Pat Simmonds penned this review.
New Zealand has produced very few examples of Irish Traditional Music through the years. Sure, there are the locally known players who play at the ceilidhs and bush dances. There are the long established immigrants who might play quietly on a Sunday afternoon for their grandkids. Given the level of emigration to New Zealand it is a little surprising that the musical culture did not survive. Brendan Power would be the most well known export; a harmonica player of exceptional talent, he took the Irish music world by storm with his New Irish Harmonica release. The latest export is a young man by the name of Brendyn Montgomery, who having released this CD has upped to Ireland to attend the Limerick University Irish Traditional Music course. (Bringing it all back home, if you wish.)
In listening to this work I hear a lot of potential and must say that I am really looking forward to another effort from Brendyn knowing that he’s going to be spending the next couple of years in the musical eye of the storm. Overall the album has a “West of Ireland feel”, helped in no small part by the bouzouki of Mike Considine.The influences are apparent track by track. This CD is more the product of having learned music outside of a tradition where the only sources are obscure tapes, new CDs and the odd passing musician than a deliberate attempt to emulate other musicians. No harm in that. As to be expected there is a healthy mixture of jigs and reels with a couple of airs and polkas. The selections are all standard session fare with the exception of two self composed sets and one tune from local fiddler Jono Lonie. Brendyn plays flute and whistle throughout and Mike backs him up with bouzouki and bodhran.
While this release doesn’t really hold up against the majority of flute and whistle albums — the production qualities leave a bit to be desired and some of the playing is a little naive — it is certainly a fine first effort. Far more importantly, though, I think that this album marks a nascent point in New Zealand’s music history in that an album of good traditional music from a young Kiwi player has finally been realised. Despite the shortcomings there is a sense of quiet confidence about it that should mark the birth of a new generation of New Zealand musicians.
(Independent, 2002)
