Product Description

Colcannon is proud to announce the release of 'Three Days in May' , the band's eighth CD recording since 1991's Some Foreign Land . Like past recordings, the CD is a mixture of traditional Irish music, original compositions by band members, some excursions into more whimsical territory and a little humor. The album opens with a medley of tunes by fiddler Jean Bolger: some of the output of her year-long project to write a tune a day. This is followed by a song from Scotland and some jigs and reels. While this time there is no song completely in Irish Gaelic, 'The Bunnn Bu' -- one of the warhorses of the Irish tradition -- makes an appearance in English translation. There is a brace of original tunes from band members Mike Fitzmaurice and Brian Mullins, and a couple of tunes from flautist Rod Garnett. One of these, 'Koprivshtitsa' -- a piece inspired by his sojurns in Bulgaria -- has proven to be one of Colcannon's most requested performances ever. Other tunes include a planxty -- a tune in honor of a patron or personage -- which Jean wrote especially for a reception honoring Mary MacAleese, the President of Ireland in 2006. And there s a setting by bassist Mike Fitzmaurice of the Alan Seeger poem, 'I Have a Rendezvous with Death' -- a setting that has received the blessing of Pete Seeger, the poet's nephew. Colcannon strives to put the music first and to avoid the gimmick as assiduously as the clich. So, while the album has many subtle touches -- some strings here, a bass harmonica there -- what remains is essential Colcannon: tight playing, full of rich interplay and warmth.