5.0 out of 5 stars
A quintessential addition to an Irish music collection, August 12, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: Take the Bull By the Horns (Audio CD)
The songs offered here tell a lilting story of old Ireland seldom heard beyond a Shenachie's huddled audience. They are captivating and near inpossible to turn off until the disc has run it's course.
Tom was possibly the last connoseur of the ancient instrument known as the melodian. Few were lucky enough to have heard him give life to his instrument in person. He played it both passionately and effortlessly and nothing gave him and his audience more pleasure than a night of playing and singing and dancing to the tunes that were passed to him from generations immemorium.
Although nothing could reproduce a night spent with and listening to him, contained herein is a wonderful crossection of what it was like. The jigs appear to have been his forte' with the medley of The Humors of Whiskey/Take The Bull By The Horns being being far and away, the crowning achievement of the collection.
There is not a bad song on the disc and there is even a live track! reminiscent of his feis and session days. He is backed by a wonderful ensemble of Irish music mainstays such as pianist Felix Dolan and his daughter Maureen Doherty Macken (formerly of Cherish the Ladies).
Traditional Irish music enthusiasts should consider obtaining this work a must. Tom Doherty has put together a masterpiece of simple yet passionate tributes to an age and way of life that soon will be gone.
I am sorry to report that Tom died this past February after a short illness. All that knew him are richer for having known him. However a void remains that can never be filled. He was a man so full of life that those around him could not help but caught up in it. He was a guiding influence to countless young aspiring musicians and all are fortunate that he laid down these tracks for posterity. He was quoted in his eulogy with a little poetic license " I am so lucky to be up here playing this music.....and you are even luckier to be down there listenin! g to it." Truer words were never spoken.
! Brian Doherty August 12,1998
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