Album Notes

Since 1994, when they first met, Kevin and singer/instrumentalist Ged Foley have played a lot of music together but In Tandem is their first duo recording. It will come as no surprise to anyone who knows their music that this CD is a work of smooth, unhurried elegance. Ged's recent move to Ireland has increased quite drastically the geographical distance between these two men (Kevin makes his home on the West Coast of America) but musically they have never been closer.

Their initial meeting in '94 was brought about when Ged joined the renowned Irish band "Patrick Street" of which Kevin was a founding member. Since then, through the work of both "Patrick Street" and "The Celtic Fiddle Festival", most of their playing has been heard in a group context but In Tandem highlights the strength of their musical bond with a thoughtful and eclectic mix of material drawn from traditional and contemporary music. The contemporary material ranges from two of Kevin’s compositions to a song written by Sting; the traditional from Ged’s formative years in a mining village in County Durham to Kevin’s involvement as a boy in Irish music sessions in London and Sligo.

Kevin & Ged decided it was time to bring to fruition the idea of making the duo record that had been discussed casually many times over the years. In mid 2005, they entered the studio of their good friend Bernie Nau in Pomeroy, Ohio, set up some microphones, checked that the sounds of the instruments and voice were to their liking, and just sat down and played; they played pieces old and new, familiar and near forgotten, simple and more complex, until finally the recording was complete. With a minimum of studio 'effects', the sophistication of the production skills and musical craftsmanship is very much in evidence as is to be expected from two musicians who for many years have been playing music at the highest level of the genre.

In Tandem presents the listener with both the intimacy and immediacy of a deeply personal, almost private, performance - not to be missed!