Mícheál O Súilleabháin

When Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin brought out his debut recording way back in 1976, the idea of playing traditional Irish tunes on solo keyboard was a rather daring one, not to say revolutionary.
Thirty years on, the artist's apologetic liner notes, describing the album as 'an experimental recording', sound decidedly quaint, so accustomed have we become to pianos and their close relations appearing front-and-centre rather than being relegated to thumping accompaniment.
Completely remastered for its re-release by Gael Linn, the CD boasts an impressive variety of sounds and styles, from dance tunes tidily rendered on harpsichord or pedal organ to gentle piano arrangements of sean-nós songs and slow airs, and right across the spectrum to a downright bizarre treatment of 'The Long Note' on Moog synthesiser that sounds like something out of a Dr. Who soundtrack.