Come To Dance: A Celtic Tradition

Amazon.com
A U.S.-dwelling Brit of Irish descent, John Whelan is one of Celtic music's premier performers. He elevates the genre with a sensitivity to melody uninhibited by overpreciousness. The self-taught, nimble-fingered accordion player and tunesmith engages his audience with warmth, clarity, and a joyful liveliness too seldom encountered. Come to Dance, recorded live with no overdubs in his hometown church, marries Whelan's delightfully airy squeezebox meanderings to his band's equally skilled guitar, mandolin, bass, and fiddle, underscored by whistle and Cillian Vallely's pipes as featured on track 14's medley--a moment of rare and genuine beauty. Captured herein is the generosity of spirit and playful electricity of soulful worship, community gathering, and celebration of the creative life force. Traditionals, including the first song Whelan ever learned ("Father Flynn") and the tune he played for his first All-Ireland Championship ("The Concert Reel"), are interspersed with captivating originals that showcase not only Whelan but the band as elements of a contiguous whole. --Paige La Grone

Come To Dance: A Celtic Tradition,John Whelan,Narada,Celtic,Celtic/Irish,Int'l & World Music,Irish Folk,Pop,World Music

Average customer rating: The closest thing to a great, live performance. Whelan the great! A Return Home Good Celtic dance music Absolutely Brilliant !!!!!!

Come To Dance: A Celtic Tradition John Whelan Manufacturer: Narada ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Irish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Celtic | International | Styles | Music Similar Items: Celtic Fire Celtic Roots Celtic Crossroads Flirting with the Edge Dance of the Celts ASIN: B00000I417 Release Date: 1999-02-23

Tracks:

1. Jackie Coleman's/Bag Of Spuds/Bird In The Bush
2. The Broadstone Inn/Big Snugs/Beth Patterson's
3. The Turning Of The Season
4. The Crooked Road To Dublin/Dinkey Dorina/Gan Aimn (Traditional, Title Unknown)/The Copperplatet
5. Frances O'Neill's/Fesse And Franchesca's Miracle/Stop The Car
6. Tracks In The Snow/The Nightlight
7. Fermoy Lasses/The Old High Reel
8. Queen Esther's/What Daddy? April's Polka
9. Simone
10. Crossing The Shannon/Man Of The House/The Five Mile Chase
11. Mary O'Neill's Bank Of Ireland/Ballinamore
12. Bob's Garden Of Earthly Delights/Broderick's
13. Concert Reel/Flogging Reel
14. Dowd's Favourite/O'Gorman's Salute/My Cup Of Coffee
15. Ten Penney Bit/Trip To Athlone/Callaghe's Frolics
16. Newtown Bridge/The Kerryman
17. Father O'Flynn/Father Tom's Wager/Lilting Fisherman
18. Spellan The Fiddler/Gan Aimn/Deacon Hary Doyle

Amazon.com

A U.S.-dwelling Brit of Irish descent, John Whelan is one of Celtic music's premier performers. He elevates the genre with a sensitivity to melody uninhibited by overpreciousness. The self-taught, nimble-fingered accordion player and tunesmith engages his audience with warmth, clarity, and a joyful liveliness too seldom encountered. Come to Dance, recorded live with no overdubs in his hometown church, marries Whelan's delightfully airy squeezebox meanderings to his band's equally skilled guitar, mandolin, bass, and fiddle, underscored by whistle and Cillian Vallely's pipes as featured on track 14's medley--a moment of rare and genuine beauty. Captured herein is the generosity of spirit and playful electricity of soulful worship, community gathering, and celebration of the creative life force. Traditionals, including the first song Whelan ever learned ("Father Flynn") and the tune he played for his first All-Ireland Championship ("The Concert Reel"), are interspersed with captivating originals that showcase not only Whelan but the band as elements of a contiguous whole. --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews:

The closest thing to a great, live performance........2003-03-06

John Whelan is a seven time all-Ireland Champion on the button accordian. He has been playing since childhood, and is now at the point of fluid playing that he can go off stage into the audience and play without missing a beat. His warm hearted playing goes with his warm hearted presence on stage with his audience. Think of your favorite pub with someone playing like this non stop for extended periods with total focus and instinct for the music and fellow musicians in the band. It could be a one track album as John goes into the "happy pub zone." Please listen for the doubles and triplets that are the benchmark for Irish playing. Listen for the counterpoint Bouzouki (deep voiced Octave Mandolin) and guitar. Listen for his long time music companion, Eileen Ivers and exceptional fiddle shared lead and counterpoint. If you think it is easy, it is because John makes it look and sound that way after so many years of playing. Recording an album in such a short period of time without the usual retakes indicates an artist at the top of his form. The music is spiced generously for a few tracks by the master (Ullienne) piper, Cillian Vallely. What endears me to listen to John's music so often is an all acoustic instrument approach. No electrical appliances. It is one of the few CD's I listen to and play through all of the tracks with no exceptions. I add Bodhran and bones to the music, which is fun. However, at the top of my wish list is John teaming up with Johnny McDonnaugh or Tommy Hayes on Bodhran and bones.

Whelan the great!.......2002-02-18

This album is as beautiful as his other albums. Something to take w/you on a long or short drive. The albums contains a number of great Celtics selections which all in all show Whelan's love for the music. This CD should be followed by any of his other collections. My compulsion to buy them is equal to the greatness they contain. If your not a fan you will be.

A Return Home.......2000-01-07

This CD is lovely. Now that John's gone round the world building musical bridges, this is a welcome return to his traditional roots.

My particular favorite would probably be the flying set of reels on track 4 - with, I might add, a deft key switch smack in the middle of the third reel in the set, which would call for a good 'whoop' from a seisiún hopping girl like myself. Well done, John. :)

Oh, by the way, you can also make plans for kicking up some dust with The Fermoy Lasses and The Old High Reel on 7.

And there's a grace about the album as a whole, too. Mr. Whelan doesn't insist upon keeping the spotlight to himself when he's quite obviously joined by some fine players. I got to witness this personally in September 1999 in Bethlehem, PA when he cut loose the All Ireland fiddling champion on us. :) He's perfectly content to sit back and let others play, which is as it should be. Lovely guitar work on track 5, and some fine mandolin on 6, and citern (something you don't hear every day) on track 16. Never mind the show stopping piping and fiddling on 14.

And there's a great instrumentation savvy as well. It's nearly Bothy Band-ish in orchestral quality. (mind you, coming from me, that's a compliment and a half) Catch some of that on tracks 11 and 12. There's a lovely sonic raport between the acordion and low whistle that I've always loved, and that's brilliantly displayed on tracks 8 and 9.

So leave Danny Boy to the reviewer at the bottom of this page. If it's truly fine traditional playing you're after, then just buy the album. I promise, it'll have you "dancing to a lot of time." :)

Good Celtic dance music.......1999-10-05

The music here would be best done in front of a live audience, but thie is good Celtic dance music. It lacks the pinache of Silly Wizard, but you still et a good feel for the "stutter step" style of playing on the fiddle.

Absolutely Brilliant !!!!!!.......1999-04-07

John really put the hammer down and put out a fantastic traditional CD! I haven't had it out of my player since I got it! A Cd that is a must for the serious collector of traditional irish accordion music !!

Rock Music:

1. Con Mas Power
2. Desde Mi Ventana [Import]
3. Dhola Maru
4. Die Goldenen Super 20 (Deutche Collection) [Import]
5. Domani Smetto [Import]
6. Don't Torment Me Dear
7. En Espanol
8. Figli Del Sogno: Live [Import]
9. Ghetto Ambianceur [Import]
10. He's in Trance Now

Rock Music

rock music

Recommended Music:

Racially Yours

Leifur Þörarinsson: Orchestral Music

Lorin Maazel: The Maestro

Whisper Not (Live in Paris 1999) [Live]

Nuyorican Soul Remixes [Extra tracks] [Import]

Mark Sullivan

Max Live in Canada [Live] [Import]

More Than You Think You Are

Milk It

Mardi Gras [Import] [Limited Edition]

Members Edition

Japanese Music V.2 Biwa [Import]

Master of the Moaning Beats

Northern Soul's Classiest Rarities

Orleans Inspiration