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The latest offerings in the world of Irish folk music

IAN WORPOLE

Irish America Magazine Columnist

Published Friday, May 29, 2009, 12:34 PM

Updated Thursday, July 23, 2009, 5:48 PM

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Read more: The Fureys, United States, Liz Carroll, John Doyle, Bluegrass, Entertainment, Music, New Music Releases, Ewan McCall, Finbar Furey

Irish traditional musician Finbar Furey's new CD

With "Double Play," the pair have overcome any such difficulties, with much more textured accompaniments (organ provided by Compass’s resident keyboard genius John R.Burr) and varied set list.

Indeed, there are some great new tunes from Liz; one truly great set includes a tune titled “Lament for Tommy Makem” in honor of the late Tommy. John contributes fine instrumental compositions, but also adds his voice, with three tracks that include the powerful Ed Pickford song “A Pound a Week Raise.”

John admits to being drawn to songs of oppression and injustice, as his two solo albums will attest. I’ve no doubt that the production gang at Compass Records, led by John and Liz, quite deliberately set out to make a more accessible album and they have more than managed that in this brilliant release.

Congrats also to the pair for their recent performance at President Obama’s St. Patrick’s Day reception. And while we’re at it, congratulations also to Alison Brown, co-founder, with her husband Garry West, of Compass Records. Compass celebrates its 15th year in the business this year, no mean feat for an independent label, and brings us the likes of Solas, Lúnasa, Martin Hayes and of course all things John Doyle.

Alison is also a famed banjo player, and her latest CD "The Company You Keep" debuted at number eight on the Billboard bluegrass chart this month, so a great year so far for her and Compass records.

Mad River Records' new releases

In the last few months the occasional batch of CDs has landed on my desk from a new label, Mad River Records. Its an eclectic mix of World music that includes a lot of Irish/Celtic.

The label was founded and is headed up by Chris Teskey, an 18-year chief operating officer alumnus of Green Linnet Records. His musical know-how has attracted a lot of international talent in a short space of time, and one of his tenets is that downloads needn’t be in competition with CDs, there’s plenty of room for both. As a result, all of his artists are available not only on CD but also instant download at the Web site, www.madriverrecords.com.

There’s Malinki, a Scottish/Celtic band whose album "Flower & Iron" I reviewed in Irish America magazine, along with accordion firebrand David Munnelly; the stunning Irish-language singing Aoife Ni Fhearraigh has re-recorded and released "Loinneog Cheoil" on the label, and American-Irish band Bua offers "An Spealadóir," a rousing mix of songs and tunes from all-Americans who sound like they’ve whiled away many Irish sessions here and abroad.

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As the Irish people have a genuine sense of fun, Irish entertainment can be found in every town, village, city and county. One of the most popular forms is the festival, which is used to celebrate all sorts of occasions &emdash; everything from literary pursuits to a love of oysters. Here are a few highlights of entertainment in Ireland throughout the year: Londonderry boasts the biggest Halloween Festival in the world with around 30,000 celebrating the ancient Celtic New Year every October. Grab a dodgy mask and join the party! / The Belfast Festival at Queen’s is Ireland’s biggest International Festival and boasts an eclectic mix of music, talks, comedy, exhibitions and film. / The Galway Races, the Rose of Tralee Festival, Puck Fair in Killorglin, and the Oul’ Lammas Fair in Ballycastle are world famous and offer a great chance to enjoy Irish entertainment, life and laughs with the locals. / Food festivals are now a big draw in Ireland with local produce scoring high among international foodies. Head to the famous oyster festivals in Clarenbridge in Galway, or Hillsborough, County Down. / Tune in to a spot of music with the Open House Festival in Belfast, the Waterford International Festival of Light Opera, or the Feile an Phobail in west Belfast. Or grab a pint and tap your feet to some cool tunes at the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival. / If you prefer your festivals small and intimate, try the harp festivals in Roscommon or the rough and ready horse and pony fairs from Cavan to Cork. Even today, the horses are priced in guineas, and bought and sold with a spit in the hand. / At the other end of the scale of entertainment in Ireland lies the Wexford Opera Festival with full-scale opera productions, concerts, recitals, talks, cabaret, fireworks, and, of course, parties. / For something a little different, try the Magnus Barelegs Festival in Downpatrick offering a slice of Viking life, or the Eagle Wing Festival in Groomsport, County Down, which celebrates Ireland’s cultural links with America. / Theater fans should head to Dublin for both the Dublin Theatre Festival and the excellent Dublin Fringe Festival, with wildly exciting performances taking place in fabulous venues. / Around March 17, the country turns a shade of green for a host of St Patrick’s Festivals. All over the country, from the Saint’s hallowed burial place in Downpatrick to the more carnival atmosphere of parades and exceptional fireworks in Dublin and Belfast. / Literary lovers should head to Dublin in June for the intriguing Bloomsday Festival, where fans of Joyce’s Gargantuan Ulysses dress up in traditional gear and scoff old Dublin food like “nutty gizzards” and “urine-soaked kidneys”. Alternatively, seek out the delights of the Aspects Literature Festival in Bangor in September, an annual celebration of Irish literature with lectures, discussion and music. But festivals are just one aspect of Irish entertainment—let's not forget about music! From impromptu sessions in your local bar to the thrilling beat of U2, Ireland has always been home to the best sounds of music. Ireland’s massive successes in the Irish entertainment world include some bands and artists you may have heard of…U2, The Corrs, Enya, Westlife, Snow Patrol, Ash, David Holmes, Van Morrison and The Thrills, to name just a few. Unique and distinctive, the harp holds a special place in Irish entertainment and has come to symbolize the harmony of people and music in Ireland. It’s the earliest musical instrument mentioned in Irish literature and has been used as an official emblem for Ireland since medieval times. Today, it’s on Irish passports and stamps. But there's more: Fleadhs, or festivals, are a major part of Irish entertainment as well as cultural life, and impromptu trad sessions have become the stuff of legend at West Belfast’s Feile an Phobail, the Galway Racing Festival or Kerry’s Puck Fair. Rock and dance music festivals are also big news with the Oxegen Festival, Tennents Vital Belfast and the Electric Picnic held in summer.

The latest offerings in the world of Irish folk music

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