Customer Reviews

Kinnitty Sessions

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

 

 

What can I say, Lunasa never ceases to impress. The musicianship and song compilation on this album are true Lunasa caliber. However, If you've yet to hear Lunasa, I think its best to start with Merry Sisters or Otherworld. Of all of Irish Trad, Lunsasa is consistently the very best in my opinion. Some cuts falter here and there, but I have never encountered a more skillful and talented band. That said, I do have three minor complaints for Knitty: 1) I can't say I love "Wounded Hussar." Pipe solo's are fun, but it's too much for a whole song. 2) Knitty, as a whole, lacks some of the creative meanders and flair of the earlier albums. This is surprising, as it is a live record. 3) Lastly, and this is pretty small, I wished they had mastered the tracks a bit better. The stereo separation isn't nearly as artistic as the other albums. This can be attributed to the live nature, however. So, all in all, another gifted release. If you don't have Knitty, but have the other CD's, buy this one. If you don't have any Lunsasa, start on another one (but you really can't go wrong).

Having compared this new release from Lunasa to their debut self-titled album and their "Otherworld", I find the group continuing to deliver high quality traditional Irish folk music with zest, panache and a touch of eccentricity in the arrangements. My personal preference is still for the first album, airy and fresh, featuring the amazing Mike McGoldrick on flute and John McSherry on uilleann pipes. On this new album, their fifth, the auto-pilot appears to be creeping in, but it hardly detracts from the wondrous tighter than tight playing, the vigorously buoyant rhythms and the light and tuneful melodies that propel the album forward with gusto.

Kevin Crawford took over from Mike McGoldrick a long time ago and his very fine musicianship is again on display here. Uilleann pipes are played by Cillian Vallely, a deft and deeply sensitive player if there ever was one, as evidenced by his solo "The Wounded Hussar". Fiddler Sean Smyth is as sprightly as ever and solid support as always comes from guitarist Donagh Hennessy (x-Sharon Shannon Band) who provides the underlying drive and bassist Trevor Hutchinson (x-Sharon Shannon Band, x-Waterboys) who adds an exquisite finishing touch.

This recording was made in Kinnitty Castle in County Offaly, Ireland live in front of a small audience, a quiet one at that. All applause has been removed, but the performances are as you would hear them on stage, although the live feel of a concert can never be fully realised in a recording. And they are fantastic on stage!

The excitement though is certainly tangible and the virtuosity a joy to behold, witness for example Kevin's classy whistling on "Island Paddy" against an unusually funky guitar backdrop. The dance medleys are sometimes unusually mixed - "The Stolen Purse" for example jumps abruptly from jig to reel in midstream, while "Sean in the Fog" changes from air to jig. Tempos also vary enough from track to track so there's good variety in the pacing and intensity. The tunes are mostly traditional, the rest being either original or from the pens of Charlie Lennon, Kevin Burke and J.M. Rankin among others.

Overall, perhaps not a stand-out album in a high-class discography, but certainly another immaculate and hugely enjoyable one.

I don't want anyone to be discouraged by my 4/5 star rating. Under normal circumstances, this would be a five-star review with the fullest enthusiasm. Lunasa has one of the most unique and impressive sounds in Celtic music, and this album is just a continuation of that great tradition. I am continually amazed by their music, as everyone should be.

The reason "The Kinnitty Sessions" gets only four stars from me is simply that I was so excited by the claim on the back cover that the album was "recorded before an audience of invited guests inside the supposedly haunted walls of Ireland's Kinnitty Castle" and displays the "the storming intensity of a concert environment," only to discover no audience noise whatsoever. I mean, I was waiting for 40 minutes to hear even some polite applause, yet got nothing. The sound also seems a bit to perfect to be recorded in anything but a nicely prepared accoustic environment, much less a castle. Not that I'm accusing Lunasa of false advertising, but if you're going to claim a concert setting, let it SOUND like a concert, imperfections and all.

Go buy this album, regardless. I just didn't want anyone to be disappointed like I was!

Fans of Lunasa who didn't care for the soft sounds of Redwood will be very happy with Kinnitty. It is a return to the driving rhythms and live-concert excitement heard on their first three albums, and is sure to enhance Lunasa's reputation as one of the top bands in Irish music. I'm not certain yet that it is their best, but it is absolutely on par with Lunasa, Otherworld, and Merry Sisters. Anyone who enjoys Lunasa or any contemporary Irish music is going to love this album.

Yet another fine set of inventive Irish instrumentals by this amazingly skilled ensemble. Jigs and reels shorn of the stylistic severity that most Celtic players have held as a mark of authenticity, yet also thankfully free of goopy modern production. No synthesizers or misplaced electric instruments, just solid musicianship and a very listenable selection. This is a wickedly dazzling live performance, recorded without overdubs or interruption in the halls of Kinnitty Castle, County Offally, Ireland. Not only does the old place have great acoustics -- these fellas have got major chops. Any Lunasa album you pick up will serve as a fine introduction to this band, but this one sure is a doozy!

I have all of Lunasa's CDs, and they are all very good, but in my opinion this is their best recording yet. Others may disagree, but there seems to be an energy in their playing here that I thought was a bit lacking in their previous 2 albums, good though they were. Maybe the live nature of this recording accounts for that. The only track that I am not so keen on is 'The Wounded Hussar', but that is just a personal preference - I'm not a great fan of pipe solos. The only criticism I have of this album is that it is too short!

With all due respect to the fine musicians of the current incarnation of Lunasa, the original group and the first two albums are simply a hard act to follow in terms of sheer energy and creative arrangements. The Kinnity Sessions stand out as good, tradional Irish Music. However, I have to take exception to a featured reviewer saying they have conquered the Celtic Music genre. Most Irish would pause on the word "conquer" and give you a typical "Pog mo thoin!" (don't ask me what they want you to kiss). Lunasa has good Irish reviews that should be used with credibility for the purpose here. There are many different styles and tastes in Irish Traditional Music and they are all legitimate. If anyone wants to hear the best Lunasa by my standard (rhythm driven creative arrangements), it isn't this album, despite the fact that this is a good CD with some excellent tracks (especially tracks 2, 10 and 11). Try "Lunasa" and "Otherworld" for comparison.

I loved the first four Lunasa CDs, but I just can't stop listening to this one. It is even more innovative, more exciting, more compelling, more infectious. Five world-class musicians playing as though they were one. I recently saw Lunasa in Chicago, and the CD definitely captures the excitement of Lunasa live. Buy this CD! You won't regret it!