A great studio job. The banjo, fiddle, whistle, bodhran and, of course Walt's trademark guitar, harp and vocals are perfectly cooked up in a great Irish stew of music. And, for all the times we've heard Walt singing - we never heard him do harmony with himself. Been waiting for this since 1992 when I bought one of Walt's early tapes. Buy it, you'll like it.

Walt Rooney has become so well known as a fun-loving live entertainer, that it's sometimes difficult to remember what a talented singer and musician he really is -- until one has the opportunity to hear his vocal and instrumental skills brought to bear in a proper studio environment. "Sunshine and Shamrocks" gives us this chance, as Walt and a group of extremely talented backup musicians -- playing a variety of traditional acoustic instruments such as button accordion, flute, fiddle, bodhran, and banjo -- perform an eclectic variety of well-known Irish tunes in a high-quality recording studio setting. The CD's technical quality is apparent in the crisp and clear renderings of all the instruments - including Walt's tasteful acoustic guitar playing - and the audio mix gives plenty of "air", letting us hear the nuances of the various instrumental elements, while still retaining a warm, satisfying blend of "everything brought together". Hearing Walt perform live, one is always amazed by his vocal versatility and energy -- not to mention stamina! But it isn't until we hear him on a studio-produced recording that we can fully appreciate what a skilled and talented vocalist he actually is. The vocal performances are at various times rousing, touching, emotional, humorous... but always, Walt's rich and expressive voice shines through wonderfully. For anyone seeking an extremely listenable collection of Irish favorites -- or for anyone looking for a great introduction to the genre -- you'd be hard pressed to find a better opportunity than Walt Rooney's "Sunshine and Shamrocks"!

The sounds of Ireland, her green hills and rolling ocean waves come alive in song after song. Walt has brought together a fine group of musicians who arrive at a rich, unique sound and his vocals are simply outstanding. His interpretation and recording of each song shows a passion for and an understanding of the music and the people who wrote the songs. The CD ranks up there as one of the best in recent memory. I am proud to own a copy and thank Walt for keeping traditional music alive by spreading "Sunshine and Shamrocks" in Florida and beyond.

Sunshine and Shamrocks is not the recording I expected. Listening to Walt play live is an audience participation event, a rowdy – even bawdy – mix of every musical style known to man. Sunshine and Shamrocks is a studio recording of traditional Irish tunes, and what Walt doesn’t include in variety is more than made up for in rock-solid musicianship, thoughtful arrangements, well-chosen accompaniments, and truly professional production values. This disc showcases the other side of Walt Rooney: the years that he has devoted to mastering his craft, rising above novelty songs and musical jokes to serious musician. If life is a box of chocolates, Sunshine and Shamrocks isn’t the somewhat quirky dark chocolate mango creme I thought I was getting. Instead, it is an exquisitely made, thoroughly delicious, melt-in-your-mouth Belgian (OK, Irish) truffle.