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Rig the Jig - multiple facets of an inimitable musical scope
(May 18, 2010)
Ireland has long been a crucible of fine musical expression. Eclecticism reigns supreme and where boundaries do exist they are there to be over-reached. That approach personifies the widely influenced, fiendishly varied and fervently engaging music of Rig the Jig. With their latest combined CD and DVD ‘Live in Dublin’ recorded during a live performance at Whelan’s in Dublin, Rig the Jig present the multiple facets of their inimitable musical scope.
Rig the Jig The sweeping ocean of talent that is Rig the Jig includes Michael Banahan (vocals, Bodhrán, acoustic guitar) Aoife Kelly (fiddle, vocals) Anthony McDermott (acoustic and electric guitars) Patricia Lane (vocals, Bodhrán) Ian Kinsella (banjo, acoustic guitar) Noel Carberry (Uilleann pipes, whistles) Paul Gurney (bass and acoustic guitar, keyboards) and Brendan Emmett (mandolin, acoustic guitar). This combination of fine musicians; each a perfect exponent of their art, alone or together delivers a cutting edge that’s sharp and precise.
The opening set built around ‘The Lark in the Morning’, opens a wealth of sparkling tunes. These include great moments such as ‘Jackie Coleman’s Set’, ‘The Sandmount Set’, with Noel delivering one of the whistle’s finest recorded moments and ‘Czardas and The Masons Apron’ effortlessly blending Hungary and Ireland. While with ‘The Moving Cloud’ Ian treats you to a master class in banjo playing. It just gets better and you know you’re listening to pure Irish gold - from the insistent presence of Aoife’s fiddle, to the power of Noel’s pipes the bite of Ian’s banjo. There are classic songs here too - ‘My Darlin’ Hometown’, ‘The Errant Apprentice’ and the emotive ‘Lost Little Children’ - all replete with the broad richness of Michael Banahan’s lilting voice. Alongside these there’s ‘The Pretty Fair Maid’ and ‘Tennessee Waltz’ which Patricia sings beautifully.
The beauty of a well-recorded live set at an intimate venue is as well as the music you taste the vibrancy and energy inherent in a live concert. This combination of CD and DVD provides all that and more. Here, traditional Irish blends seamlessly with American folk, English popular and pure originality. And you get 21 tracks to enjoy. Tim
Irish American News: Raised on Songs and Stories / May 2010
When Rig the Jig broke up a few years back I was devastated. They were one of the most talented groups of musicians I have ever had the pleasure of working with and they left us with four great albums packed with great songs and memorable tunes. Michael Banahan began playing and performing with his old pal Anthony McDermott and became The Bailey’s. They recorded a fine album of Irish Ballads but it just was not the same for me. A great album, mind you, but it lacked all of the other influences and mad talent that made up Rig the Jig.
Well, the good news is Rig the Jig are back, bigger and better than ever and they’re kicking it off with a DVD/CD combination that will knock your socks off. Think Planxty meets Fleetwood Mac and you will be halfway there, as the new eight-piece band bring together Irish Traditional influences blended with blues, rock, classical and everything else into a sensational sound that is new and vibrant.
They have been playing under the radar for two years now, in Germany, Switzerland and Austria with a few gigs at home in the Midlands and they recorded and filmed the album in Whelan’s in Wexford Street in Dublin last December. The DVD has 21 tracks in 97 minutes and the CD has 16 tracks.
Rig the Jig are Michael Banahan, Anthony McDermott, Patricia Lane and Brendan Emmett from Roscommon, Noel Carberry and Paul Gurney from Longford and Ian Kinsella and Aoife Kelly from Kildare. Michael on vocals, Bodhrán and acoustic guitar, Anthony on acoustic and electric guitar, Patricia on fiddle and vocals, Brendan on mandolin and acoustic guitar, Noel on Uilleann pipes and whistles, Paul on any instrument he can get his hands on, Ian on banjo and acoustic guitar and Aoife on vocals and fiddle, so it becomes a melting pot of merging talents, there are some serious musicians here and some heavenly music has been produced. Aoife plays Czardas, a classical gypsy tune and turns it into The Mason’s Apron. Noel Carberry on whistle and pipes treats us to The Sandymount Set while Patricia gives us The Tennessee Waltz. There are hornpipes on the piano from Paul and Brendan plays a few tunes he wrote himself, Samba for the Cat and Song for Molly. Aoife kicks it with Radiohead’s, High and Dry and George Michael’s, Faith while Michael treats us to The Errant Apprentice, Let it Be and John Prine’s, My Darlin Home Town. Rig the Jig have lost nothing of their contemporary traditional sound and have gained a lot of new talent with this new HOT lineup.
On Friday last, to coincide with the release of Rig the Jig – Live in Dublin, they played RTE’s Late Late Show and of course they delivered an awesome set. Michael Banahan tells me that they will be back in the USA for festival season in 2011. I for one can’t wait. In the meantime, buy the album. Shay Clarke
The Irish Post 3.6.10
Rig the Jig: Live in Dublin TC1123
DVD and CD single CD REVIEW
FAME BECKONS: Making a name for themselves is Rig the Jig.
A band with eclectic taste
AN EIGHT-PIECE band that play an eclectic mix of folk; and when you see that Rig The Jig cite their influences as diverse as classical to traditional Irish, Leonard Cohen to Johnny Cash, Radiohead to Shane McGowan and all points in between, you begin to get the picture.
They have discovered a real star in Kildare-born fiddler Aoife Kelly who lights up the stage whether singing or launching into a blistering set of tunes.
It cannot be easy to accommodate eight people in a band but they manage it brilliantly. Most of the musicians are unfamiliar to me, but the last time I saw Brendan Emmett he was playing guitar and mandolin with Texas star Kimmie Rhodes in London's Camden Town a few months ago and he is some musician.
The DVD was recorded live at Whelan's in Dublin and features 21 tracks as varied as The Lark in the Morning set to a cover of Radiohead's High And Dry featuring Aoife Kelly, which also happens to be the promotional CD single.
A nice cover of John Prine's Paradise is also in there as is Tennessee Waltz and Let It Be.
As this is released through Universal and Copperplate are handling the PR, it should be easily available. I can see this band going down a storm at festivals so keep an eye out for them.
Joe Giltrap