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TONY MACMAHON
Tony MacMahon    Gael Linn
****

This re-release of Tony MacMahon's stunning recording from 1972 is timely. Nobody else plays the accordion quite like this Miltown Malbay native. His reputation for passion in his playing and his musical opinions have raised temperatures and blood pressure among players and listeners alike, but there's no doubting his careening virtuosity on this fiery collection of reels, jigs, hornpipes, slides and slow airs. A sidelong glance at his reinvention of the slow air, The Wounded Huzzar, is enough to ignite a fire in the dullest of bellies, the box approaching and retreating from the plaintive storyline with glorious fluency. MacMahon's passion doesn't falter at higher altitude either, as his pair of double jigs, Sonny Brogan's Fancy/Brian O'Lynn, testify. Spanning a wide emotional spectrum where few musicians ever dare to tread.
www.gaellinn.com
Siobhán Long