Customer Reviews

Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul

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I'm a Celtic music fan-- I run the Celtic Music Society of Montgomery, and I brought my group from Montgomery to Birmingham to see Eileen play this concert. I admit I hadn't done my homework and assumed "Immigrant Soul" would be about the Irish-immigration experience. And don't get me wrong: that experience is referred to and explored in this album, particularly with the spoken lament, "Parting of Friends," about the bittersweet parties held before an Irishman would sail away-- most likely forever. These were known as an American Wake. In concert, the piper Ivan Goff recites this, in a spotlight-- in the grand irish tradition of mixing song and recitation.

"fusion" is a word usually applied to cuisine-- Asian-French, Latin-Indian. And just as those dishes can amaze the palate with the shock of something both new and "just right," this album is surprisingly pleasing, refreshing and satisfying.

"Surprising" because Eileen Ivers has a fan base of traditional music-- Celtic music-- fans. But "tradition" has not meant ossified for quite a long time-- maybe not since Andy Irvine picked up a bouzouki and added Greek instrumentation to the Irish supergroup Planxty (Irvine has since gone on to explore Eastern European rhythms).

But the Caribbean and Latin rhythms are the surprising flavor in this fabulous concoction. It's a real fusion, not just a spice laid on top-- but the Irish ingredients are never missing, as such knockouts as "Paddy in Zululand" and the lilting "Go Lassie Go" (otherwise known as "Wild Mountain Thyme") make clear. American-born Ivers explains in concert that she had to give herself permission to embrace the variety of musical influences around her-- something native-born Irish musicians did with ease (Ivers naturally was more self-conscious).

Singer Tommy McDonnell, who appeared in the Blues Brothers 2000, adds an R&B flavor to the tunes, and his energy is irresistible (I admit I may be biased since he sat at our booth after-hours at the pub in Birmingham). But the Appalachian, old-timey "Darlin' Corey" has never sounded so lively before!

The most unforgettable tune for me is "Reconciliation," a metaphor for peace in Northern Ireland, backed up by a children's choir of unified young Catholics and Protestants in the wake of the bombing of their town. In concert, McDonnell and Ivers get the whole audience to sing, and to hear these sweet voices singing "toora loora lay" with all the yearning and hope behind it is worth the price of the album alone.

Ivers' fiddling of course is at the top of her game; very few can compare with her for flair, expression and speed.

No, you might not want a steady diet of "fusion" food, but it opens up possibilities and flavors you might never have been able to conceive of. Had I realized Ivers experimented with so much African, Caribbean and Latin styles I probably would have been less willing to drive 90 miles to see her-- I think of myself as primarily a Celtic music fan (Ok, occasional Gypsy Kings, but...). But I'm so glad I went!

Celtic music lovers should give this a try-- as should anyone who likes their music played with virtuosic skill and contagious joy! I surprise myself by how often I want to hear it on my ipod. Not to be missed!

This CD is all over the place, but so is Ivers. Her eclectic tastes and her Irish roots have sent her out as a one woman Celtic Diaspora. I'd say this CD reflects New York more than anything else. Spanish Harlem, African immigrants and the hustle and bustle of the pace of NY infuse this record with loads of energy. The focus is as ADD as NYers are anyway, so to me it seems telling of its origins.
None the less, Ivers has the goods. She's mucked it up plenty with punk, tradition and the Vegas-y Riverdance, and still one is awed by her chops. This woman can cook with all the burners up. Riverdance was less what it was about in Ireland than a showcase for the formiddable dynamics of Eileen Ivers once it hit Radio City. Flatley was and has been clearly at a loss in looking to duplicate Ivers' relentless pursuit of reel magic with any sort of fiddlechic who kept her clothes on.
So in this endeavour, you have a clearly irrepresible Ivers gettin jiggy with a mix of NY, Irish and Spanish and African musicians. Like all of her work, it is absolutely great craic. The oddest thing about this, and I'm still not sure how I really feel about it, is that the lead singer sounds like Tom Jones. A lot. It's not unusual maybe for Ivers to pull this one off, and it rarely teeters into the smarmy tidepool Jones loved to wallow in, but it still comes off as odd and jarring.
I'm not sure I could tell you where Ivers is going with this. It isn't Afro-Celt. And perhaps that's how she likes it. Anyway, it is a great hoot to listen to.

I got a chance to see Eileen Ivers live and couldn't get her out of my head, so ordered this the very next day! What a wonderful cd!! Its celtic, its funky, its fun, it is a good good time!! Buy it, you'll love it.

I thought it would be more trad fiddle. But, it's a fun CD to listen to!

Excellent and she's even better in concert! Best concert I've ever been to. How she manages to play the fiddle while dancing is beyond me. AND her band is from all over the world and just as talented!

It is relatively safe to say that Eileen Ivers is best fiddler and virtuoso out performing and recording today. Her style crosses new boundaries as is clearly apparent on Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul, while still maintaining the distinct sound and energy woven into her works. Pure technical skill and places her on the same level of ability as the great classical musicians of our time, but perhaps more unique to her particular style is the passion and energy put forth. Ivers is a very outgoing and personable musician whose own personal energy can be molded into fast-paced reels or slower jigs.
This CD encompasses all of this same feeling with a few new twists. Tommy McDonnell who sang with the Blues Brothers, contributes powerful vocals on some of the tracks along with his harmonica. These songs are many times greater live, so though some songs may not pack as much punch as is expected, it is worth it to buy the CD to learn the lyrics and sing with them at a performance. Ivers imports many more styles and sounds to compliment the Celtic foundation, including Hispanic beats, African sounds, and vocals including a choir. Those looking for her purely violin focused works may be slightly disappointed, but there are several virtuoso tracks along with a very touching poem about the American Wake, which in itself is worth the cost. Those who do not know much about Eileen Ivers, I suggest purchasing her earlier works to greater appreciate and understand the wide spectrum of her talent and enchanting passion, though this isn't a bad first CD either.

Ok I've heard a lot of violinists and Celtic music (especially Afro-Celt:), but Eileen Ivers blows me away. For a visual and semi product description, I'll say what happened when I saw/met her. She came to a place in Maine and played. She has an electric violin and it's bright blue, along with 2 or 3 others that look regular, and on several songs that she played (which were taken from this CD) she completely opened up on her solos. She started playing slowly, while distorting the sound via a foot pedal on the ground to give it a neat effect, then increased and increased tempo until she was playing so fast the the crowd was going wild because it was completely amazing..I couldn't even follow her bow it was moving so fast. She has several songs on the CD like this, but I thought I should give you a visual to enjoy the CD. If you like insane solos, violinists, and/or Celtic music, you definitely need to buy the CD. I garuntee you'll be shocked by how good she is.

I was taken to see Eileen Ivers last winter and had no idea what to expect. Words cannot describe the energy of the concert nor Ivers immense talent. I bought the CD and hav not stopped listening to it yet. Don't even hesitate, it is an incrediable blending of Irish tunes with Puerto Rican beats.

Eileen Ivers is the best violinist I have ever heard in my life, and she is incredibly innovative, but what was she thinking when she got this singer guy? He is frickin' horrible!!! He needs to shut the hell up and just let her do what she does best. Check out crossing the bridge....It's a phenominal record with no annoying vocals.

The concept of melding Celtic music traditions with African, American, and Latin conventions sounds better than it actually, well, sounds when you hear it. Eileen Ivers and the array of diverse musicians who created Immigrant Soul are undeniably talented and exuberant. But nearly every cliché is invoked in this too slickly produced CD. The irony is that there is no soul left.

Consequently, this whole-hearted approach to fusion does not hold up to repeated listenings. Some tracks such as Darlin' Corey and Paddy in Zululand work because they catch you off guard. So do most, but not all, of the instrumentals.

Lowlights include the confusing mix Mundo Pequen~o / Small World, which has the same effect on me as someone dragging his or her nails across a chalkboard. Others, such as the dreary Reconciliation, drag on too long. The "yo-yo-yo" intro to BX Style foreshadows the problems that manifest in this track.

I can only take small doses and drams of this collection in one listening---anymore than that leaves me with a headache.