Andy Martyn: Will We Give It A Go?

Representing a landmark recording of Irish music in London Will We Give It A Go? brings to the listener a mix of original compositions with a unique interpretation of Irish airs and original tunes. Produced by multi-instrumentalist/composer Gerry Diver (Speech Project, Pixie) the album features a host of Irish music luminaries including John Carty (Patrick Street), Gino Lupari (Four Men and a Dog), Matt Griffin, Michael McGoldrick (Michael McGoldrick Band), Trevor Hutchinson (Lunasa), Elaine Conwell (London Lasses), Sinead Egan, Tad Sargeant, Kevin Boyle (Le Cheile) and Barney Morse-Brown.

"I have been very fortunate to have known so many inspiring musicians and supporters of the music.  I thank you all for great times.”
"Having been persuaded by a number of musicians and friends over the years to put down a new recording, I chose perhaps the most strange time to do so during a global pandemic which severely restricted our ability to meet, play and record together.  The passion and professionalism of the collaborators on this album has been remarkable".  Andy Martyn

Andy Martyn is a London Irish virtuoso of the button accordion who grew up among and playing with the best of London-based traditional Irish musicians of his and older generations in the golden era of music in London. He went on to gain renown through collaborations with John Carty, Brendan Mulkere, Alias Ron Kavana, Gino Lupari, Cathal Hayden and London bands Le Cheile, Slip Jigolos and Beyond The Pale among others.

Andy’s distinctive style and mix of music is heavily influenced by his family roots in East Galway and the many musicians that he spent his time with.

Will We Give It A Go? is the first album in his own name and brings to the audience a mix of both his own compositions and his unique interpretation of Irish airs and traditional tunes in collaboration with a cast of renowned musicians: Gerry Diver (Speech Project, Pixie), John Carty (TG4 Tradition Musician of the Year 2003), Gino Lupari (Four Men and a Dog), Matt Griffin, Trevor Hutchinson (Lunasa), Pete Flood (Bellowhead), Elaine Conwell (The London Lasses), Sinead Egan (The Egan Sisters), Tad Sargent, Kevin Boyle (Le Cheile) and Barney Morse-Brown (Duotone).

“It’s been a rough couple of years with the Covid virus, especially in the music industry, but thanks to London Irishman Andy Martyn there is light at the end of the tunnel.  Brilliant accordion player Andy is releasing this wonderful CD called Will We Give It A Go? with a huge variety of tunes including some of Andy’s great compositions.  It’s a delight to listen to.  I feel safe in saying it’s going to be a classic and will keep listeners delighted for many years to come.” Brian Rooney

Audio

Track 1: the Caha Mountain

Track 2: The Ballygawley Barndance

Track 3: Sunday Morning Hornpipe

Track Listing

1. The Yokiebus. (The Sailor's Bonnet/The Culfadda Reel. 3.05)
2. Something Understood. (Caught in the Surf/Good Man Noel)  03:28
3. Lament of The Three Marys 02:05
4. Mixolydian Giants (The Caha Mountains/McKenna Country) 02:39
5. Déantóir Aisling (Dream Maker Air) 03:03
6. The Ballygawley Barndance/The Brook Reel. 03:05
7. The Light of Home Waltz 03:47
8. Settle Out of Court/Unamed Jig/Cregg;s Pipes. 03:49
9. The Michael Hynes Pastiche! (Da Sixareen/Gypsy's Lullaby) 03:24
10. Danny's Grove 03:13
11. Sunday Morning Hornpipe/The Boys of Bluehill 03.04
12. Among The Roses (Kitty's 12 Roses/Mrs McNulty's/Jui's Jig) 03:20
13. Lament for Oliver Goldsmith 03:13
14. The Blackthorn (Farewell to Cailroe/One of Gabe's/The Blackthorn) 03:23

Also available from Copperplate featuring Andy Le Cheile: Out of the West

Press Reviews

The LIving Tradition
Straight down the line Irish traditional accordion music, Andy Martyn's playing recalls the greats of a generation or two ago: Joe Burke, Paddy O'Brien, Joe Cooley, Martin Mulhaire and others. London Irish all his life, with a background in East Galway, Andy has played with many of the great and good - and even better - of Irish music, several of whom join him here. John Carty on fiddle and banjo, Gino Lupari on percussion, Trevor Hutchinson on bass and Michael McGoldrick on his trusty snare drum are supplemented by London musicians Elaine Conwell, Sinead Egan, Tad Sargent, Gerry Diver, Kevin Boyle, Matt Griffin and Barney Morse-Brown. This makes for a very full sound on most tracks, reminiscent of ceiti bands and show bands.
Reels by Redican, Rooney, Dwyer and Liddy. Traditional jigs, hornpipes and barndances. Cregg's Pipes, The Sailor's Bonnet, and a few more familiar names: about half of Will We Give It A Go? is dance music which will be well known to fans of Irish music. The other half is new and unfamiliar, at least to me: airs and other tunes composed by Mr Martyn and friends, plus a couple of slow pieces from the tradition which are rarely heard these days. There's also a pair of hornpipes from Shetland and Northumberland, just for a change. This is measured music, not too fast, never too flamboyant, smooth rather than percussive, easy on the ear, aimed more at the parlour than the dance hall. The rich sound of old button accordions dominates every track. teasing emotion out of the many slower pieces here and stamping the quicker melodies onto a sensitive backing by fine accompanists. Listen to Andy's Ballygawley Barndance with John Carty's deep banjo notes underpinning the tune, or his air Danny's Grove written for Donegal fiddler Danny Meehan with more than a touch of Gaeldom pathos.  Alex Monaghan

Box & Fiddle
Renowned London Irish button-accordion virtuoso Andy Martyn releases a landmark recording of Irish traditional music from the streets of London. Andy grew up among and playing with the best of traditional musicians of his and older generations in the golden era of music in London, and went on to gain acclaim through collaborations with John Carty, Brendan Mulkere, Alias Ron Kavana, Gino Lupari and London bands Le Cheile and Slip Jigolos among others. Andy's distinctive style and mix of music is heavily influenced by his east Galway family roots and the many musicians that he spent time with. Released in 2022, Will We Give it a Go is the first album in Andy's own name and brings to the audience a mix of both his own compositions and his unique interpretation of Irish airs and traditional tunes produced and mastered by Gerry Diver. The album includes three of his previously unpublished compositions: Dream Maker (an air composed for the late Brendan Mulkere), The Light of Home and The Ballygawley Barndance. Also featured is the premiere recording of Good Man Noel composed by legendary fiddler Brian Rooney. On this recording Andy is joined by a remarkable line up of musicians which includes John Carty (Patrick Street), Gerry Diver, Gino Lupari (Four Men and a Dog), Matt Griffin (Seamus Begley Trio), Michael McGoldrick (Michael McGoldrick Band, Usher's Island), Trevor Hutchinson (Lunasa), Elaine Conwell (The London Lasses), Sinead Egan (The Egan Sisters), Tad Sargent, Kevin Boyle ( Le Cheile) and Barney Morse-Brown (Duotone). There are many highlights, but worthy of special mention are Andy's extremely sensitive interpretation of the slow airs Dream Maker, Danny's Grove and Lament for Oliver. This record is in a different genre from the usual Scottish dance band music category, but I have no doubt this CD from Andy is destined to become a definitive, landmark recording within Irish traditional music circles and an album that will further enhance Andy's name and profile - which he deserves. This CD is a stunning listen and an outstanding body of work which I would highly recommend to you.

FOLK LONDON
Andy Martyn has been a notable participant in the London Irish music scene for decades, playing button accordion in sessions and in bands from Alias Ron Kavana to Le Cheile and Slip Jigolos. He was brought up in the golden era of Irish traditional music in London in the 1960s and 70s and learned from the best, including Brendan Mulkere and the accordion legend Finbarr Dwyer. Joe Burke is also cited as a major influence. This is Andy's first release in his own name, and it holds its own alongside some classic Irish accordion players' debut solo albums, such as Sharon Shannon's and Josephine Marsh's from the 1990s. Andy has obviously taken quite some time and deliberation before giving a solo album a go, and he has made a success of it. As you would expect, the accordion is very much at the heart of each of the 14 all-instrumental tracks on Will We Give It A Go? but with appropriate accompaniment from a host of guests, most prominently John Carty on banjo (and fiddle on one track), Matt Griffin on acoustic guitar and Gino Lupari on bodhran. Additional contributions come from Barney Morse-Brown (cello), Sinead Egan (guitar), Michael McGoldrick (snare drum), Kevin Boyle (piano), Elaine Conwell (fiddle),

Tad Sargeant (bouzouki, bodhran), Trevor Hutchinson (double bass) and Gerry Diver (various instruments). The latter also takes production credits, and he has done a truly fine job here. Despite being all-instrumental and accordion-led, the album's 14 tracks offer plenty of variety. Andy takes composer credit for five of the tunes; the rest are drawn from musicians he's admired, listened to and played with over the years. Each track comes with credit of all included tunes and composers and a note on what they mean to Andy and how they came to be in his repertoire. Only a carefully selected few of the numerous guests feature on each track, so nothing feels overcomplicated or cluttered -the arrangements are judged perfectly. There is a good mix of reels, a few jigs and hornpipes, barn dances and a waltz plus four slow airs, some sounding like they should have words set to them, and I could just imagine Dolores Keane's voice soaring over the top. If you enjoy Irish tunes, you will not be disappointed by this album. It has been a real pleasure to listen to. Give it a go! Anja S Beinroth

R'n'R Magazine
At first glance, this album may seem like a recording of tunes lifted straight from Irish London's lock-ins, of which Andy Martyn has been a regular. However, though the tunes and collaborations may have been forged in the pub, this recording is far more measured: breakneck speeds are prohibited and the playing is executed with care and precision, showcasing the flair of Martyn and his esteemed colleagues. If you can't grab an instrument to join in, you'll be reaching for your baby to dandle or, at the very least, your thighs to slap in time. Martyn is joined by a host of familiar names from the Irish London scene, their portraits generously included in the liner notes, while the album title makes explicit the modesty and humility with which Martyn approaches his art. Though his name might be on the cover, and many of his tunes served up, Will We Give It A Go? celebrates connectivity and relationships: the very way in which Martyn has learned and mastered his music. As such, the arrangements are carefully considered, no doubt honed over the years, with cello and punchy piano unanticipated and serendipitous. Highlight, however, has to be the 'Lament For Oliver Goldsmith', a breath-taking but somehow instantly hummable air. Sophie Parkes

www.folkandhoney.co.uk
Andy Martyn is a London Irish virtuoso of the button accordion who grew up among and playing with the best of London-based traditional Irish musicians of his and older generations in the golden era of music in London. He went on to gain renown through collaborations with John Carty, Brendan Mulkere, Alias Ron Kavana, Gino Lupari, Cathal Hayden and London bands Le Cheile, Slip Jigolos and Beyond The Pale among others.

Andy’s distinctive style and mix of music is heavily influenced by his family roots in East Galway and the many musicians that he spent his time with.

Will We Give It A Go? is the first album in his own name and brings to the audience a mix of both his own compositions and his unique interpretation of Irish airs and traditional tunes in collaboration with a cast of renowned musicians: Gerry Diver (Speech Project, Pixie), John Carty (TG4 Tradition Musician of the Year 2003), Gino Lupari (Four Men and a Dog), Matt Griffin, Trevor Hutchinson (Lunasa), Pete Flood (Bellowhead), Elaine Conwell (The London Lasses), Sinead Egan (The Egan Sisters), Tad Sargent, Kevin Boyle (Le Cheile) and Barney Morse-Brown (Duotone).

Darrens Music Blog Review
A virtuoso of the button accordion and a notable figure on London’s traditional Irish music scene, Andy Martyn has been immersed in traditional music from a young age and has gone on to collaborate with many leading players. Appearing on a number of albums, past collaborations have included work with the likes of John Carty, Brendan Mulkere, Alias Ron Kavana and Gino Lupari, as well as with London-based bands, Le Cheile and Slip Jigolos. Will We Give It A Go? is Martyn’s debut solo album released under his own name, however.

Evidently, he may have taken a little persuading to have finally agreed to a solo release. Writing in the album liner notes, he observes: “Having been persuaded by a number of musicians and friends over the years to put down a new recording, I chose perhaps the most strange time to do so during a global pandemic which severely restricted our ability to meet, play and record together.”

Any logistical challenges presented by putting such an album together has clearly not impeded on its vibrancy and vitality, It really is a delight to listen to. Distilling the spirit of traditional Irish music from the streets of London while reaching back to Martyn’s own Galway family roots, he brings us an album that’s both highly inventive and one steeped in tradition.

Described as a landmark recording of traditional Irish music in London, the fourteen-track CD combines some of Marty’s own compositions with his own interpretations of Irish airs, reels and other traditional tunes.

Traditional airs like the ‘Lament Of The Three Marys’ jostle with traditional reels like ‘The Sailor’s Bonnet’ and several of Marty’s own compositions including three of his previously unpublished tunes: ‘Dream Maker’ (an air composed for the late Brendan Mulkere), ‘The Light of Home’ and ‘The Ballygawley Barndance’.

Martyn has drawn on his long-established connections on the scene to pull together an impressive line-up of supporting musicians: John Carty (Patrick Street), Gerry Diver, Gino Lupari (Four Men and a Dog), Matt Griffin (Seamus Begley Trio), Michael McGoldrick (Michael McGoldrick Band, Usher’s Island), Trevor Hutchinson (Lunasa), Elaine Conwell (The London Lasses), Sinead Egan (The Egan Sisters), Tad Sargent, Kevin Boyle (Le Cheile) and Barney Morse-Brown (Duotone).

Altogether, an impressive outcome for this long-awaited solo venture from the Irish button accordion virtuoso, Andy Martyn.