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Brendan Power : Tradish
© Brendan Power 2004
This is a brand new 15 track CD over an hour long. It was recorded over a period of eight years as I toured with the Riverdance show, and afterwards. The length of time it's taken means that some tracks have parts recorded from different years and several different countries. But I have taken a lot of care to make sure it all hangs together.
The aim behind the project was to make an album of traditional folk-inspired tunes that were composed from the harmonica itself. The harmonica is a young instrument, and has a short history in Irish, Bulgarian and other folk music. So if you want to play convincingly in those styles, you end up playing tunes that were composed on the fiddle, pipes, whistle, flute etc. That's a very worthwhile and enjoyable exercise in itself, and I'd already taken steps down that road with my earlier albumNew Irish Harmonica.
However, as a result of getting to know some traditional styles pretty closely (in particular Irish and Bulgarian), I found I was naturally composing lots of my own tunes that were inspired by them, but originated on the harmonica. To me, this seems a natural continuation of the traditions - though some flavours that seem natural to me (eg. playing a jig with a blues scale) might make purists blanch.
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Andrew White : Brendan Power : Live in Ireland
Folk / Celtic (UK Import)
This album was recorded live at various venues on the Feb 2000 Power & White tour of Ireland. It comprises 14 tracks, about equally divided between original tunes and songs written by Andrew and Brendan Power, basically the best of the recorded stuff from the various gigs.
There is an 'X Factor' that you get when hearing a recording of a live gig, which is generally missing in even the best studio albums - and this one has it in spades. It is as raw as it comes: no added effects, EQ or overdubbing - it's just as it was on the night, as testified by the enthusiastic and sometimes raucous crowd reaction.
Brendan Power : State of the Harp
Harmonica (UK Import)
My first commercial album, recorded in 1989 and released in 1990 by Jayrem Records. My dad lent me most of the money to record it, for which I'll always be grateful. It was a chance to bring in some favorite players from the local Auckland music scene of the time; there was a lot of talent around, especially in the young Polynesian musicians, and it was a privilege to work with them in the studio. Check out in particular the scary playing of the young Cook Islands guitarist Tere Ngaeruaiti (18 years old at the time).