J - Comhaltas Archive

Bock to Brooklyn
Oliver 0 ' connell
71unique
experi ence. He burst
----music sess ion with M artin
Connolly ce ntre stage is a
onto the Irish Traditional Music scene in
the ea rl y seventies, and today w ithout
compromising th e music, th e box
playing of M artin Connolly is living
testi mony to th e influences of the
masters of old w ho have handed down
to us a legacy to cheri sh and safeguard .
Martin, in thi s recording, is carrying on
the trad itions of the greats from the
distant and not so distan t past.
He has a limitless apprec iati on of the box
playing of Paddy O ' Brien, Tony
McM ahon and Joe Burke, and his love of
the fiddle play ing of the great masters of
old is evident on this album, in parti cular
Michael Co leman, James Morriso n and
Paddy Killoran and of course Andy
M cGann and Paddy Reynolds w ho are
today carrying on this unique tradition in
the greater New York area.
It would also be fair to say that M artin 's
music' was greatl y influenced by the
fiddle playing of his brother Seamus
w ho is currently the Director of the Irish
Studies Programme at Boston College.
Ca ptured on thi s recordin g is Traditional
Iri sh M usic played from th e hea rt,
w ithout compromise, w here the quality
of the tu nes takes precedence over the
skill of the musician.
There is on thi s album an incredible
understanding of the music between
Maureen and M artin, and the synergy
between piano and accordion is a joy to
listen to, w ith each complementing the
other.
It is fitting th at M artin 's two sons, Karl
and Damien Connoll y, are also featured
on thi s recording, two great musicians,
Martin and Oamien
and both th eir contributions are superb.
Martin, thi s album is a gem that w ill be
appreciated by music lovers and music
criti cs alike.
Maureen Clynn Connolly
W hen she played you listened.
W hen she taught you learn ed.
When she spoke about our music you
were enthralled.
She arri ved in Clare from New York, and
brought back home a product that was
exported many decades previously,
w hen M orrison, Coleman, Cooley and
Cronin left our gree n shores w ith heavy
hearts, unfulfilled dreams and a musica l
talent that survived and prospered in a
strange and distant land.
Sh e had a hu ge impact in Clare, as
musicians and pupils alike rea lised her
music was spec ial, and her teaching was
flawless.
M aureen G lynn Connolly in full flight,
playin g music or just talking about it,
was poetry in action. Sh e had a passion
for it, and her loving partnershi p as w ife
and musica l partner w ith the accordion
maestro from Killaloe, M artin Connoll y,
though short lived, has left musicians
and mu sic lovers w ith a music legacy
that is unique.
Maureen revered the older musicians,
Martin and Maureen
and never forgot them. Geniuses from our
past w ho dispensed with the trimmings
and pl ayed the tunes from the heart.
Their first recording together, 'The Fort
of Kin cora' was a musica l triumph for
Maureen and M artin Connolly, and I
was honoured to w rite the sleeve notes
for th at album in 1987.
Th e second album together was started
in 1991, and is only now on release as a
memory to M aureen w ho tragica lly died
in 1998.
O n thi s album, M artin is playing in
memory of his w ife, his fri end, his
partner and his soul mate. A lso fea tured
on thi s recording are five young
musicians, pupils of M aureen from Co.
Clare, A isling, Ca rm el, Deirdre, Karl and
Micheal, who are today carryin g on the
great tradition of fi ddle play ing, and
accompaniment, expertl y taught by
M auree n G lynn Connolly and
encompass ing the modern tec hn ique
w ith the soul and fee ling of the past.
Maureen, your memory, your music and
your legacy w ill live w ith us forever, and
we thank you for sharing your gift w ith us.
'We miss you now - our New York Rose
Queen of the fa ir, the music flows
From Heaven to Earth to soothe our being
You are alwa ys with us - our M usic Queen.
22 ________________________________________________ _