Yankee Irish Stew truly reflects the name. Irish and Celtic songs are performed with the distinct imprint of American roots music. Matt Stedman's violin work seamlessly crosses genres, as it contains elements of Irish, bluegrass, and classical. World famous blues drummer and son of blues legend Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Kenny Smith added his own unique interpretations with the use of a drum set, instead of traditional Irish percussion. Bassist Brian Burke switches between acoustic and electric bass throughout, providing a combination of traditional and contemporary sounds. Brian's bass playing stem from his steep background in Celtic, jazz, classical, blues, and zydeco music heard throughout the cd. Elements of these styles are heard throughout. Pianist Thom Maslan switches between acoustic and electric piano, but his focus was on acoustic piano to maintain the integrity of the sound. Thom is an exceptionally versatile pianist performing all styles, but his true passion lies in classical music. This is extremely evident in the ways he constructs strong melodies within his solos throughout the cd, in addition to his accompaniment on "Inisheer."
Bassist Brian Burke and pianist Thom Maslan were integral in arranging the tunes, in addition to writing their own original tunes. Brian's "Blue Mountain Waltz" contains a catchy melody, but he arranges it in such a way that there are many surprising musical twists and turns. Thom Maslan composed “Drunken Fugue”, the first fugue in the world written to complement and precede the famous sea shanty “Drunken Sailor”. Thom composed the fugue in the style of J.S. Bach in a very compelling manner, but he stamps his own unique personality on every note....
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