Oisín Mac Diarmada with Samantha Harvey. The Green Branch (An Géagán Glas).
2015. Ceol Productions.
I've been a huge fan of Irish fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada for years and I'm sure not the only one. His work with key Irish trad band Téada is well-known, not only for the power of his playing, but for the depth of his knowledge of the traditions. He's a technically flawless fiddler, capable of performing at the highest of speeds and soft and slow as a floating moth. This talent is on display on his new solo album, well actually duo album, The Green Branch. He's joined here by his wife, American pianist Samantha Harvey, now living in Sligo with Mac Diarmada. She's a deeply sensitive accompanist, lending him well balanced support at each turn. While many pianists in Irish and Celtic trad hew to the Cape Breton school of hard-pounding rhythms, Harvey is much more stately a pianist, preferring these gorgeous, floating chords that pillow under Mac Diarmada's melodies. The whole disc sounds effortless, and it sounds fresh and new as a bright summer morning. Hats off to this one!
Pick up Oisín's new album on AMAZON