Aidan Coffey - The Corner House Set (2016)

The idea behind this recording went back to 2002, after a gig with the lads near Rotterdam, and a handwritten note from Frankie suggesting I should do a CD with his help; and call it Coffey Anyone? Years later, Easter Monday 2015, during a session with Frankie, Geraldine O’Callaghan and Mick Daly in the Corner House pub in Cork City, the note was still in the accordion case. So we went ahead and put tunes together over a few pints of stout, and later planned the recording endeavour under the caring guidance of Colm Murphy. Onward, to the studio at Lough Guitane, Co. Kerry, to make the album with an understanding that any royalties would go to charity. It took two attempts to record. The first started by laying down fiddle with accordion: but the music somehow ended up ‘a bit on the fast side’. Adrenaline maybe! The brakes were applied for the second attempt, usually getting Alec’s steady bouzouki down with accordion, and adding the other instruments later. The final result musically reunites a famous bouzouki-fiddle combination, and also delivers a variety of tempos and tunes, many associated with the Kerry-Cork Sliabh Luachra tradition, with several pieces from other musical counties in Ireland.

TRACKLIST

01. Polkas: The Corner House Set (Mick Culloty's/The Knocknagoshel/The New Roundabout)
02. Reels: The West Wind/The Donegal Traveler
03. Jigs: The Old Walls of Liscarroll/The Streams of Killinaspick
04. Air: An Páistín Fionn (The Fair-Haired Child)
05. Slides: Paddy Cronin's/The Clog
06. Jigs: The Gold Ring/The Tongs By the Fire
07. Polkas: O'Sullivan's/O'Callaghan's
08. Reels: Brother Gildas/Green Garters
09. Hornpipes: Cornphíopa Loch Garman/An Trí Is a Rian
10. Hop Jigs: Another Jig Will Do/Top It Off
11. Jigs: The Miller of Glanmire/The Cliffs of Moher
12. Marches: March of the King of Laois/Macallistrom's March
13. Polkas: Maurice O'Keeffe's/The Road to Ballydesmond
14. Reels: John Kelly's/Little Thatched Cabin