Customer Reviews

Leahy

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was a little scared when I found this CD in the New Age section, because I didn't want to hear Yanni or John Tesh, but my fears quickly disappeared upon listening to the recording. Covering a wide scope of cultures, from Cape Breton to Ireland, France to Hungary, and finally to the good old US of A, this family of spectacular musicians does it all. Although the well versed Celtic fiddle fanatic will recognize some of the jigs in "Cape Breton Medley", "A Call to Dance", and "Colm Quigley", the energy with which Donnell Leahy plays the fiddle makes listening well worth the while. The die hard dance fan might be a little disappointed with the almost romantic-like introductions to such songs as "Czardas", but the pace quickly increases, almost always ending with a fiddle fury. Also note and admire the ability of Donnell to switch from classical-like playing loaded with vibrato, to good old fashion Celtic fiddling. I only wish the CD was longer than 45 minutes, but still a definite must have.

Leahy is a band made up an entire family from Lakefield, Ontario. They play some wonderful celtic music, with a fiddle that never stops and a beat that will forever have your toe tapping. Donnell, the main fiddler (though there are more than just him), has a wonderful talent that makes this CD quite an experience to listen to.I reviewed their second album, Lakefield, and my main problem was the singing. This, their first album, has no vocals whatsoever, and it's all the better for it. There's a great mix of tunes, everywhere from authentic Irish reels to regular celtic songs to an Alabama medley to a Hungarian song (Czardas) that sounds to me like something out of the Godfather. All of the songs are great; I can't think of one song on this CD that I wouldn't choose to play over and over again when I'm in a celtic mood.The best song on the CD, however, has to be "The Call to Dance." As it says in the liner notes, "Stepdancing is usually performed *to* music. We like to think of it *as* music." And they come through marvelously on this one, with the stepdancing being the perfect complement to the fiddle and other instruments. They do a wonderful job on the reels as well, making you want to get up and dance with them. I'd love to see a show with them live. I'm sure they have people dancing in the aisles.If you like fiddle music at all, even if you're not really a celtic fan, you have to have this CD. What a great debut.

Imagine the fastest fiddling you can. Now kick it up a notch and you might have an idea of the Leahy's lead fiddler Donnel. But every member of the family can out-fiddle just about anyone. They grew up in Canada in a house with a couple of fiddles and a piano. Now they are all experts.

Add to their musical talents the raw power of classic Celtic music and you have a group that will pump you full of their music and get you moving no matter how hard you try to stand still.

Leahy hit the big time after appearing at the First Annual Chicago Celtic Fest. Shortly after they were opening for Shania Twain. This CD represents the music that shot them to the top.

Some of these songs are haunting, some are bursting with unbridled energy but all of them will go right to your inner core. One of the best CDs I own.

Everybody that I play this album for absolutely loves it. I have been giving copies as gifts whenever I have an opportunity. I bought a copy for a four year old class at my son's day care, and the teacher told me that it gets the whole class dancing. Someday, I would like to see Donnel Leahy and Ashley MacIsaac on the same stage - a fiddling fire hazard show!

This CD is a good mood in a box. If energetic, wild fiddle music is your cup of tea, you can't go wrong with Leahy.

I love this CD but it does not begin to do justice to Leahy as a live act. This superbly talented family of nine put on a show that has both 8 and 80 yr olds dancing in the aisles. I saw them in New Brunswick this past week and they were fabulous! See them when you are able, but at the absolute least pick up this CD and enjoy the play.

The songs are both energetic and contemplative. I guess a good descriptive would be Celtic Country. Leahy combines traditional Celtic music and contemporary rhythms, melding them into a wholly new melodic force. Family members play multiple instruments with ease so knowing who is doing what will have to be determined by looking at the credits.

I believe a second CD is soon forthcoming and by their live show the new songs will be at the very least as enjoyable as the ones found on this CD.

Leahy truly has an amazing sense of rhythym and dynamics. This is one of my favorite albums. Certainly I have never thought of piano as a 'traditional' Celtic instrument, but one must admit it adds flavor, especially in the mysteriously beautiful overtones of "The Call to Dance". The lead fiddler holds incredible talent. I think that if you buy this CD, it is worth your money. The music of Leahy is some of the most explosive and powerful I have ever heard.

I saw Leahy in concert at Milwaukee's Irish Cultural Center. The experience is beyond words. We were clapping, yelling, and dancing in our seats! That prompted me to buy their first album and I was not disappointed. The musicianship is terrific and the selection unbeatable. I've listened to it many, many times and it never grows old. Thanks Leahy!

I had the pleasure of seeing the Leahy family perform at the 1997 Celtic Fest in Chicago. The reaction of the crowd to this energetic family was tremendous. From Donel Leahy's dynamic fiddling, to his sister's exciting Irish step dancing, the whole performance was one of electricity, and unbridled talent. When they finished their session by all stepping to the front of the stage and dancing together, the beat of their feet was hypnotic. The audience was stunned by the spectacle, and jumped to their feet to demand encore after encore.

But be warned: If you purchase the Leahy CD, you will listen to it morning, noon, and night. It is a wonderful sampling of this truly talented and engaging family.

The watershed moment of Celtic music hitting the American mainstream in the mid-1990s had mixed results. The genre of Celtic music has many aspects and to each their own, a good Celtic album should comprise mostly minor tunes. These tunes should be well-layered classics, obscure, and suitable contemporary favorites. The Leahy rendition of "O'Dowd's Favorite," "King of the Fairies," "McBrides," and "Jenny's Chickens," are outstanding examples. As a fiddler I have played the classics literally hundreds of times and still am spellbound by the melodic ambuscade put forth by Leahy with their piano, fiddle, drums, acoustic guitar, and bass accompaniment. The four major tune-based songs should have been cut, and the solid six remaining would more than carry the album.

The CD liner says the lead fiddle has a "ferocious" talent, and I couldn't agree more. A lot of other fiddling seems apologetic in comparison. This became my favorite before I listened to the entire CD. This is the CD that convinced me I needed to find a new genre of music instead holding on to shreds of classic rock because it was more accessible to me.