The Family Album

The four McCarthys – Jacqueline (concertina), Marion (uilleann pipes and tin whistle), Bernadette (fiddle and piano) and Tommy Junior (fiddle) – were born in North London and grew up very much influenced by the music of their Clare-born father, Tommy McCarthy Senior, to whose memory this album is dedicated. Included on the CD are several archival recordings of Tommy Senior playing concertina and tin whistle back in the 1960s; they’re practically indistinguishable in style from the recently recorded material. The gentle, easygoing Clare lilt is audible everywhere – although it shows up to better effect on the solo and duo tracks (a swinging pipes-and-fiddle duet from Marion and Bernadette is especially nice) than on the ensemble pieces, which can get a bit messy betimes.