Altan and Session A9
A Review by Jamie Wilson
Well, what can I say?! This was a great gig. Session A9, though they were without Kris Drever, were brilliant. Energetic fiddle music and tight melodic harmonies were backed up with the great rhythm of Iain Copelands percussion. The backing was superbly rounded by the never less than ingenious keyboards of Brian McAlpine, who with a jazz style, plays across the musical pulse in the most synergistic and complementary way.
The contrasting fiddle styles of Kevin Henderson, Gordon Gunn and Charlie McKerron, neverthess gel to make a whole that is more than the sum of its parts. The technically accurate, but soulful playing of Kevin Henderson did justice to Gordon Duncan's "Sleeping Tune", which was no mean feat given that this Perth audience was one which clearly new much of, and about, Gordon. Charlie McKerron's playing was light on the bow, skipping, and enthusiastic which did much for me to hear those classic Session A9 tracks "right from the horse's mouth" for the first time!
If you don't know Session A9, you should! Visit their website: www.sessiona9.com
At the end of session A9s encore, it was only half time, and Altan were still to come, and when they did, they didn't disappoint! Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh and Ciaran Tourish's fiddle styles were surprisingly different, but worked so very well in the fiery staccato Donegal rhythms. There was some noticeable changes from Session A9. It was as if Altan, with their greater experience, were capable of letting the tunes grow and speak for themselves, which is not to take anything away from Session A9 at all. Ciaran Curran's "King of the Pipers" just grew and grew, and damn do I want to make sure I know that tune now!
If I had to make one criticism, it is of Mairead's singing. While I have been a huge fan of her singing in the past, especially on the album with Frankie Kennedy, Ceol Aduaidh, the slight aberrances in intonation are no longer presented with a voice that appears young and innocent and therefore forgives them. Nevertheless, she is still capable of evoking great emotion with her voice, and this was an altogether great set of traditional music.
Visit the Altan website!
The Perth concert hall was a great venue. There must have been 500 odd people there, and yet the venue felt quite comfortably full. What I missed though was a good bit of flat space at the front for a dance. This would have made, what was in any case, a great evening even better.
14.04.2007. 08:40
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