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Gerry
O'Connor
Journeyman
Reviews...
'a sublime album of fiddle tunes' - The Irish Times
'His music speaks a language as accustomed to reaching
back as it is to looking forward, fingering its history
with the same loving care that it does the present.'
- The Ticket
'an excellent set of tunes' - Sunday Herald
'he puts his considerable talents entirely at the service
of the tune, letting the melody suggest the pace and
ornamentation.' - Hotpress
the best Irish album of 2004 - irishmusicreview.com
'dazzling medley of reels, jigs, highlands and airs'
- Belfast Telegraph
"Sparkling"
" Immaculate" and with "Dazzling Ability"
were words used recently by the national Press to describe
the music of Gerry O'Connor, one of Ireland's most outstanding
fiddle players. His family has played fiddle for at
least four generations and Gerry is able to draw on
this wealth of music learned from his mother Rose O'Connor
and also from hand-written manuscripts passed down through
the family.
Later he came under the influence of Joe Gardiner the
great Sligo fiddle player, who lived in Dundalk for
many years. Gerry breathes new life and intensity into
many long forgotten tunes from his home area in the
North East of Ireland. His unique personal style and
splendidly fluid bow-hand combined with technical virtuosity
have brought him to concert stages throughout the world
and have earned him international renown. He is a founding
member of the band Skylark and recorded four albums
with this highly respected band that had toured Europe
for 10 years. The Brighid's Kiss album of his own band
La Lúgh was voted album of the year 1996.
October 2004 sees the release of his new album entitled
'Journeyman' which traces Gerry's musical development
and experiences as a skilled performer in the traditional
art of fiddle playing. Each of the twelve carefully
crafted tracks celebrate the rich musical heritage of
the great master musicians of the last century.
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