"It was great to hear this most recent recording of my good friends Mike and Sean. It reminded me of a lot of great times we have spent together playing music over many years. There have been many great nights at the Half Time Rec, where Sean and I played tune after tune and Mike had the audience standing on tables. These are two skilled performers who put their all into it every night and who never cheat an audience. They have independently carved out a career and an audience for themselves on therir own terms, something which is rare in these days of over- commercialized music. Long may it continue." —Martin Hayes.
Announcing the release of "Live at the Half Time Rec" from the internationally acclaimed duo "The Irish Brigade." Recorded live over three nights in the fall of 2001, "Live at the Half Tilne Rec" captures the Irlsh Brigade in their most natural element, St. Paul's home of lrish Music: The Half Time Rec. The Brigade features Sean Conway on flutes and whistles (he was all-Ireland flute champion at age 15) here also playing guitar and doing some lead vocals, and Mike Wallace (well known for being responsible for the spreading of traditional lrish music in America) here playing guitar. Bodhron, Bass and singing as well. With everything from soaring jigs and reels to a Buddy Holly song, "Live at the Half Time Rec" demonstrates the full range of an lrish Brigade performance. Much more than just a "Pub Band," this recording demonstrates their ability to captivate an audience with traditional songs and dance tunes, while not forgetting their rock and roll influences. This recording is a must for any fan of authentic, traditional lrish music with an edge.
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Reviews of Live at the Half Time Rec
Dirty Linen
...The Irish Brigade is an Irish-born, Minnesota-based duo who represent the acoustic side of Irish pub music. On Live At the Half Time Rec, singers and multi-instrumentalists Mike Wallace and Sean Conway present a collection of pub standards, like "Rocky Road to Dublin," a couple of less frequently covered songs, like Christy Moore's "Ride On," and some crisp, simply arranged jigs and reels. It's a smug mix of voices, guitar, flute, whistle, and bodhrán, and even though they've probably done these songs a million times, they certainly seem to enjoy the craic. Their version of Buddy Holly's "Peggy Sue" with a tin whistle brought a particular smile.
—Tom Nelligan
Folk Roots
The Irish Brigade, comprising singer/guitarist Mike Wallace and flute/whistle exponent Sean Conway, has trod the US boards since the late 70s. Live At the Half Time Rec was recorded in a St. Paul, MN Irish music stronghold. Conway's clear concise whistle playing lights up Eddie Moloney's and The Rights Of Man, while Wallace acquits himself decently enough on The Dutchman. Traversing the twin lands of traditional music and mainstream Irish folk, the album reveals a proficient and highly competent, high on energy and ability-producing music, of a solid distinctive nature. Worth a listen.
—John O'Regan
Rambles, A Cultural Arts Magazine
The first track, a duet of pennywhistle and bodhran, is a potent, vibrant start to this live recording from the Half Time Rec in St. Paul, Minn. The Irish Brigade is a duo, but the pair is joined here by a few musical friends to deliver an exciting package.
Mike Wallace provides guitar, bodhran, bass and vocals; Sean Conway supplies flutes, whistles, guitar and vocals. Guests are John Wright on bass, Karie Oberg on vocals and Mike Ryan on dumbek. But it's just the duo on most of the album's 18 tracks, but Wallace and Conway manage to sound like a larger band.
The Irish Brigade shows its versatility, too: the album begins with a whomping set of traditional reels, followed by a lively read on "Rocky Road to Dublin," then a strong but tender rendition of "Carrickfergus" and a pair of fast jigs. And so on -- these boys don't let their audience get settled into a rut anywhere along the way. In fact, the audience is my only real complaint -- the recording snips off all but the barest hints of applause and other audience reactions, and a live album should certainly keep the audience in the mix!
The varied set list continues with the reflective "The Dutchman," the high-spirited "On the One Road," "Ride On," "The Night Visit," "Black is the Color," "Whisky You're the Devil" and even Buddy Holly's "Peggy Sue." Jammin' instrumental sets are speckled throughout to good effect.
In other words, the Irish Brigade is no one-trick horse. The duo's diverse talents receive excellent attention in this live recording, leaving us poor listeners at home wanting more.
—Tom Knapp
Folk World Reviews
An Irish pub band. Well, accomplished players they are: Sean Conway (flute, fiddle, guitar, vocals) and Mike Wallace (guitar, bodhran, bass, vocals). These are two skilled performers who put their all into it every night and who never cheat an audience, says Martin Hayes about his old-time friends. Recorded live in St. Paul, Minnesota, it's the instrumental tunes where the Irish Brigade really shines. Then I'd like to transfer the boys to some of the Irish theme pubs over here. John Wright (see review above) plays a lovely bass guitar on the "Butterfly" slip jig. No idea why the "The Rights of Man" hornpipe became the "Rites of Mann". Americanization? Tom Paine is tumbling in his grave. Though there is stuff like Michael Smith's "The Dutchman", there's also the best (or worst) of Irish pub music as well: "Carrickfergus", "Ride On", "Black Is the Colour", "I'll Tell Me Ma", and the lot. Songs that are not really bad, but it's really over-done, when you get a dozen CDs each week with the same stuff on it. And doing Buddy Holly's "Peggy Sue" is not that funny.
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Copyright
© 2008 New Folk Records, LLC
