The Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki Trio first release as a musical combo, Return To The Castle, brings a fresh perspective to Celtic music. Instead of the usual rambunctious party music played on acoustic instruments, the JTW trio play wide, sweeping ballads that immerse the listener in the gentler, softer side of this centuries old folk music from the other side of the pond. In fact, this New Hampshire-based combo excels at sweeping musical beauty.
The disc starts out lively enough with an amalgamation of “The Blackthorn Stick,” “The Ships Are Sailing,” and “Over The Moor For Maggie.” Tirrell-Wysocki’s fiddle is brisk, lean, and exceedingly lovely as it dashes through this pretty Celtic melody. One can feel the strength and resolve of the people who have nurtured this music over the centuries even as it plays out with a sweet charm. There is a driving energy to this track that cannot be denied.
A thicker rhythm from acoustic guitarist Matthew Jensen and upright bass player Chris Noyes accompanies Tirrell-Wysocki’s arrangement of Jensen’s “Georgie’s,” a light fiddle melody that moves with grace as it contrasts well with the more heavily accented instruments beneath it. The fiddle practically cries with emotion through out its melodic journey while true old world charm fills up the back drop.
“There And Back Again,” composed by Tirrell-Wysocki himself, offers a twisty fiddle melody, a line that seems to constantly spiral into something wider, sweeter, and more emotive as it goes along. Its speedy tempo and ability to move in any direction at the top of the hat bespeaks of musical freedom, something that can take flight and travel in any flight pattern to anywhere it would like to go. Brisk bowing gives this song a thicker crust, something that has a hearty presence in the listener’s mind.
Track four is a combination of traditional ballads “Morrison’s Jig,” “The Mist Covered Mountain,” and “Road To Lisdoonvarna.” Here, the fiddle plays in short, brisk intervals of notes, its melody line something that jumps, hops, and skips along as though the fiddle represents a man in a hurry who is taking the quickest routes to ensure a timely arrival. This fiddle line eventually comes to feel like a sweet whistle, a line that moves thinly but sweetly in a lilting fashion, a prettiness with a quick mind of its own. Acoustic guitar below adds its own layer of charm with a brisk strum, keeping time while also adding to the haunting feel of this piece.
“Planxty Fanny Power” is a more tender, somber melody piece. Tirrell-Wysocki makes the listener feel what he was likely feeling when he recorded it and what the original composer of days gone by was feeling too. The forlorn melody line speaks of gain and loss and sorrow. The nimble acoustic guitar picking by Matthew Jensen bring it home even further, playing an interval of notes that keeps the piece’s more somber emotive qualities firmly in one place.
Jensen’s flinty acoustic guitar picking brings the necessary backbone to Jensen’s “ABC’s.” This piece finds the melody line jumping around with a lithe joy, lifted, sprightly. Its line is taking us somewhere with confidence and a few quick, tricky finger movements make this one feel its fun, mischievous glee. It’s hard to imagine, though, its upbeat bounce seeming so high and shiny without that fine series of perfectly accented guitar notes.
“Comeuppance” showcases a true countryside rambunctious spirit. This piece has a fiddle melody line that moves like a cat, sprawling motions and sudden changes that convey a high speed feeling. You’ll be sure to have fun keeping up with this one.
Tirrell-Wysocki arranges “Star Of The County Down” as a mellow, low key ballad. Its fiddle melody is a sweep of tender emotion and is packed with longing, stirring, wistful reflection on something huge. One can feel more of the emotive qualities in this time honored piece, which has been recorded and performed many times over, as this trio takes its time laying out all that it truly has to offer.
A cluster of pieces, “Star Of Munster,” Pigeon On The Gate,” and “Mason’s Apron,” come together as a lengthy flight of fiddle fancy. Tirrell-Wysocki makes his melody line jump, fly, glide and many other action words at a speedy, breakneck pace. Yet, it’s all in service to the music. The listener feels teleported to another time and place, a spot where one can picture the hard working folks from ye olde country eating, drinking, dancing like mad, and living a merry life between the chores.
Another cluster of pieces composed by Tirrell-Wysocki changes the pace a bit. “O’Brien’s Return To The Castle,” “Connachtman’s Rambles,” and “The Silver Spear” offer plenty of darting, mostly mid tempo rhythms. Brisk guitar strumming behind a bouncy fiddle conveys the joy that these tunes have been presenting to listeners for centuries. The composer does a fine job creating his works by basing them on these centuries old themes.
The J.W. Trio close out with a sterling rendition of The Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun,” with each instrument perfectly capturing the brightness and luster of the original while keeping it wholesomely acoustic. Bravo.
This trio have come up with a dandy of an album their first time together as a recording combo. This Return To The Castle disc will likely go over well with Celtic and Irish music audiences. With a full touring schedule and support from art councils, the credibility of The Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki Trio will only grow larger.
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