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Deciphering
The McSherry Code
To
Many He's The Quintessential Irish Piper. Talented, Experienced
And Motivated. So Why Does It Take Three Years, A Spaniard And
An Electric Toaster To Spark Inspiration For His Latest Project?
Eddie Creaney Talks To Uilleann Supremo John McSherry About
His New Album Tripswitch. Hollywoods latest blockbuster title
The Da Vinci Code reminds us all that we still live in a world
full of myths and legends. And they're right. Even here on our
dear Emerald Isle we love to seek our own holy grails. For me,
well, I'm currently packing my sleeping bag and knick knacks
in order to set off on my own adventure, a quest to find the
most elusive man in Ireland. Some say he lives in a cave in
The Burren, others, that he's a night-dweller living off the
scraps of the land in North Kerry. And I won't rest until I
can say I've found himÉ the only living person in Ireland never
to have recorded with John McSherry. I'm kidding of course.
But if you are familiar with John's work then you will definitely
see the humour. It's not often that an Uilleann Piper can boast
such a portfolio to the extent that other Uilleann Pipers are
saying 'C'mon now, give the rest of us a chance.' But Master
McSherry has made it so. For the uninitiated, I'll try to explain.
Deep breath, here we go. Nancy Griffith, Mike McGoldrick, Tamalin,
Sinead O'Connor, Lunasa, Coolfin, Shaun Davey, Dan Ar Braz,
Donal Lunny, Clannad, Gary Kemp, Niamh Parsons, Sharon Shannon,
Aoife Ni Fhearraigh, Riverdance, Maighread & Triona Ni Dhomhnail,
Carmina, Sult, Maura O'Connell, Tommy Fleming, Melanie Harrold
& Olly Blancheflower, Secret Garden, Soul Flower Union, Gilles
Servat, Eleanor Shanely and Brian Kennedy. Getting the picture?
Good. And so to his latest album, Tripswitch. It follows keenly
on the heels of the 2001 award-winning album At First Light
and is sure to please. As with previous projects McSherry has
managed to create another successful musical partnership, this
time with fellow Belfast man Donal O'Connor. The fiddler and
emerging media broadcaster was just what the doctor ordered.
And, after a few listens, you can see why this is indeed medicine
for the soul. Already described as a delightful wonder
the album is worth every penny for its eight tracks. "It
took us about three years from start to finish" says McSherry.
"Since the First Light album we've been really busy touring
and working on other projects. But when Donal and myself decided
to work together on this project we knew we had to see it through."
And thankfully they did. From the first medley of tunes, Rose
In The Gap, the passion is audible. The opening track kicks
off with a driving acoustic burst reminiscent of Planxty's trad-rock
days. And fans of the former Lunasa front man will no doubt
notice a strong Spanish influence on some of the tunes, courtesy
of bouzouki master Ruben Bada. "We had to have him on the
album" says John. "He's been living in Ireland for
a while now and I had played with him many times at sessions,
mainly in Belfast. And when we were putting the musicians together
for the album Ruben was top of the list." You can see why
the man from the Asturias was the right choice. Two tracks in
particular, Spanish 5's: Charrada De Berimuelle/Corrido De Encina
and Anton: Munera d'Anton, see Bada's contribution come to the
fore. And with McSherrys pipes and OÕConnors fiddle there's
an enticing blend of cultures. John explains that they wanted
to do something a bit different. "On our travels we had
been impressed by other styles such as Breton and Spanish and
wanted to bring that influence in to the studio. So along with
Ruben we brought in guitarist Gilles Le Bigot, particularly
for his impressive finger-picking style." And impressive
it is. Two other guitarists to shine are Paul McSherry, brother
of the Belfast piper, and Dubliner Tony Byrne. Between them
they have managed to create a musical palette on which McSherry
and O'Connor have fabulously applied their creative brush strokes.
The title track Tripswitch is a real stunner. Not so much in
that it'll get the blood pumping or heart rates dashing but
in its sweet, melancholic vibe, evident from the outset with
a laid back guitar and gentle poise from Bodhran player Francis
McIlduff. Indeed it was this track that John McSherry & Co.
found the most challenging and exhilarating. "Technically
all of the tunes needed lots of thought and input, but on Tripswitch
we had to dig deeper." And it shows. The melody definitely
takes the lead in an album that already boasts many fine tunes.
Two other pieces, both self-penned, deserve more than a mention.
The ponderous Both Ghe, and end track Aille's Arabesque, reminding
us that the Uilleann Pipe master is no novice when it comes
to the low whistle. And the latter tune has a special place
in McSherrys heart as he had written it expressly for his daughter
Aille. "I think it's easy to sometimes knock out the tunes
just to get on with it, but sometimes you've got to stop and
think about the people who are important to you." Quite
right. And the album, which was recorded at Homestead Studios
near Belfast, also provides us with a helping or two of the
McSherry staple of home-grown goodness. In Sean Maguire's and
the Commonality Set McSherry and O'Connor thrash it out like
two battling giants fighting over the crown. But the real treasure
is to be had with the entirety of the album and its hoard of
little gems. For many the attraction will be in its instant
brow-raising effect. For me, it's the eclectic selection, the
blending of styles, and most importantly, its subtlety. Listen,
and ye will be saved. On a less formal take on the album
John comments on how sometimes a minor incident can have such
a major bearing whilst recording. I asked how he chose the title
for the album. "Well, we were in the studio one night trying
out a few ideas, and during a break I tried to get a light off
a little electric toaster. Bang! Darkness. I had tripped the
entire studio, and the owner Mudd Wallace (who also chipped
in with percussion on the album) wasn't around to save our bacon.
Needless to say we spent the rest of the night looking for,
you guessed it, the Tripswitch." But inspiration can come
from such experiences and the incident prompted the musicians
into creative mode. "We sat in the dark and thought, what
the hell, lets keep playing." One hour later and Tripswitch,
the tune, was born. Inspiration indeed. Touring and promoting
the album over the next few months will see the boys, who have
decided to name the band after the album At First Light, ply
their trade via a hectic and demanding schedule. "Ten days
in Scotland followed by some European dates in Spain, Switzerland
and the Czech Republic will keep us wide awake," laughs
McSherry. "The Spanish trip will also give us a chance
to start our next project. We intend to make a new studio album
there around August, but with a difference. We want the production
to have a session-like feel and we'll invite an audience in
to capture the ambience." Lets hope the studio has a good
supply of Sangria, eh? "As for Ireland" continues
McSherry "we are all looking forward to September when
we'll play around fifteen shows across the country including
Dublin, Belfast, Monaghan, Letterkenny, Dundalk, Brantry, Wexford,
Grange and Ennis." In the meantime enthusiasts of At First
Light can purchase the new album, released through Vertical
Records, online at www.atfirstlight.net where you can also look
out for tour dates and catch up with the latest news of the
band. And me? Well, IÕm off to The Burren with my sleeping bag,
knick knacksÉ and definitely a copy of Tripswitch.
Eddie Creaney - Irish Music Magazine, July
2006
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Sure
Hands at the Switch from McSherry and O'Connor
My first exposure to the talent of Belfast-born uilleann piper
John McSherry, winner of Oireachtas and All-Ireland senior
titles, was in 1990 when he and three siblings--singer and
flutist Tina, fiddler Joanne, and guitarist Paul--formed Tamalin.
Teenagers belying their age, they were a highly promising
and justly touted band, and Paul and Joanne were also members
back then of another fine Ulster group, Commonalty, featuring
Davy Maguire on flute and Milo Crossan on mandolin. Since
the heyday of Tamalin, John McSherry, who's also a skilled
whistle player, has distinguished himself in two more bands,
Lunasa and Donal Lunny's Coolfin, and in 2001 McSherry and
another ex-Lunasa colleague, Michael McGoldrick, released
"At First Light," on which Paul McSherry was a guest guitarist.
The title of that duet album has now become the title of a
relatively new Ulster band, anchored by John McSherry and
fiddler-keyboardist Donal O'Connor, son of former Skylark,
Kinvara, and La Lugh fiddler Gerry O'Connor and La Lugh singer-flutist
Eithne Ni Uallachain (1957-1999). At First Light can flesh
out to as many as six members, including Tony Byrne on guitar
and vocal, Ruben Bada on bouzouki, guitar, and fiddle, Francis
McIlduff on bodhran, whistle, and uilleann pipes, and Alan
Burke on guitar and vocal. Byrne, McIlduff, Bada, and Paul
McSherry are all guests on "Tripswitch," a comparatively short
(just under 41 minutes) but absolutely splendid duo debut
by John McSherry and Donal O'Connor on Glasgow 's Vertical
label that also features former Kornog guitarist Gilles Le
Bigot and sound engineer Shaun "Mudd" Wallace on shakers,
tambourine, and cymbals. With six other musicians in tow,
it's hard to think of this CD by John McSherry and Donal O'Connor
as a strict duet, but their playing stands out on each track,
and the way the pair unpack a melody together is spellbinding.
The medley of "Johnny Going to Ceili/Sean Maguire's/John Doherty's/The
First Month of Summer" reels begins with just pipes and fiddle
in a tight, thrilling weave that never relents. The musical
communication between John McSherry and O'Connor, who are
eventually joined by guitarist Paul McSherry, borders on clairvoyance.
That is also powerfully evident in the medley of a slow reel
followed by three reels, "Charlie Mulvihill's/The Pullet and
Cock/Commonalty Reel/Iniscealtra." The track starts with a
sensuous whistle, fiddle, and guitar collaboration on the
slow reel, then bolts in tempo and energy with pipes, fiddle,
and guitar on the first fast-paced reel. The next reel, named
for the Commonalty band who used to perform it, spotlights
whistle, fiddle, and bodhran, and the playing by John McSherry
and Donal O'Connor is so seamless that when McSherry takes
an intentional breath pause at one point, O'Connor matches
him with a quick bow lift. "Iniscealtra" lashes up pipes,
fiddle, guitars, bouzouki, and bodhran into a heady finale
for this brilliant medley. Close listening to another medley,
"Rose in the Gap/Old Dudeen/First Month of Spring," reveals
how John McSherry bends and slurs select notes for a sly,
subtle effect, and O'Connor has the chops to stick with his
partner during this imaginative ornamentation. The playing
of "Charrada De Bercimuelle/Corrido De Encina," two Castilian
5/8 dance tunes, and "Muneira d'Anton," an Asturian jig, gives
expressive vent to the rhythmically infectious native music
of Ruben Bada, whose expert bouzouki playing on the former
track and guitar playing on the latter track bolster the impact.
Nimbly seguing into the track of Castilian tunes is "Both
Ghe," a slow air composed by John McSherry and Donal O'Connor
and performed by them on pipes and fiddle, with Gilles Le
Bigot lending a light Breton flavor on guitar. It's a lovely
melody that O'Connor dedicates to his late mother. The title
track, "Tripswitch," is another tune written by McSherry and
O'Connor, and this slow reel has a Lunasa-like progression
with an intriguing bridge in the middle and a jazzlike, trail-off
coda on guitar from Paul McSherry. Brooding and beautiful,
it's almost hypnotic in the way it envelops the listener,
with each note tendered like ripe, savory fruit from the vine.
"Aille's Arabesque" is a slip jig composed by John McSherry
for his daughter, and its undulating movement no doubts mimics
her own. Paired with that slip jig is the double jig "Tell
Her I Am," ending the album with a relaxed, fluid blend of
whistle, pipes, fiddle, guitar, and bodhran..... Dull packaging
and dumbfounding liner note aside, "Tripswitch" is eight tracks
of compelling playing from John McSherry and Donal O'Connor,
a tandem as gifted as any now active. Throughout
this engrossing album, they leave the switch emphatically
on.
CEOL
By Earle Hitchner - The IRISH ECHO, New York City, USA (June
14, 2006)
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Prize-winning
piper packs a whole lotta Led
John McSherry has been likened to a Jimi Hendrix of the pipes,
a John Coltrane of the chanter even. Flattering comparisons,
of course, but not perhaps the one the Belfast-born uilleann
piper would choose himself. McSherry, whose band At First Light
begins its first Scottish tour tomorrow in a double header with
Shetland fiddler Chris Stout's quintet for the Scottish Arts
Council's Tune-up series, has just released an album-of-the-year
contender in Tripswitch. Recorded in partnership with
his At First Light colleague, fiddler Donal O'Connor, the album
drops a big hint on its opening track about who McSherry might
have wanted to be, if he hadn't taken up the pipes. Two big
hints, in fact: there's the influence of Led Zeppelin's Whole
Lotta Love on the guitar part, but one particularly bluesy dragged
note McSherry cheerfully acknowledges as his own Jimmy Page
moment. There's even a slight resemblance between the two musicians.
McSherry grew up in a household where traditional music albums
and rock albums vied for turntable time. "I used to listen to
my dad's Planxty albums and just feel the emotion in Liam O'Flynn's
piping, it was so soulful," he says. "Then Paddy Keenan came
along with the Bothy Band and we had the Led Zep records, and
it always seemed to me that the uilleann pipes were just as
exciting as an electric instrument. We never compartmentalised
the music, just took it all in, and actually there have been
bits stolen from Led Zep on other records I've made, too." His
first set of pipes arrived when he was 11. By this time, he'd
already been playing tin whistle for two years, essentially
preparing for the pipes. The family all played musical instruments
or sang. Later, the McSherry siblings would join together in
the group Tamalin. Before that, though, young John had an obsession
to deal with. "When those pipes finally arrived, I practised
like mad," he says. "Five hours a day was the norm and if I
had to go through a day without practising, I'd cry. It's sad,
I know. But when I hadn't practised properly, I'd go up to my
room and just finger the chanter for an hour before I went to
bed, playing tunes in my head. I'd do the same thing in school,
doing the fingering on a pencil. The teacher must have thought
I was away with the fairies." His self-imposed regime paid off
when, after just six months, he entered the All-Ireland Championships
and came third in the under-12 section. He went on to win the
senior title and, at the age of 18, became the youngest player
to win the coveted Oireachtas piping competition. By this time,
he was on his way to a professional career that has seen him
co-found the outstanding band Lunasa, join Irish music guru
Donal Lunny in Coolfin and record sessions with Clannad, Sinead
O'Connor and Nanci Griffith, among many others, as well as working
in theatre productions. "I pretty much gave up competing as
soon as I'd won the titles I was after," he says. "But it was
a great foundation for what came later and the social aspect
was really useful, too. I got to meet loads of people and swap
tunes with them, but it also gave me the confidence to walk
into a session, in both the informal music-making and recording
senses, and feel quite comfortable playing something totally
spontaneously." Spontaneity is a major part of McSherry's game
plan. With Coolfin, a group that otherwise sounded drilled to
the nth degree, the solo spots he played were always completely
improvised. "There were times when it went horribly wrong and
I'd think, what was all that about? But I preferred to leave
it to chance because when it turned out right, that was such
a great feeling," he says. Since McSherry's opposite number
on the upcoming tour, Chris Stout's music has a spontaneous
element also, the two bands seem ideally matched. "Some people
in traditional music get a bit nervous when you use the word
improvisation but it doesn't mean you're playing wildly all
over the place," says McSherry. "It might mean playing one note
because on the pipes you can put a lot of different emotions
into that one note. For me, it's just the case that whatever
embellishments I add to a tune are that day's embellishments
and reflect the way I happen to feel at the time, rather than
playing the same thing over and over again." John McSherry's
At First Light and the Chris Stout Quintet play The Tolbooth,
Stirling, tomorrow; the Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, Friday; Rothes
Halls, Glenrothes, on Saturday and the Eastgate Theatre, Peebles,
on Sunday. The tour visits Ullapool, Aberdeen, Skye and Strontian
the following week.
Rob
Adams - Scottish Herald, May 17 2006
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