Search - Tommy Makem :: Live at the Irish Pavilion

Great Club - Brilliant Album - Legendary Performer

Pat Egan | NY, USA | 01/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What I always liked about Tommy's live performances is that he will revive an old original classic song like "Winds of Morning" (which opens the show) and introduce a brand new one, as he does here with (the closer) "Farewell My Friends." The latter is Makem's only recording of his latest song and fortunately for us, it is a fine version, as are all of the songs on this CD.

The well thought out chord progressions and beautifully unobtrusive back up consisting of guitar, bass, mandolin and fiddle are supplied by very talented musicians, Ronnie D'Addario and Bob Mastro.

D'Addario and Mastro also contribute very impressive vocal harmonies to Tommy's uplifting choruses. Add Tommy's rhythmic banjo and you've got a tight band that many folk acts wish that they had, if only they possessed a bit more musicality and drive rather than coasting on a name or a message. Makem's bodhran and tin whistle playing also give the album a nice Celtic flavor.

Tommy is in great voice and humor throughout. Check out "Tanqueray Martini O" with Tommy doing his best Thuston Howell the III impression or as he refers to it, "Montauk lockjaw." - Good audience participation on this one. "Dark Rosaleen" gives the album some great moments of drama with Tommy's voice and bodhran being the only instruments.

Kitty Bawn O'Brien and The Garten Mother's Lullaby are absolutely gorgeous made even more beautiful by the band's tasteful guitar and violin.

One can tell how much these boys are into what Tommy is doing when they match his energy and drive on such Makem classics as "The Boys of Killybegs" and "The Winds Are Singing Freedom." The ferver that they build up by the end is positively intense. The inspired lead and back ground vocals on these are outstanding.

Humor, drama, catchy melodic up-tempo songs and slow ballads, messages, stories, history - It's all here. Liam Clancy remarked that this album is one of the finest examples of Tommy solo career. He praised the variety, arrangements, and musicianship and said that the album faithfully captures the atmosphere that was the old "Tommy Makem's Irish Pavilion."

This is a nice clean recording and brilliant production. Unlike a lot of live albums, you'll listen to this more than once. Not only are some of the versions better than the original studio recordings, but there are no other versions of many of these future classics.





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