Album review: Paul O’Shaughnessy – The Friendly Visit/An Céilí

There's a sublime vulnerability to the Donegal fiddle style that Paul O'Shaughnessy embodies on this long overdue recording. Three generations of O'Shaughnessys feature here, with Paul's mother, Pearl (drawing deep from the well of her Donegal roots) and his daughter, Kate accompanying him on a rich selection of tunes, the three fiddles weaving in and around one another with enviable intuition. Paul contributes two of his own reels, including the opener, Ryan's Rant, a witty and buoyant musical response to the perils and delights of air travel. Wisely, he has included tunes that feature his own flute playing overlaid on his fiddle: a sweet tincture of the fluent and unforced duality of his musicianship. The influence of Donegal's Con Cassidy is palpable, but O'Shaughnessy includes a closing trio of reels from Sliabh Luachra's Paddy Cronin too, such is the breadth of his sweep. claddaghrecords.ie