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NIGEL MOONEY  All My Love's In Vain  Rubyworks  ***

Nigel Mooney is one patient fella. This album was recorded in 2001 but it is only now seeing the light of day, courtesy of leading local independent label Rubyworks, who have produced a very clever packaging concept. But the bluesy terrain the guitarist covers with some finesse is pretty much timeless. Mooney is a veteran of the Irish blues scene, having played with the Gripewater Blues Band many years ago. Six of the nine tracks are Mooney originals, such as the jazzy late-night sounds of Waltz for my Trouble and the excellent opener Beautiful Day. His playing is unhurried and fluent, as is that of his three-piece band, notably pianist Myles Drennan. But his vocals often seem anodyne. Apart from an ill-conceived version of Boulavogue, the music has a hazy early-morning feel to it, not least his fine reading of Robert Johnson's classic Love in Vain. www.nigelmooney.com
Joe Breen