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Dáithí Sproule Lost River: VOL 1
"I mentioned in my last column that a new Daithi Sproule CD was on its way from New Folk Records. Well, I got my advance copy and, boy oh boy, what a treasure! Titled Lost River: Volume 1, I’m already excited that there might be a Volume 2. Daithi describes it best in his liner notes when he states that this is a collection of “traditional songs I have sung and loved for decades.” The love shows, let me tell you. Joined by a lineup of the finest talent in Irish music, this CD is simply one of the best I’ve ever heard. Don’t have a release date for this beauty yet, but I’m sure we’ll be getting it soon.
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"Piping It In"
www.irishamericannews.com

Paddy O’Brien, Sailor's Cravat
"Paddy O’Brien is one of the great keepers of the flame in Irish traditional music. Despite –or paradoxically because of – living outside Ireland for many years, he has retained a profound attachment to the music and cultivated a deep and fertile furrow around St Paul, Minnesota, with his playing, mentoring and teaching. He is held in high regard by his fellow-musicians and is one of the great Irish tune collectors with many rare and unusual tunes lodged in his head. I had that experience with The Sailor’s Cravat where I seemed to hear some new combination, harmony or turn every time. Music enters our consciousness in a complex way (at least five parts of the brain are involved, according to current theories). And, with O’Brien’s music the heart and the brain are instantly engaged. Paddy O’Brien plays with exquisite specificity. His tunes turn in unison, reciprocating and accommodating like long-term partners. He reminds me of those experienced, cagey baseball catchers calling the pitches, subtly signaling his colleagues, and controlling the dynamics from behind the box. And, he’s just as quotable but a tad less enigmatic than the most famous of all catchers, Yogi Berra."

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Tom Clancy
www.theoldblognode.
blogspot.com