Dezi Donnelly: Familiar Footsteps

Dezi Donnelly (Fiddle)
Andy Jones (Guitar, Piano, Mandola)

"As an interpreter of traditional music Dezi Donnelly stands apart from others of his generation. Despite his young age his playing bears all the hallmarks of someone who has grown naturally with the music. It is obvious that he has observed and listened to all the great exponents of the music but more importantly has brought his own sense of imagination to bear in redefining and reshaping many of the tunes on his album. His technique is an example to all young players and his careful attention to detail in executing ofd classics and modern compositions make this album a great pleasure. Bainigi Taithneamh as." Paddy Glackin

"The first time I heard the name Des Donnelly. was from my uncle Felix Kearney, a fiddle player who lived in Omagh. He often talked at length about a Des Donnelly. fiddle player from Fintona. Co Tyrone. who was tragically killed in a building site accident in England fele said he was one of the best fiddle players around. Many years later after a concert in Manchester. a young man introduced himself to inc and told me his name was Dezi Donnelly. After the concert, a few of his friends came back to the hotel where ye played a few tunes. When Dui Junior started to play I could hear immediately ghat on strife Felix had spoken about. This young man had a maturity in his playing. that would only expect in someone much. much older. His playing has warmth, sincerity and the simplicity. which manyyoung players seem to overlook. This is a beautiful recording by a young man whom I think will make an important contribution to Irish music in the years ahead. Enjoy" Artie McGlynn

Special thanks to Mike Harding for his encouragement, support and huge input into making this recording possible - Cheers mate!

Audio

Track 1: Fisherman's Island/Lads of Laois

Track 2: The Knocknagow Jig

Track 3: The Second Star Hornpipe

Track 4: The Spey in a Spate / Cape Breton Fiddlers Welcome to Shetland

Track Listing

1. Paddy Ryan's Dream / Dowd's Favourite /Phelim's Frolic
2. Padgin O'Rafferty
3. Conor Tulyy's no.1 / Maud Miller's /Sean Mcguire's
4. Tommy People's Jig / The Kilfenora
5. Paddy Kenny's Reel
6. Second Star / The Sunshine Hornpipe
7. The Spey in a Spate / Cape Breton Fiddler's Welcome To Shetland
8. The Knocknagow Jig / The Maids On The Green
9. Lord Gordon's Reel
10. Brendan Tonra's / Trip To Athlone / Cathal McConnell's
11. Conor Tully's no.2 / The Cogger's Quilt /7 Humours of Westport
12. Fisherman's Island / The Lads of Laos
13. Paddy's Rambles through the Park

Also available from Copperplate: Dezi Donnelly & Mike McGoldrick: Dog in the Fog
Des Donnelly: Remember Des Donnelly      Check out Dezi's uncle Des Donnelly's playing
Paddy Glackin:  Glackin

Press Reviews

Living Tradition
Don't mess about. Start with track 11, three catchy traditional Irish reels played with flair and feeling. Track 12 is another two great reels, finishing with a fabulous version of "The Lads of Laois" which seems to have moved several thousand miles East in the typesetting. The final track is a gorgeous spine-shivering version of the air "Paddy's Rambles through the Park", which shows that Dezi Donnelly can be poignant as well as powerful. Then ask yourself why you haven't heard much of this fiddle player before.

Let's get one thing straight: this is not Dezi Donnelly's first outing on CD. He has at least two duo albums on the Magnetic Music label, plus three or four recordings with folk-rockers "Toss the Feathers", as well as featuring on several Magnetic compilations and possibly other recordings of which I am unaware. However, this is his first widely-available solo CD. One reason for this is that he's horrifyingly young, and another is that he's been very busy playing in Germany for the last few years.

Okay, now start from the top. Track 1 is more reels, with a slight lapse of concentration on "Dowd's" but otherwise brilliant. Track 2 is a lovely, relaxed swagger through "Paddy Rafferty's Jig". Track 3 is an unhurried set of reels with a wee wobble (or is that Jazz?) on "Sean McGuire's", and you begin to notice the lovely bouncy piano of Andy Jones.

Next comes a pair of jigs given a lyrical feel with discreet guitar accompaniment, then another reel and a couple of hornpipes played with bags of style. The following two Scottish reels breathe a bit more fire into the fiddle, and after some good old-fashioned Irish jigs and a virtuoso performance of "Lord Gordon's Reel" it's back to track 11 again. Alex Monaghan

Celtic Grooves
In recent years, fiddle player Dezi Donnelly has made a name for himself as one of the brilliant musicians to come out of the Manchester Irish scene. His aggressive, Sean-McGuire-tinged fiddle playing has been featured on a few obscure recordings on the German label Magnetic Music--this includes a duet recording with flute player extraordinaire Michael McGoldrick made after the two won the All-Ireland duet competition as teenagers. Donnelly's style has antecedents in the family. His uncle was the legendary Des Donnelly, also a fiddle player of uncommon abilities, who died tragically young in a construction site accident. Interestingly, this first solo album, while having plenty of zest and brilliance, shows a Dezi Donnelly who puts finesse and subtlety over histrionics. Which is fortunate because Donnelly has a great touch and sense for variation. This is a terrific fiddle recording, which I would recommend to anyone who is interested in Irish fiddle playing. In my mind, it ranks up there with Paddy Glackin's fabled first LP.