Banjo The Irish Way

KEVIN CONLON: “Banjo The Irish Way” (Sound Records); JOHN CARTY & BRIAN McGRATH: “The Cat That Ate The Candle” (Clo Iar Chonnachta)

TWO ALBUMS which feature that much neglected (maligned?) stringed instrument, the banjo, which seems to have fallen out of favour in Irish music circles in recent years.

The first album’s title, it has to be said, is slightly misleading. It’s not so much Banjo The Irish Way, as, Irishman Plays The Banjo! The sleeve notes tell us that Kevin Conlon plays all the banjo parts as well as flute, whistle, guitar, mandolin, harmonica and bodhran. He’s an all rounder and that’s for sure!

The twelve tracks on this collection consist of mainly traditional standards like `The Masons Apron’, `The Sligo Maid’, `The Kerry Polkas’ and `Boys Of The Blue Hill’, all played in a cheery upbeat style with drums, bass and various other instrumental touches. He covers yet another version of `The Water Is Wide’ and tackles that perennial favourite, `The Rocky Road To Dublin’ in a Celtic rock vein with electric guitar fills and rock drumming.

Of course, no banjo primer would be complete without the inclusion of `Duelling Banjos’ — Eric Weisberg’s spine-chilling theme from the movie Deliverance and Banjo The Irish Way duly concludes with a rather lightweight version of that tune, with much of the fear and tension removed.

Conlon’s playing is no doubt efficient and accomplished and the whole toe-tapping affair is innocuous enough but there is nothing to savour after one or two listens. It certainly doesn’t break any new ground or point the way forward for the instrument either but then it probably didn’t set out to do so in the first place.

John Carty & Brian McGrath adopt a more restrained, subdued approach on The Cat That Ate The Candle. They both play the banjo, though Carty dominates on most of the album with McGrath supplying unobtrusive piano accompaniment. The playing is less showy and the result is a relaxed, unassuming set of tunes which doesn’t scream out of the speakers but remains in the middle distance, cajoling the listener’s attention in an unpretentious fashion.

Highlights include the “barndances” — `Hayes Favourite’ and `Flowers Of Edinburgh’, along with the originally composed reels, `Paddy O’Brien’s/Jimmy Batty’s’. Carty takes to the fiddle for their version of `The Sligo Maid’ providing some temporary relief from the banjo which in truth can be a bit tiresome on the ears after a while. Other tunes include hornpipes (`The Cuckoo’s Nest/Plains of Boyle’), reels (`The Cottage In The Grove/Farewell To Miltown’) and jigs (`Willie Coleman’s/Strike The Gay Harp’).

The overall atmosphere of the record conjures up a cosy, intimate, parlour session with both players performing with instinct and spontaneity. The Cat That Ate The Candle is a record with an undeniable charm.

• Colm O'Hare