Trad CD reviews

ALAN KELLY

After The Morning

Claddagh Records*****

Alan Kelly speaks a musical Esperanto that would put the most fluent polyglot to shame. On this, his third solo collection, the Roscommon piano accordionist bathes his generous spirit in Irish, Scottish, Breton and Asturian accents (with the subtlest nod in the direction of Louisiana's Acadian rhythms, too). Intertwined among the multi-ethnic layers of After The Morningare a suite of Kelly's original compositions, each one a pristine, polished gem in its own right. Eolannepitomises Kelly's dextrous, light-fingered style and thrives on a beautiful interplay between Kelly's accordion and Tóla Custy's fiddle. Guest vocals from Eddi Reader and Kris Drever bring a new dimension to Kelly's sound, but it's the tunes that set him apart: a composer of substance and he's a graceful musician utterly at home in his own skin. www.myspace.com/alankellymusic SIOBHÁN LONG

Download tracks: Siena, New Year's Day