COMPOSERS: Various
LABELS: Ossian
PERFORMER: Hammy Hamilton, Seamus Creagh, Con Ó Drisceoil (vocal/instruments)
CATALOGUE NO: OSSCD 89
Ethnomusicologists keen to capture a vital Celtic scene should take their tape recorders off to Cork, where they can catch plenty of musicians steeped in the local traditions, including the three brought together for IT’S NO SECRET. Those who know Ireland should treasure this issue for its wonderful expansiveness, with spacious hornpipes and laid-back jigs and reels punctuating the unaccompanied vocals.
Each of the three men has a distinctive timbre and expressive force and, in O Drisceoil’s case, a droll repertoire of his own comic songs. The low-key cover design makes it look like just another folk album, but it’s actually something special.