Solas: Another Day
- Accordion [Button], Piano Accordion, Concertina, Backing Vocals – Mick McAuley
- Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards, Cello, Backing Vocals – Eamon McElholm
- Banjo – Bela Fleck*
- Bass – Chico Huff
- Drums, Percussion – Ben Wittman
- Fiddle, Backing Vocals – Winifred Horan
- Flute, Low Whistle, Banjo, Guitar [Nylon], Mandolin, Electric Guitar, Bodhrán – Seamus Egan
- Lead Vocals – Deirdre Scanlan
- Producer – Seamus Egan
Since its birth in 1996, Solas has been loudly proclaimed as the most popular, influential, and exciting Celtic band to ever emerge from the United States. Even before the release of its first Shanachie CD, the Boston Herald trumpeted the quartet as "the first truly great Irish band to arise from America and the Irish Echo ranked Solas among the "most exciting bands anywhere in the world."Since then, the praise has only grown louder. The Philadelphia Inquirer said they make "mind-blowing Irish folk music, maybe the world's best". The New York Times praised their "unbridled vitality", the Washington Post dubbed them one of the "world's finest Celtic-folk ensembles" and the Austin American-Statesman called them "the standard by which contemporary Celtic groups are judged."
Solas is virtually unique in the new territory it has opened up for Celtic music. It has performed at all the major Celtic and folk festivals, including Philadelphia, Edmonton, the legendary National Folk Festival, and Milwaukee's Irish fest; but also at Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and the chamber music summer series at Steamboat Springs, Colorado. It has performed at Symphony Hall, Wolf Trap, the Ford Amphitheater, and Queens Hall in Edinburgh, Scotland. In New York City, where the band was based in its early years, it has played at the legendary Bottom Line folk club, but also at vaunted classical venues Town Hall and Symphony Space.
The Solas sound today is anchored by founders Seamus Egan, who plays flute, tenor banjo, mandolin, whistle, guitar and bodhran, and fiddler Winifred Horan. They are two of the most respected�and imitated�musicians anywhere in acoustic music. Mick McAuley from Kilkenny plays accordion and concertina; Eamon McElholm from Tyrone plays guitar and keyboards. Deirdre Scanlan is the band's latest vocal discovery, gorgeously filling the role carved out by founding vocalist Karan Casey.
Audio
Track 1: The Wiggly Jigs
Track 2: All That You Ask Me
Track 3: Bird in the Tree
Track Listing
1. Bird In The Tree (Medley Of Reels)
2. Scarecrow's Dream
3. I Wandered By A Brookside
4.It's Still Raining / Carlisle Street Reels5. Just You
6.The Highlands Of Holland
7. All That You Ask Me
8. Maire Mhilis Bhrea
9. The Wiggly Jigs
10. This Love Will Carry
11. Scoladh Na Gramhna
12. Another Day
Press Reviews
Solas have a vision that extends past the lexicon of traditional Celtic music. They've covered musical ground that similar groups often overlook, mining the rich catalogues of past and present songwriters like Tom Waits, Nick Drake, and Peggy Seeger, as well as composing their own songs. On their sixth record, Another Day, they take the latter approach, opting for only two covers, a sweet rendition of Dan Fogelberg's "Scarecrow's Dream," and an almost Baroque pop version of Dougie MacLean's "This Love Will Carry." Virtuoso fiddler Winifred Horan's contribution, the elegant "Highlands of Holland," swings and twists, showing off her classically trained chops without being indulgent, and segues flawlessly into Kieran Goss' beautiful ballad, "All That You Ask Me." Accordion player Mick McAuley (who's fine solo record Ocean's Breadth featured alms from the majority of the group) and founding member, guitarist, and producer Seamus Egan are the glue that hold this ship together. Their work on the reels and breakdowns is impeccable, and offers further proof of the band's otherworldly abilities in a live setting. The powerful group vocals that fuel the two Gaelic numbers, "Seoladh Na Naamhna" and "Maire Mhilis Bhrea," remind one of Altan in their prime and illuminate how indispensable each member has become. Another Day doesn't suffer from the over-produced, electronic gadgetry -- even though it sneaks into a few tracks -- that makes contemporaries like Capercaillie sound so chilly. It works because the arrangements are forward-thinking, bursting with energy, and human to the core.
