Sweeney's Dream

Kevin Burke (Celtic)

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 27, 2001)
• Original Release Date: February 27, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Smithsonian Folkways
• ASIN: B0000584VP
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #39,012 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Kevin Burke's debut recording, Sweeney's Dream, was originally released in 1973 and marked him at the dawn of his career as a traditional musician of rare ability. He took many of the tunes here from the repertoire of the great County Sligo fiddlers Michael Coleman and James Morrison, whose recordings in the early part of the 20th century had a profound influence on the technique of Irish fiddling. Burke's playing on the unaccompanied tunes such as "Murphy's Hornpipe" and "The Strayaway Child" shows that at the tender age of 23 he had complete command of the traditional styles. But selections such as the medley of reels "George White's Favorite/The Happy Days of Youth/Coleman's Cross," which include such non-Irish instruments as 5-string banjo and 12-string guitar, hint at the more modern tendencies that would come to fruition with the Bothy Band, as well as his own bands Patrick Street and Open House. Sweeney's Dream may have been Kevin Burke's first recording, but his fiddling was at such a high level you would think he had been making records for years. --Michael Simmons

Product Description
Hailed as "virtuosic and powerful" by the New York Times, Kevin Burke is a master of the highly ornamented Sligo style of Irish fiddling. Born in London, England, his strong family ties to County Sligo on Ireland's west coast immersed him in one of the Celtic world's most revered musical legacies. Performing with such seminal groups as the Bothy Band, Open House, and Patrick Street and with artists such as Arlo Guthrie, Kate Bush, and Ry Cooder further honed his superb musicianship. Recorded in 1972, this album captures young Kevin Burke's stunning artistry during his earliest years in the United States. Instrumentation ranges from solo fiddle to group pieces that include guitar, mandolin, banjo, autoharp, and bodhrán. 46 minutes, 17 tracks, 28-page booklet with extensive notes. Reissue of Folkways 8876.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One fiddler alone keeping a pub spellbound in the old style!, April 4, 2003

By A Customer

Failte! (Greetings) Kevin Burke is one of the few fiddlers I can think of that could walk into any pub in Ireland, get out his fiddle and start playing through any of the hundreds of memorized traditional Irish tunes and keep his audience quiet and spellbound for extended periods of time absolutely alone. Kevin calls this "naked fiddle" with no other instruments involved to cover up what they call in the old country a "fiddler's fart." This is a follow up album to "If the Cap Fits," which is no longer available new. This is traditional Irish Music played the traditional way for fun and relaxation. Recorded in the early 1970's, this recalls a time before big budget albums and concerts. This was before competitions. In fact, if you had put a bunch of fiddlers together in the same pub, they wouldn't compete against each other. They would drink Guinness and jam until the "wee hours" of the morning together. This wasn't a primary "who the alpha male or female fiddler" thing. It was an enjoy the music and companionship thing. If you are building a Celtic Music Collection, this old style of playing needs to be represented. This album with "The Traditional Music of Ireland" by James Kelley, Paddy O'Brien and Daithi Sproule (which is still available but hard to access on Amazon.com) are excellent examples of this era of pub music. You can find Kevin's current music with the band Patrick Street either on album of frequent U.S. performances. Ceol de Erin Go Bragh! (Music of Ireland forever!)

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely, spare, fiery, December 12, 2001

By	Loren Church "boxity" (Tulsa, OK) - See all my reviews

Burke sounds wonderful here, and every note he plays can be heard, as this recording was done without a backing band. Celtic music fans will enjoy this album, and fiddle people will treasure it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I'm feelin' a little bad for giving this recording only 3 stars..., November 28, 2008

By	Mike C "gvsculptor" (Grass Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews

...after all the glowing reviews, but Burke, who is clearly a monster in terms of his chops, plays so fast that the melodies (which are the soul of Irish fiddle tunes), tend to get clipped under the hooves of his playing. I'm listening to the CD as I write this, and it just doesn't move me like so much Irish music does. It's the speed at the expense of feeling and melody. Listen to Martin Hayes' LIVE IN SEATTLE if you want to hear Irish fiddle that will make you want to cry or get up and dance, depending on the tune.