Jigs And Reels

Born into a musical Irish-American family, this 25-year-old fiddler has made his home on this side of the pond since 1998. His style of playing and choice of repertoire are very much influenced by the likes of Michael Coleman, James Morrison and the Flanagan Brothers — early 20th century Irish players whose 78rpm recordings were Stateside hits — while his complex but deftly executed ornamentation brings Seán Maguire to mind. Step dancer Joe Neachtáin adds his tapping feet to one lively set of tunes, and there’s a lovely double-tracked rendition of the song air ‘The Little Heathy Hill’. The standout here, though, is ‘Happy Birdie And Bluebell’, a pair of polkas played as a duo with the superb flute player Harry Bradley, during which both musicians become ever-more exuberant in their trills, frills, harmonies and embellishments.