BRENDAN BULGER, MARTY FAHEY, KATHLEEN GAVIN: Music at the House

Brendan Bulger, Marty Fahey, Kathleen Gavin

Music at the House

© 2003 Marty Fahey, Brendan Bulger (634479089923)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

Irish traditional music with a straightforward and relaxed attitude. Great old tunes combined with obscure versions of others...in the tradition of the wonderful old fiddle, accordion and piano albums of the 1970s. Great music for tapping your foot.

tracks

1 Jigs: Jimmy Neary's, Tommy Maguire's & Conroy's
2 Hornpipes: The Lone Bush & Eugene Stratton's
3 Reels: Mickey Callaghan's &The Man in the House
4 Jigs: Buttermilk Mary & Failing Memories
5 Air: In Memory of Coleman
6 Reels:The Blackthorn & The Drunken Tinker
7 Jigs: Kit O' Mahony's & Paddy Walshe's
8 Reels: The Girl who Broke My Heart & Maude Miller
9 Hornpipes: St. Gilbert's & The Stage
10 Air: Da Slockit Light
11 Reels: The Chandelier & Christmas in America
12 Slip Jigs: My Mind will never be aisy, Paddy O'Snap & Lough Key
13 Jigs: Dooish & The Musical Manicure
14 Reels: Mc Greevy's & The Humours of Castlefinn
15 Jigs: The Galway Jig & Willie's Fiddle
16 Reel: The Yellow Tinker

notes

Just listed in the "Top Ten Picks" of Irish Traditional Music recordings of 2003. ["Ceol" column, copyright, Earle Hitchner, Irish Echo newspaper, NY (January 20, 2004)]

Marty Fahey: born and raised in Chicago. Marty credits piano players Eleanor Kane Neary, Mary Mc Donaugh and Nancy Harling for his early tutelage on the piano as well as box players Paddy Gavin (brother of Kathleen) and Paddy O'Brien for his inspiration and aspirations on the box.

This cd is Marty's second full length recording, the first of which was with the well-known Chicago fiddler, Liz Carroll (A Friend Indeed, Shanachie Records) in 1977.

Besides playing music (with Brendan, with The Broken Pledge Ceili Band and other good friends) and helping to raise his family, Marty works as the Creative Director for a National Stone and Tile company.

Brendan Bulger: born and raised in Boston. Brendan specifically credits fiddlers Seamus Connolly and Larry Reynolds for his musical upbringing.(And his brother Chris for dissuading him from playing the box (!) in favor of the fiddle.)

This is also Brendan's second full-length recording, having released his own self-titled solo album two years ago.

Brendan now lives in Chicago and is studying violin-making while playing music (with Marty, with The Broken Pledge Ceili Band, the Sprigs and others) and teaching fiddle lessons as well.

Kathleen Gavin: born in Mayo and raised in Dublin. Kathleen
comes from a well-known musical family in Balbriggan (north of Dublin)and grew up with "music at the house" all the time.

Kathleen credits her father (the late Paddy Snr.), her brothers (Lar, Paddy and Michael) and other close musical
friends for her musical upbringing. She plays the piano and the fiddle.

Kathleen spends her time helping to raise her family and as a Board Member for various charitable and educational
organizations in Ireland.

Kathleen and Marty, who first met at the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in 1974 (Listowel), have been friends ever since and both of them were thrilled to be able to collaborate on this project.

Marty and Brendan have played together quite regularly for the last five years and began to work on this project after collaborating on a couple of tracks for Brendan's cd two years ago.

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For more details, check out the extensive liner notes (16 page booklet) that accompany the cd.
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First review of "Music at the House"

by Earle Hitchner


"Ceol Column", Irish Echo newspaper, NY, November 26, 2003

WINDFALL FROM THE WINDY CITY (excerpt from the full review)

"The face of the CD resembles a black-vinyl LP, and that's intentional. It is meant to take listeners back to a pre-cd, pre-"Riverdance" time, the 1950s, '60s and '70s, when long-playing records of traditional Irish music were often being made with a naturalness, warmth, flow and savor that have somewhat slipped into neglect during the recent rush to stay in sync with musical technology and trends. There is nothing indulgent or frivolous on the CD. It showcases the innate beauty of melodies played by three musicians in total service, not servitude, to them....the results of this approach and mindset are like a long sip of a vintage wine...

Bulger, Fahey and Mayo-born Gavin have made a fiddle-box-piano album with the heady bouquet of such classic trios as Seamus Connolly, Paddy O'Brien and Charlie Lennon, Sean Maguire, Joe Burke and Josephine Keegan,and Andy McGann,Joe Burke and Felix Dolan...

The album's objectives were stated clearly by Fahey and Bulger: to revisit or reintroduce some marvelous older tunes and a few originals, to convey the joy of playing together, to honor mentors and forebears, and to provide a simple, not simplistic alternative to the current showmanship-drenched trend in Irish musicmaking.
"Music at the House" achieves them all."

[Copyright Earle Hitchner. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of author]

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Second review of "Music at the House"

by Bill Margeson

Tradition in Review (Irish-American News, December, 2003)
(excerpt from the full review)

"The first album up this month is a fabulous piece of business we just received. It is called Music at the House and features Chicagoans Marty Fahey on box and Brendan Bulger on fiddle, with Dublin's Kathleen Gavin on piano. What an instrumental gem this is!...

The album offers the full measure with 16 tracks, comprising 31 tunes altogether. Wonderful variety...

Each musician is given plenty of room to show off their well-honed skills. This is due, in no small part, to Dennis Cahill's excellent work as producer, Dennis is already recognized as one of trad's great guitarists, and should also soon be ranked as one of the great producers, as his credits continue to build.

Each of these musicians has obviously deep ceili roots, but there is so much more. The ceili really comes to the fore in a sure, determined and straight ahead rhythmic phrasing on all of the tunes...Music at the House shows these players to be incredibly gifted and well-grounded in the entire tradition.

Gavin's sure sense on the piano proved the wisdom of flying her in from Dublin for the work. Bulger's fiddle is perfect throughout, and (try as we might) there is nothing more to say. He is wonderful, Period....Fahey's work on the box is a revelation...(he) has been one of the truly wonderful Chicago musicians for years...he is terrific.

You hear all the background, knowledge and marvelous talent each of these three has acquired and lovingly brought to this album. It is a joy, and these three are obviously having a ball playing the tunes.

Additionally, there is a full set of liner notes that really do a great job introducing the listener to the tunes and the musicians. It also features a great cover, very evocative and original, as well as the most creative label for the actual cd we've seen in years!...

This is one of our favorite albums of the year. Another reason we love this is that these three have refused the current trend of playing everything at 248 mph. We don't know where or why this trend started, but it is evident even in the current releases and concerts by some of the very best in the field. This "speedplaying" is neither pleasing nor traditional... Thank God, these three know and understand the tradition. These tunes are given the tempo to really open to the listener and show the phrasing and intonation that is at the very heart of the tradition.

So here it is. Deeply traditional and thoroughly modern in conception. These three should be very, very proud. They have created a stunner."

Rating: Four Harps

[Copyright, Bill Margeson, Irish-American News,
Christmas, 2003 All rights reserved.]

reviews

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  • Excellent example of "traditional" Irish music
    author: Jan

    Growing up in a musical Irish house, (my Dad often played both the box accordion and fiddle) the CD brought me back to my childhood when family and friends would gather to celebrate various events and at some point in the evening, the “Dad’s would get out “boxes” and fiddles. From that moment on, the rest of the night would be devoted music, singing and dancing. Listening to “Music at the House” brought all those memories back like it was yesterday.

  • This CD is creating quite a "buzz" out there; after hearing it, I know why.
    author: Eileen

    Two musician friends of mine both called me within the week to ask if I had heard this; both of them volunteered to play a bit over the phone, not being able to contain themselves. Now that I own a copy, I know why. This has to be one of the best releases of traditional music in recent years. Get it. The melody selection and performance is super!

  • Irish traditional music as it ought to be played!
    author: Donal L.

    Wow! Is this sweet music. Very harmonious. Great tunes. Great playing. Great notes. Three cheers to ye!

  • Music at the House is music that warms the heart!
    author: Sheila Fahey-Wallenius

    Picture yourself curling up in front of a roaring fire with a cherished book and how it warms the heart, and you'll have an inkling of how the lyrical, down-to-earth, comforting sound of traditional Irish music that emanates from this brilliant new CD will encompass your soul and bring a smile to your face. The choice and mix of tunes is perfect, the execution is flawless; the flow from one tune to another is effortless; the music carries you away like a gently flowing river. What comforting memories this CD evokes of us as children, falling asleep late at night to the sound of Irish musicians in our living room having an impromptu session.... Thank you Brendan, Kathleen and Marty for your special gift of music and memories! Fine job!

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