Our own Don Meixner's band, The Flyin' Column have released their latest CD, and I was fortunate enough to get an advance copy.This well-produced collection has something for everyone from the standard Irish favorite pub singalongs to a few finely crafted originals, two by Don himself and one by bandmate Billy Delaney.
One of Don's pieces is Dr. Walter Short's Reel which Don wrote for the surgeon who helped repair his fingers after an accident with a table-saw. It's a bright, sparkly little tune with Don leading on the autoharp that will set your toes a-tapping, and one that a few fiddlers will be learning. He also wrote a lovely ballad - The Mother's Kiss - to the melody of The Homes of Donegal or Tramps and Hawkers. The band's vocal harmonies on this song are really tight, and they do it justice.
Billy Delaney's original is a nice song called the Jeanie Johnston about the emigrant ship of the same name in the years of the Great Famine in Ireland.
Excellent musicianship is in evidence all throughout the CD. Joe Davoli on fiddles and mandolin is tasteful with his fills and licks, and not fast and flashy, although I'll bet he could if he wanted to.
Don on banjo, guitar and autoharp likewise.
The vocals are solid all around with good harmonies on the likes of Tom Paxton's Can't help But Wonder Where I'm Bound.
A couple of crowd-pleasers, Phil Coulter's Donegal Danny and The Old Man, are simple and straightforward, letting the songs tell their stories.
The one weak spot in my opinion was Farewell To The Rhondda, Frank Hennessey's great song about the Welsh coalmine closings in the 1970's.
I feel that this song deserves a little more sensitivity than the up-tempo drum-driven version the boys have recorded here.
That said, this CD is a welcome addition to my collection, and I'm sure that many 'Catters will enjoy the selection that The Flyin' Column have chosen.
PM Don Meixner here at Mudcat for more details., ordering, etc.

All the best.

Seamus