Customer Reviews

Double Play

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the most amazing fiddle music I have ever heard! I bought "In Play" a week ago and loved it. I hoped this album would be as good, and to my surprise it was even better. Most of the tracks are very fast and very technical. This isn't music to relax to. It keeps you engaged. I think the best way to describe it is that Liz Carroll really "rocks out" on the fiddle.

Brilliant playing, inventive settings, gorgeous tunes (original and traditional) and songs. What more can you ask?

Liz Carroll & John Doyle do wonderful things on this CD. Terrifically listenable, engaging, simple and beautiful. They are amazing musicians and if you're into Celtic music this is a must-have.

This album is just ridiculous. Here is some of the finest playing you will ever be privileged to hear. It just never lets up. We all know how sometimes celtic music can get a bit monotonous. Not this one. Here, every note is interesting and played with powerful emotion. I think that's the thing that stands out most for me with this album - nothing seems mechanical. As technically impressive as these players are, they manage to keep the soul of the music alive. Please, if you have clicked on this CD then you're thinking about buying it....DO. Now. Right now. What are you still reading this review for? Click "Buy Now."

Passion combined with excellent musicianship, plus a variety of great melodies and rythmns, result in a CD that more than lives up to the high level of musical output you'd expect from these two accomplished players and the musicians assisting them. Tight arangements and subtle track selection make this CD flow exceptionally well. You won't be disappointed. A great listen.

It dosen't get better than this. Liz and John are very special people and artists, and this is reflected in their music. This ,along with their other cd's will go down in history. Lou from Burning Bridget Cleary.

Fiddler Liz Carroll and guitarist John Doyle have been playing together for a long time, including appearances in the Irish-American group Green Fields of America. They played together for President Obama on St Patrick's Day 2009.

I haven't heard their "In Play" of 2005, but I'm very familiar with their solo and group recordings. Here they strut their stuff alongside percussionist Kenny Malone and organist John R. Burr, in an exhilarating display of Irish traditional and original songs and instrumentals. The sound is remarkably full despite the few instruments, and Doyle's fine voice is in good form.

The instrumentals range from fiery sets like Carroll's The Chandelier/Anne Lacey's to more lilting numbers like the traditional Castle Kelly/Galway Rambler to slow laments like Carroll's Lament for Tommy Makem. The songs include a sweet ballad Down At The Wakehouse and a song of oppression and injustice A Pound A Week Rise.

Carroll's solo "Lake Effect" of 2002 was a disappointment from a melodic invention perspective, and although some original compositions here may also sound a little contrived or less gripping than traditional ones, there is still a variety of fine melodies overall. Importantly, they are lifted by infectious camaraderie, sheer professionalism, good fun and true Irish spirit. An enjoyable experience.

Irish-American fiddler Liz Carroll (of Cherish The Ladies) and singer-guitarist John Doyle (formerly of the band Solas) are two of the finest instrumentalists in the Celtic-trad scene today. They've worked together a lot over the years, and this is their second album of duets, another stunning set that should make a lot of folks sit up and take notice. Something special is going on here. The opening track -- "The Chandelier/Anne Lacey's" -- will absolutely blow your mind: the nimble, restlessly inventive guitar picking and fiddling are stunning in their speed and innovation, and for the fervent, musicianly joy which radiates out for listeners to hear. Carroll and Doyle aren't mere technicians, they are collaborators and celebrants, riding a wave of excitement and discovery that few artists get the chance to achieve. This record is easily one of the best Celtic-trad releases of the decade, and sets the bar for any albums that follow in its wake. Most of the tracks are instrumentals, although Doyle sings several songs, which is also a delight. I know I'm gushing, but -- wow! -- this record really pays off. Check it out! (DJ Joe Sixpack, Slipcue World Music Guide)

This CD is great. There's a nice mix of mostly instrumental, some vocals, a few slow songs, and a lot of energetic ones. Really good music for this genre.