In Flow

Irish concertina master Jack Talty here presents his first solo album, a well-considered collection of tunes. Jigs, reels, hornpipes and a beautiful slow air are executed tastefully here using the bare essentials of concertina with either guitar or bouzouki accompaniment. This pared-down approach lends the recording a character that is increasingly rare these days: that of an honest and unabashed compendium of traditional repertoire, delivered without excessive modernisations. Some of the tunes featured are Talty originals; others are relatively recent compositions by other maestros such as accordionist Paddy O'Brien. Many belong to the seemingly infinite canon of Irish tunes, their origins lost in the mists of time, despite Talty often recording in the liner notes the chain of transmission by which he learned them.
The serendipitous key and bellow noises may remind us that we are listening to a concertina but Talty's playing, tastefully accompanied by John Blake and Ruairí McGorman, is dynamic, decorative and elegantly expressive. He punctuates each note with a confidence that comes only from musicians steeped in the enactment of their musical heritage.