O'neill's Tunes

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Cat No: RRCD120

Release Date: 24 February 2023

Label: Rooksmere Records

Packaging Type: Digipak

No of Units: 1

Barcode: 5052442023104

Genres: Folk Irish Folk

Description

Renowned and respected banjo man Dan finally gets to release the album that he always dreamed of recording.

Much sought after banjo man Dan took to the instrument at an early age and growing up in Staffordshire his parents inadvertently found the ideal tutor for him in the form of the legendary George Davies. At this point in life Dan's heroes were tenor banjo players Barney McKenna and Gerry O'Connor but lessons with George led to Dan learning, via the work of Ken Perlman as well, how to combine the grace and melody of playing tenor with the percussive rhythmic style of clawhammer banjo to create a unique approach to the instrument.

His love of music took him to Newcastle to study a degree in Folk music, leading to Dan becoming an in demand musician solo, in duos, as part of collaborations, and in the Urban Folk Quartet releasing albums and touring the UK and across the world playing concerts and festivals in the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Europe, but he always had the idea of recording an album of Irish tunes arranged for the banjo, and now finally with this set O'Neill's tunes he has. He arranged and compiled the tunes for banjo during lockdowns and a hugely successful book made it on to the shelves of many a book store but didn't stay there long such was the demand and interest, and now that teenage dream has become a reality with the recording and release of the album.

Subtitled A collection of Jigs, Reels and Hornpipes from the O'Neill's collection of dance tunes arranged for clawhammer banjo it will appeal to fans not only of the banjo, dance tunes and Irish music but admirers of well crafted & played albums.

Numerous sets of tunes adorn the album, some familiar to players and attendees of sessions, where Dan first learned and played many of them, and some less so. Underpinned by his own guitar playing free flowing and fluent banjo lines float over the solid rhythms from the opening strains of 'Old Bush' through to album concluder some 14 tunes and sets later in 'Will You Come Down To Limerick'.