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Beltane is the name of the ancient Celtic ritual celebrating the height of spring, or the vernal equinox. It's an appropriate title for this invigorating collection of ten fresh originals by Australian guitarist, Luke O'Neill, which also includes an inspired arrangement of the traditional 'Drag her round the roads/The Banshee'. Luke plays guitar on all but one of the eleven tunes. He also plays boomerangs and thumb cymbals, as well as keyboard and voice on 'Gold'. He is joined by Maurice Cernigoi on bass, Glenn Mortimer on drums, Nigel MacLean on electric violin, Louie MacManus on mandolin, Suzanne Simpson and Meredith Thomas on violin, Kerryn Coulter and John Lynch on viola, Tim Blake on cello, Kavisha Mazzella and Maggy Mangraviti on voice, Shannon Birchall on double bass, Jane Belfrage on harp, Peter Neville on percussion, and last, but not least, bell birds from Christmas Hills. The ensemble arrangements are diverse, going from solo pieces like the haunting closing piece, 'Last Farewell' to incredibly arranged chamber ensembles with Luke in the forefront, backed by the strings and other instruments. This album is absolutely fascinating. Luke O'Neill's sound is refreshing, elegant, stimulating and truly amazing. Once this CD is on you will not be able to turn it off until the end. I was in a complete trance the first time I put it on, and after continuous listening I am in even more awe at Luke's incredible guitar performances and arranging skills. My favorites were the more sparse plaintive ballads, songs like 'Peacock', a beautiful string quartet written for two violins, viola, and cello. Luke goes far beyond any trace of Celtic influences here. Another favorite was 'Sigh of Lovers' which is performed three times, first as a short version, then a long version, and finally, a distant version. The short and distant versions showcase beautiful duets between Nigel on electric violin, and Luke on guitar. The long version is a string trio with Sue Simpson on violin, Kerryn Coulter on viola, and Tim Blake on cello. Each song comes across with consummate technical skill, sparkling imagination, and above all, a burning sense of commitment. The ensemble performs the slow airs and chamber ensembles with equal command and grace, the arrangements full of heart stopping dynamic contrasts and impassioned expressiveness. Highly recommended. Review by Ben Kettlewell information: |
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Luke O'Neill