Traditional

The latest releases reviewed.

THE TULLA CÉILÍ BAND 60th Anniversary Celebration Claddagh ****

Six decades and more than 50 musicians who count The Tulla Céilí Band as their alma mater: anyone would think there was money to be made in céilí music. This compilation distils the essence of céilí music's finest exponents. For years, P Joe Hayes, father of Martin, was the Tulla's driving force, and his presence is woven throughout this collection, even though this recording was made some five years after his passing. The crystalline flute lines of JJ Conway, Jennifer Lenihan and Martin Glynn ignite The Blackberry Blossom set, and Jim Corry's piano is a vigorous driving force on everything from the Lough Gowna jig set to Chief O'Neill's Hornpipe, where the paired fiddles of Martin Hayes and Mark Donnellan shimmy and slide magnificently. A magnificent snapshot in time. www.claddaghrecords.com SIOBHÁN LONG