New Road

It's been 11 years since Barry released his first solo album and in that time the north Kerry piper has developed and honed his talents. New Road is therefore the culmination of over a decade of learning and promises much greatness to follow. Barry has garnered a formidable guestlist for his second album, including Cathy Jordan on bodhrán, Conor Byrne on flute, and Seamie O’Dowd on guitar, and the result is a fine example of the breadth of traditional uilleann pipes.

There are some very tasty versions of traditional tracks, including a wonderfully sprightly set of reels and a rich set of jigs beginning with Padraig O’Keeffe's ‘Apples in Winter’. ‘Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine’ features some moody banjo from John Carthy and the album concludes with a beautifully haunting and evocative slow air, ‘O’Rahilly's Grave’. Barry's rich musicianship is evident throughout and the choice of guests complements his playing well. New Road will surely delight any fan of the pipes and hopefully attract a few new ones too. A beautifully sincere, atmospheric and lovingly accomplished recording.