Melodic Journeys

Since moving from his native Dublin to the U.S. in 1978, James Kelly has been a member of both Planxty and Patrick Street, not to mention making quite a name in his own right. Available only from his website , his third solo album Melodic Journeys consists solely of unaccompanied tunes. Some, like ‘Toss The Feathers’ and ‘The Star Of Munster’, are well known; others are more obscure – for example ‘The Cauliflower/The Humours of Ballinafad/Tap The Barrel’, three jigs learned from a 19th century collection called Tunes Of The Munster Pipers. Stripped of all adornment (apart from a bit of double-tracking on two fine sets of Sliabh Luachra polkas), Kelly’s precise playing and rock-solid rhythm are revealed. Never showy, never rushed, he prefers to let the tunes themselves take centre stage. Standout tracks include a beautiful rendering of the slow air ‘An Páistín Fionn’ and a poignant ‘O’Carolan’s Farewell To Music’.