JOHN McSHERRY AND DONAL O'CONNOR Tripswitch compass 4433

This album's namesake reel is a metaphor for this exciting collaboration between veteran Uilleann piper John McSherry and up-and-coming fiddler Donal O'Connor. It resulted when McSherry blew a fuse and the duo was forced to improvise in the dark. "Tripswitch" is a slow reel and, like all eight of the tightly crafted tracks on this release, takes the time to get things right. McSherry begins with a dry flute, O'Connor provides a swingy fiddle, the tune bounces to a bridge, then McSherry ups the volume by switching to the pipes. Instrumentalists always face the challenge of keeping listeners' attentions without the diversion of a vocalist; McSherry and O'Connor manage by heavily accenting the first beat of their tunes. "Rose in the Gap," for instance, is a muscular arrangement in which the pipes and fiddle pop notes in time to Francis McIlduff's bodhran and the percussive guitar and bouzouki of Paul McSherry and Ruben Bada. The latter also shine on "Anton," an Asturian jig in which neither McSherry nor O'Connor establish a presence until it is nearly two minutes old. If there's such a thing as a fragile jig, this is it. The same patience is shown on "Aille's Arabesque," a nearly nine-minute slip jig/double jig combo whose pace doesn't quicken until there's just one minute left in the set. McSherry and O'Connor earn the right to make us wait because they infuse their music with excitement through skillful playing rather than breakneck pacing. But they can crank out the latter when they want to. "Spanish 5's" is a set of Castilian dances in 5/8 timing known as baile a lo cojo, or "dancing as if lame." I should be so lame!

Rob Weir

Sing Out Magazine