Zeb was nine when he recorded this album. At the time, he was studying with Ona Cropper, director and conductor of the Vancouver Corelli Strings Orchestra.
At home, during his practice time, I'd often sit in and accompany Zeb and also, when he'd [+]Zeb was nine when he recorded this album. At the time, he was studying with Ona Cropper, director and conductor of the Vancouver Corelli Strings Orchestra.
At home, during his practice time, I'd often sit in and accompany Zeb and also, when he'd ask, show him tunes from the deep well of Irish music which he used to also love to play. In hindsight, it was a painless way to improve bowing technique and playing in general, since it led to more playing time and for that matter more fun as well.
Around about the same time a friend asked me to go into Blue Wave Studios in Vancouver and record some music and send it on to him at the Union Label, California (now Cloister Recordings). Unable to resist, I asked Zeb if he'd help with the project. And thus was born ' The Boy from Ireland '.
As you'll hear if you listen to this album, its really all about a boy playing his fiddle with inventiveness, grace and soul. Granted, his dad accompanys him on mandolin, but Zeb's own virtuosity, innate musicality, with its sensitivity and richness of tone, is to put it simply, a wonder and joy.
'The Boy from Ireland' is a one of a kind recording, which parents of young musicians, classical or otherwise, might successfuly use as a source of encouragement and inspiration in what after all is called, in some circles , the highest form of art, which is to say, music.
Zeb's style is reminiscent of another impecable musician he was later to emulate, that of renowned fiddle player Kevin Burke, whom Zeb met and played with when he was six years old during one of Kevin's visits to Vancouver while touring with yet another great Sligo-born fiddle player, Manus Maguire.
You can see a photo of Kevin, Zeb and Manus playing together on http://www.irishbouzouki.com/theboyfromireland.html, (the root being www.irishbouzouki.com - click on the link 'UZ2' ).
The long awaited follow-up to this album, shortly to be relealsed on the Cloister Recordings label and which will also be available here on CDBaby, is the 2003 live recording entitled ' The Musical Priest '.
In the interim photos from the making of that cd are to be seen on http://www.swordoflight.org/tuan,( click on ' Musical Priest ').
Anyone wishing to get a copy of the transcript of the music featured on ' The B
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