Excerpts from: Think Global, Play Local
The Journal of Music In Ireland
Ireland’s Bi-Monthly Music Magazine
Barely two hours after their Royal gig, Carroll, Buckley and Carpio were onstage again at the Heather House Hotel, joining Ronan Guilfoyle, Tommy Halferty and trumpeter Paul Williamson for a late-night exploration of Miles Davis’ electric period of the late sixties/early seventies. In albums like In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew, Davis created brooding, evocative music that could also be incredibly delicate. Revolutionary at the time, it has maintained its freshness across the decades, especially as presented by this exceptional group of musicians, who took full advantage of Davis’ mastery at creating improvisational settings. Williamson and Buckley traded several fiery exchanges, and Tommy Halferty’s guitar runs, while uniquely his own, captured expertly the spirit of John McLaughlin. It was also great to hear Guilfoyle playing electric bass, as opposed to amplified acoustic, particularly on pieces that depend so thoroughly on its forceful pulse.
Halferty also played in a very different context when he accompanied Norma Winstone at Bray Town Hall. With the minimum of rehearsal, this duo delivered a perfectly paced blend of standards and originals that showcased Winstone’s great skill as lyricist, interpreter of popular song and improviser. Tom Waits’ ‘San Diego Serenade’ and Kenny Wheeler’s ‘Old Times’ (retitled ‘How It Was Then’, with lyrics by Winstone) give some idea of the range of this set, which climaxed with John McLaughlin’s ‘Little Miss Valley’, a thrilling, wordless blues dialogue between voice and guitar. Winstone is a worthy model for the current crop of young Irish singers, including Cormac Kenevey, who was in fine form at the Royal as he showcased songs from his new album (see the review elsewhere in this issue).
Original article written by Kevin Stevens.
Full Text: http://thejmi.com/article/800
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