Search - Ron Kavana, Various Artists :: Irish Voices: The Best in Traditional Singing

Leave the instruments at home

Gerald Joyce | Chicago, IL USA | 06/15/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Unaccompanied Irish singing is, to my mind, the purest of all Irish musical forms. If you're not used to Irish singing, the first thing you'll have to get used to is that Irish singing has far more to do with style and projecting emotion that having a voice that will get you on stage at La Scala. Often, the singers with the most gravelly voices are able to draw you into the song more than some of Ireland's more well know "ballad" singers. Tomas O'Neachtain's Sceilpin Draigneach will have the hair standing up on the back you your neck. The pain in his voice is apparent whether or not you understand any Irish. Joe Heaney (Joe Einniu) is fantastic on Bean a' Leanna. Any one who likes this Connemara style (called Sean Nos in Irish)would do well to go to the Clo Iar-Chonnachta website for gobs more. Representing the North you can't ask for more than Paddy Tunney and Len Graham (well, maybe they could have put Geordie Hannah on here too). Overall fantastic, I really hope this company releases more disks of unaccompanied stuff soon. Also, if you like this CD you will really like a CD called "Hurry the Jug". Slan agus Beannacht. -Gearoid."