Last Night's Joy

Renowned for his lightness of touch and sweetness of sound, Co Louth fiddler Gerry O'Connor has been a major presence in Ireland's traditional music scene since the 80s, influential both in his style and through his teaching. His first solo album since 2004's Journeyman is a pleasure from start to finish and offers new delights on each hearing.

The fluency and sheer joy in O'Connor's playing is evident right from the off on a set of reels (‘Last Night's Joy’), which is kick-started by ‘Andie Phaddie's’ but then carries its sway through an assortment of double and single jigs, a perky polka, and a trio of sprightly slip jigs in a fiddle partnership with his son Dónal.

The influence of the late Seán McGuire can be heard on ‘The Hawk & The Hare’ on which Gerry is joined by his former Skylark bandmate, accordionist Máirtín O'Connor, and the O'Connor quotient increases when his actual namesake, Gerry the banjo-player from Tipperary, duets on a couple of polkas given the collective title of ‘Stereo Connor’. All O'Connors unite on the closing set of tunes ‘O'Connor4’.

The standard of accompaniment is high throughout, courtesy of an assortment of guitarists, Neil Martin on cello, bodhrán player Dermot Moynagh, and Dónal, who should be also congratulated for the quality of his production. Gerry the fiddler is still a master of his craft.