Launched at Fleadh Nua 2022 by Dr. Labhrás Ó Murchú, Ardstiúrthóir, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann to celebrate the centenary year of the birth of Paddy O’Brien (1922 – 2022) Musician, Composer and Teacher. This is the Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann reissue of a restored and remastered version of the iconic EP ‘The banks of the Shannon’ featuring Paddy O’Brien, Seamus Connolly and Charlie Lennon.
Sleeve Notes
Paddy O’Brien and Seamus Connolly, – These are names that are known wherever Irish music is loved. It is now a score or more years since a young man from Newtown established himself, firstly in Ireland and later across the Atlantic, as one of the really great masters of the accordion. Now, happily back home again, Paddy O’Brien is playing regularly and well, and he is at his brilliant best when he teams up in a session with Seamus Connolly.
Seamus is remembered as a teenage lad, sweeping all before him at those memorable Fleadhanna in the late fifties and early sixties. Now, ten years on, he is still a young man, but with a long – established reputation as one of our finest traditional fiddlers. With Paddy and Seamus on accordion and fiddle, backed by the fine musical instinct and scholarly discipline of Charlie Lennon, a great session of Irish music is assured.
The tunes are rare, and in most cases not previously recorded. In fact, the two slip jigs, “The Arra Mountains” and “Fr. Burke’s”, the reels, “Youghal Quay” and “The Rambling Sailor”, and the hornpipe “The Banks of the Shannon” were all composed by Paddy O’Brien himself. The hornpipe “The Munster Grass” is also a fairly recent composition, being from the Edward Reavy collection “Where the River Shannon Flows”. Rugadh agus tógadh an bheirt ar bhruachaibh Sionna. Pádraig sa Baile Nua i gCondae Tiobraid Árann, agus Séamus i gCill Dá Lua i gCondae and Chláir. Mar sin, nuair a bhíomar ag iarraidh teideal a cheapadh don gcéirnín seo, níor fhéadamar dul thar Bruach na Sionna, ainm an chornphíopa a chum Pádraig fhéin. Mo cheol sibh, a cheoltóirí.
Track Listing
Reissued 6-track ‘Banks’ belongs in every collection
Daniel Neely
There’s not much for me to say about this classic release that hasn’t been said already. The three play at a perfect pace, with impeccable expression and they do it with historically good musicianship. The selections are as tasteful as can be and if you’re a young musician today who, after a quick glance at the track listing, recognizes particular tune pairings from your local sessions, it’s because of this album. Despite its lack of length (its six tracks run a mere 16 minutes and 29), “The Banks” is the real deal and packs the mightiest of punches.
But the EP itself has a slightly vexed history. After its original 1973 release, Green Linnet gave it a 1993 reissue, two years after O’Brien’s passing. The CD’s 15 tracks included the original six from the 1973 Comhaltas issue, five solo tracks O’Brien made for Columbia Records before leaving for America in 1954 (two of which were edited to be shorter, and four of which Lennon was asked to add piano accompaniment to, a revisionist notion that is never a good idea no matter how well done), and four new Connolly tracks, three accompanied by Lennon and one purely solo.
The reissue was received warmly and gave the original album renewed accessibility. However, in listening to the current restoration it becomes apparent that the collateral material added in the early 1990s, although excellent, diminished somewhat the impact of “The Banks” for first-time listeners. There, the Original Six were not only presented out of sequence but interleaved with the additional tracks, leaving it harder to hear what made “The Banks” so powerful on its initial release. Further, presenting the 1973 tracks against modern recordings and remastered tracks originally issued on 78rpm resulted in a whole that was thin and somewhat uneven sounding.
This new six-track reissue, taken from the original analog tapes, changes the way we hear the album. This is a restoration, meaning that modern studio technique has been employed to attune the recording to contemporary ears. The result is an overall sound that is bold and full, with more low end and a bit better balance. The instrumental blend “pops” differently. Seasoned listeners will come away with a renewed appreciation for the album’s brilliance and a fresh sense of how powerful and really magical Connolly and O’Brien sounded together. Those hearing it for the first time will wonder if it was recently recorded.
If you’re a fan of traditional Irish music, this new reissue of “The Banks of the Shannon” is a must-have, simply put. The presentation is excellent, the sound is fabulous, and once again, the music is magnificent. It’s a legendary release that belongs in every collection.
Daniel Neely, Irish Echo
The Banks of the Shannon (Restored and Remastered)
€11
Description
Paddy O’Brien and Seamus Connolly, – These are names that are known wherever Irish music is loved. It is now a score or more years since a young man from Newtown established himself, firstly in Ireland and later across the Atlantic, as one of the really great masters of the accordion. Now, happily back home again, Paddy O’Brien is playing regularly and well, and he is at his brilliant best when he teams up in a session with Seamus Connolly.
Seamus is remembered as a teenage lad, sweeping all before him at those memorable Fleadhanna in the late fifties and early sixties. Now, ten years on, he is still a young man, but with a long – established reputation as one of our finest traditional fiddlers. With Paddy and Seamus on accordion and fiddle, backed by the fine musical instinct and scholarly discipline of Charlie Lennon, a great session of Irish music is assured.
The tunes are rare, and in most cases not previously recorded. In fact, the two slip jigs, “The Arra Mountains” and “Fr. Burke’s”, the reels, “Youghal Quay” and “The Rambling Sailor”, and the hornpipe “The Banks of the Shannon” were all composed by Paddy O’Brien himself. The hornpipe “The Munster Grass” is also a fairly recent composition, being from the Edward Reavy collection “Where the River Shannon Flows”. Rugadh agus tógadh an bheirt ar bhruachaibh Sionna. Pádraig sa Baile Nua i gCondae Tiobraid Árann, agus Séamus i gCill Dá Lua i gCondae and Chláir. Mar sin, nuair a bhíomar ag iarraidh teideal a cheapadh don gcéirnín seo, níor fhéadamar dul thar Bruach na Sionna, ainm an chornphíopa a chum Pádraig fhéin. Mo cheol sibh, a cheoltóirí.
