Reelin' In Tradition

'For those who really know their traditional music, the Mulcahy Family must rank as one of the most impressive musical families in Ireland today.' - Martin Hayes, from the sleevenotes of Reelin' in Tradition Following their outstanding 2005 recording Notes from the Heart on the Cl Iar-Chonnachta label, Mick Mulcahy and his daughters Louise (26) and Michelle (24) are back with a new album, Reelin' in Tradition. If their first album was a revelation for the rhythmic and beautiful Mulcahy sound - as well as the virtuosity across several instruments of Michelle and Louise - Reelin' in Tradition presents a new level of musicianship exploring their collective repertoire. Mick Mulcahy from Brosna, Co. Kerry, recorded two accordion albums on the Gael-Linn label in 1976 and 1990, and, while he always played music at home, he never had to try to get his children to play as they quickly found their own way to it. Louise and Michelle both started on tin whistle. At age 10 Louise moved on to the flute and as a teenager began playing uilleann pipes. Mick recalls driving Louise to Dublin from their home in Limerick every month for a year for lessons in Na Pobair Uilleann. Louise recently guest-presented the TG4 traditional-music show Geantra. Michelle started playing the accordion aged six and surprised everyone when she asked for a harp at age ten. She subsequently took up the fiddle, piano and concertina. Michelle was TG4 Young Traditional Musician of the Year in 2006 and recently featured on Riverdance composer Bill Whelan's new album, The Connemara Suite, on a piece for harp and orchestra which he wrote for her. Mick, Louise and Michelle Mulcahy regularly perform in Ireland the USA and have an unmistakeable, infectious sound. As Martin Hayes writes, 'I first became familiar with the music of Mick Mulcahy from his first solo recording... I remember that both my father and I felt that his music had a great depth of feeling. That same feeling that first made an impression on me has been handed on to his daughters and continues all the way through this recording.'