but they’re played with a mixture of flair and maturity that engages the ear and makes the toes tap. One or two others were less familiar, and I particularly enjoyed the waltz Flatbush, an Andy Statman composition, elegantly and sensitively played. Therese has a fine instinct for that intangible something that makes a piece of music ‘right’, and for me, the extensive use of the piano as an accompanying instrument was a very good choice.
The songs are more of a mixed bag; Therese’s voice is strong and true, and she seems to favour a crooning, almost jazzy singing style that’s particularly evident on Fair And Tender Ladies. Some may like this, but it didn’t quite work for me. One of the other songs was in Irish, a version of Casadh An tSúgáin to an air unfamiliar to me, and this showed her voice off to somewhat better advantage. Overall, a good listen, and I bet she’s great in a session.
www.theresemcinerney.com
John Waltham
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