February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Earle Hitchner
JOHN WHELAN BAND, plus guests. At Jonathan Law H.S., Milford, Conn. March 18.
One of the most enjoyable concerts celebrating St. Patrick’s Day actually came a day later in this high-school auditorium, where button accordionist, composer, and album producer John Whelan marked 30 years in Irish music. With him and his band were some special guests: the sea-chantey trio Shipping News, Tyrone-born singer John Morrison, bluegrass family trio the Rosenthals, and Irish fiddlers Jim Eagan from Baltimore and Patrick Mangan from Brooklyn.
New Haven’s Shipping News did some tight harmonizing on Harry Robertson’s "Little Pot Stove" and on "Seamen Bold," a song taken from the repertoire of the Copper Family. They were followed by Morrison, well-known in the New York metro area for his eight-year residency at the Glocca Morra pub in Manhattan. In a fine, strong voice while backing himself on guitar, he sang compelling renditions of Robert Burns’s "Curragh of Kildare," Ewan MacColl’s "Dirty Old Town," and the Irish traditional songs "Homes of Donegal" and "Sweet Carnlough Bay."
Former Seldom Scene member Phil Rosenthal on mandolin and guitar, his wife on upright bass, and their daughter on guitar performed two songs, "Shady Grove" (often associated with America’s greatest flatpicker, Doc Watson) and Leadbelly’s "Goodnight Irene," giving each an easy, engaging treatment that had the audience singing along.
But the night belonged to John Whelan and his band: Tom Wetmore on acoustic and electric bass, Flynn Cohen on guitar, and Marie Reilly on fiddle. They were joined by Eagan and Mangan, and that three-fiddle front line provided some exciting interplay among themselves and with Whelan on accordion.
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On their own, the three fiddlers stood out on a medley of three reels, "Dr. Gilbert’s/Flogging Reel/McFadden’s Handsome Daughter." With Whelan, they traded off in another uptempo dance medley that was nothing short of dazzling.
The John Whelan Band kicked into high gear with two medleys of Whelan-penned polkas, "Flirting With the Edge/Rockaway Beach/Emmett’s Revenge" and "Denis Dillon’s/Square Dance Polka/Dancing on the Riverboat." They also snapped off with rousing precision the jigs "Brother John’s/Kinyon’s No. 1/Kinyon’s No. 2."
Seamlessly mixed into the band’s set were "Louise," an outright gem composed by Whelan for his wife that was expertly undergirded by Wetmore’s bowing on bass, and "Alterio’s Waltz," a stately tune written by Whelan for a Milford, Conn., deli owner that featured Phil Rosenthal on mandolin.
Not to be overlooked this night was the effort of emcee Kathleen Biggins, host of WFUV-FM’s "A Thousand Welcomes," who did an excellent job of introducing the acts and keeping the performances moving along.
Before a large, enthusiastic crowd, John Whelan rang in 30 years of music with gusto and grace. Very few Irish accordionists have both the skill and the affability of Whelan on stage, where he always seems at home and instantly connects with an audience. It’s a rare, remarkable combination that should see him through another 30 years of performances as successful as this one.