Dan Brouder: The Lark's Air
Dan Brouder - Accordion, Melodeon
Brian Mooney - Bouzouki, Banjo
Brian McGrath - Piano
Seamus O'Kane - Bodhrán
Angelina Carberry - Banjo
Francis O'Connor - Flute
Áine Ní Chonnaile - Fiddle
Donal Sullivan - Flute
Eamon O'Riordan - Flute
Gearoid Dineen - Guitar
Derek Hickey - Accordion
A great recording and magnificent music in a pure traditional vein, this will be widely greeted and marked as one of the best debut albums in years.
Hailing from Monagea, West Limerick, Dan plays beautifully in this local style.
Dan's BiographyDan Brouder is a well-respected exponent of the West Limerick accordion style from Monagae, a parish on the outskirts of Newcastle West. He learned his music in the surrounding parishes of Ardagh, Carrigkerry and Glin on the Sliabbh Luachra boundary from accordion player Donal de Barra, Athea Co. Limerick and from flute players Francis O'Connor and Donal O'Sullivan who learned their music from Peadlin Aherne, fiddle player and Pajo Gleesen flute player from the 1930's and 40's and whose styles are strongly bedded in West Limerick roots. He continued to learn a lot of music by ear in sessions all over Ireland. Dan plays regularly in sessions and festivals in both West Limerick and around the country. He has performed with various musicians at a number of festivals throughout the world (U.S.A., China, Russia, Spain, France, U.K., Austria, Norway, Holland, Thailand, Germany, Brussels and Italy). His influences down through the years have been Francis O'Connor, Donal O'Sullivan, Donnie Nolan, Johnny O'Leary, Finbar Dwyer, Dermot Byrne and fiddle players Connie O'Connell, Paddy Cronin, Tommy Peoples, James Cullinane and Tony Linnane. Dan is a musician held in high regard among his peers for his musical integrity and the enjoyment he passes on through the music he plays and cherishes. |
Audio
Track 1: Eddie Kelly's
Track 2: Old Maids of Galway
Track 3: The Humours of Ballingarry
Track Listing
- Jigs// Little Joey's/Finbarr's Farewell to Limerick/The Blossom of Balisisland
- Slides// Round the House and Mind the Dresser/The Carrigkerry Slide/Con Cassidy's
- Jigs// The Kettle Boiled Over / Patie's O'Leary's
- Reels// Eddie Kelly's Reel/The Sailor's Cravat/Miss Johnson's
- Hornpipes// Madame if you please/The Boys of Bluehill/The Brigade
- Air// An cailín deas ag cruite na mBó
- Reels// Francis O'Connor's/Ted Furey's/Francis O'Connor's
- Slides// The Cock of the North/Paddy Cronin's/Echoes of Killarney
- Reels// Old Maids of Galway/A letter from home/Mickey Rattley's
- Jigs// Flan's Jig/The Lark's Air/An Seanduine Seoirse
- Flings// Maggie Pickin's/Turnhill
- Reels// Farewell to Cailroe/Finbarr Dwyer's/Finbarr Dwyer's
- Jigs// The Humours of Ballingarry/The Pilgrimage/The Streams of Killanspig
- Polkas// The Knocknaboul Polkas/The girl I left behind/Finbarr Dwyer's Polka
Press Reviews
FOLKWORLD
Dan Brouder is an accordionist from Newcastle West who plays a West Limerick accordion style and the music of the neighbouring music of Sliabh Luachra. Being heavily influenced by this, Dan also helds an interest in Irish Amercian music of the 1920/30s and the London sessions of the 1960/70s. "The Lark's Air" is a lovely accordion album in the purest traditional vein. Dan plays an airy but expressive button box. The album is kicking off with two jigs composed by Dan showcasing his compositional abilities, followed by more familiar traditional reels, jigs and hornpipes. While Brian McGrath (piano), Seamus O'Kane (bodhrán) and Gearoid Dineen (guitar) do the back-up, Dan is joined by flutist Francis O'Connor and fiddler Áine Ní Chonnaile on the three-part "Patie's O'Leary's Jig," and by fellow box player Derek Hickey on the popular slow air "An cailín deas ag cruite na mBó". Flutist Eamon O'Riordan and banjo player Brian Mooney lend support on a couple of reels, flutist Donal O'Sullivan on a polka set, and eventually banjo player Angelina Carberry on the fling "Maggie Pickin's," a tune probably better known as its Scottish counterpart, the strathspey "Whistle O'er the Lave O't". - © Walkin' T:-)M
WWW.TRADCONNECT.COM
The Lark's Air is described by Dan Brouder as "an album born out of years of listening and learning from past and present masters of traditional music". For a musician that comes from Monagea, in west Limerick, just outside the boundary of Sliabh Luachra, inspiration was not far away. The Sliabh Luachra tradition fed into his music and is evident on this his debut album as well. The Larks Air bristles with style and flair and is a fitting tribute to the past masters that Dan so willingly acknowledges. It is traditional accordion playing from the top drawer with selections and arrangements that concentrate on presenting music of the finest quality. Even Sliabh Luchra standards such as The Kettle Boiled Over / Patie Learys jump to life.
Dan has a solid and inspiring style reminiscent of the great Joe Burke. Reels such as Eddie Kellys / The Sailor's Cravat / Miss Johnson are played with an authority and understated execution that belies the mastery of the musician pushing the buttons. He is in cruise control throughout lifting the pace as required, adding little flourishes here, triplets there and the tap tap of the key pads adding to the magical music that is unfolding all the time. Munster music it most definitely is, with 4 sets of reels among the 14 tracks, the rest made up of jigs, slides, polkas and a fling, flung in for good measure. It takes a Munster musician to remind us of how good this music can sound and to ground us in the finer details of music appreciation. Dan is joined throughout by some great accompanists in the shape of Donal O' Sullivan on flute, Angelina Carberry on banjo, Francis O' Connor on flute and Aíne ni Chonnaill on fiddle.
And there is no better way to close out a Munster musicians album than with some polkas and that is what we get with The Knocknaboul Polkas / The Girl I left behind / Finbar Dwyers Polka. To answer the statement made by Dan in his album notes where he states " I hope this recording does justice to the past and present masters that have handed down this magnificent tradition" Well the answer Dan is a resounding and unequivocal yes. This is music and a recording that delivers in spades and brings to the top of the pile a new master of traditional Irish accordion. For that we thank you.- Tony Lawless | TradConnect
