February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Oregon-based fiddler Kevin Burke, a Londoner whose parents came from Sligo, and Connecticut resident button accordionist John Whelan, a Londoner whose parents came from Wexford and Tipperary, never played together in public before May 7 in the Theater at Town Hall in Westport, Conn. Whelan and native California guitarist-bassist John Brennan, who also now lives in Connecticut, had played before as a duo, including a memorable concert on Jan. 4, 2003, in Newtown, Conn.
The suggestion that all three perform together came from Brennan, whose attraction to Irish traditional music is still evolving. And yes, he’s discovered the Bothy Band, whose music hasn’t dimmed in a quarter century and is still the main portal for fascinated first-timers.
Though more rehearsal by the trio might have avoided a couple of miscues and rough patches in their playing, this was Irish traditional music percolating with fresh ideas and bold chance-taking. What could have turned into a musical mudslide was, in fact, some of the most intriguing and invigorating live playing I’ve heard this year.
When Brennan mentioned how a blues shuffle could be morphed into an Irish jig and then demonstrated it on acoustic guitar in “Walkin’ Jig,” his own tune, listeners knew they were heading into uncharted musical territory. That melody was followed by another Brennan original, “Johnny at the Door,” that segued into the traditional spiritual “Wade in the Water.” Brennan and Burke, who’s no stranger to American roots music (recall “Jerusalem Ridge” on his “Up Close” album), traded licks with humor and precision, and sound engineer Stu Speer came up on stage to add his bodhr