Who?

Never mind the modest title and the dodgy photo on the cover (Darren! Could you not have shaved?). This debut album by Cavan banjo player Darren Maloney is a doozy. Particularly notable are the 15 original tunes here, which cover a wide range of styles and tempos; of these, I especially liked two slower-paced numbers, ‘Vonnie’s Poem’ and ‘Run Down’ – although Maloney’s well able to breeze through a high-octane jig or reel with the best of them. He also covers contemporary tunes by a number of other players including Bela Fleck, making this an inspirational source of new material for jaded musicians. De Jimbe’s Brian Fleming does a nifty job on percussion, while Joe Brennan provides guitar backing and Richie Lyons sits in on bodhrán for one track.