Search - Eileen Ivers :: Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul

"Fusion" for traditional music lovers!

Gwen A Orel | Millburn, New Jersey United States | 04/14/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a Celtic music fan-- I run the Celtic Music Society of Montgomery, and I brought my group from Montgomery to Birmingham to see Eileen play this concert. I admit I hadn't done my homework and assumed "Immigrant Soul" would be about the Irish-immigration experience. And don't get me wrong: that experience is referred to and explored in this album, particularly with the spoken lament, "Parting of Friends," about the bittersweet parties held before an Irishman would sail away-- most likely forever. These were known as an American Wake. In concert, the piper Ivan Goff recites this, in a spotlight-- in the grand irish tradition of mixing song and recitation."fusion" is a word usually applied to cuisine-- Asian-French, Latin-Indian. And just as those dishes can amaze the palate with the shock of something both new and "just right," this album is surprisingly pleasing, refreshing and satisfying."Surprising" because Eileen Ivers has a fan base of traditional music-- Celtic music-- fans. But "tradition" has not meant ossified for quite a long time-- maybe not since Andy Irvine picked up a bouzouki and added Greek instrumentation to the Irish supergroup Planxty (Irvine has since gone on to explore Eastern European rhythms).But the Caribbean and Latin rhythms are the surprising flavor in this fabulous concoction. It's a real fusion, not just a spice laid on top-- but the Irish ingredients are never missing, as such knockouts as "Paddy in Zululand" and the lilting "Go Lassie Go" (otherwise known as "Wild Mountain Thyme") make clear. American-born Ivers explains in concert that she had to give herself permission to embrace the variety of musical influences around her-- something native-born Irish musicians did with ease (Ivers naturally was more self-conscious). Singer Tommy McDonnell, who appeared in the Blues Brothers 2000, adds an R&B flavor to the tunes, and his energy is irresistible (I admit I may be biased since he sat at our booth after-hours at the pub in Birmingham). But the Appalachian, old-timey "Darlin' Corey" has never sounded so lively before!The most unforgettable tune for me is "Reconciliation," a metaphor for peace in Northern Ireland, backed up by a children's choir of unified young Catholics and Protestants in the wake of the bombing of their town. In concert, McDonnell and Ivers get the whole audience to sing, and to hear these sweet voices singing "toora loora lay" with all the yearning and hope behind it is worth the price of the album alone.Ivers' fiddling of course is at the top of her game; very few can compare with her for flair, expression and speed.No, you might not want a steady diet of "fusion" food, but it opens up possibilities and flavors you might never have been able to conceive of. Had I realized Ivers experimented with so much African, Caribbean and Latin styles I probably would have been less willing to drive 90 miles to see her-- I think of myself as primarily a Celtic music fan (Ok, occasional Gypsy Kings, but...). But I'm so glad I went!Celtic music lovers should give this a try-- as should anyone who likes their music played with virtuosic skill and contagious joy! I surprise myself by how often I want to hear it on my ipod. Not to be missed!"

Celtic Santana meets Tom Jones

o dubhthaigh | north rustico, pei, canada | 02/27/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is all over the place, but so is Ivers. Her eclectic tastes and her Irish roots have sent her out as a one woman Celtic Diaspora. I'd say this CD reflects New York more than anything else. Spanish Harlem, African immigrants and the hustle and bustle of the pace of NY infuse this record with loads of energy. The focus is as ADD as NYers are anyway, so to me it seems telling of its origins.
None the less, Ivers has the goods. She's mucked it up plenty with punk, tradition and the Vegas-y Riverdance, and still one is awed by her chops. This woman can cook with all the burners up. Riverdance was less what it was about in Ireland than a showcase for the formiddable dynamics of Eileen Ivers once it hit Radio City. Flatley was and has been clearly at a loss in looking to duplicate Ivers' relentless pursuit of reel magic with any sort of fiddlechic who kept her clothes on.
So in this endeavour, you have a clearly irrepresible Ivers gettin jiggy with a mix of NY, Irish and Spanish and African musicians. Like all of her work, it is absolutely great craic. The oddest thing about this, and I'm still not sure how I really feel about it, is that the lead singer sounds like Tom Jones. A lot. It's not unusual maybe for Ivers to pull this one off, and it rarely teeters into the smarmy tidepool Jones loved to wallow in, but it still comes off as odd and jarring.
I'm not sure I could tell you where Ivers is going with this. It isn't Afro-Celt. And perhaps that's how she likes it. Anyway, it is a great hoot to listen to."