Reviews of The London Lasses and Pete Quinn (LoLa LL001, 2000)

The Rough Guide to Irish Music

Though the number of venues has declined in England's capital over the last decade, Irish music continues to thrive, thanks in part to the efforts of The London Lasses. Taking their name from the familiar reel, the Lasses were formed for a US tour in 1997 and have since developed into a powerful combination producing some of the liveliest music around. Fiddlers Elaine Conwell and Karen Ryan, both pupils of the late Tommy Maguire from Leitrim, have been playing together since childhood and, unsurprisingly, possess an almost symbiotic musical understanding, Sharon Whelton on flute is an astonishingly able player, equally adept in any key, while Bernie Conneely (now resident in Dublin) maintains the fine London banjo tradition. Their outstanding debut album saw the Lasses link up with pianist Pete Quinn (potentially the Charlie Lennon of the twenty-first century) and singer Sue Cullen to produce one of the most remarkable releases of 2000. Hitting a groove straight away with a set of reels propelled by booming chords from Quinn, the Lasses demonstrate impressive virtuosity across the spectrum of melodic forms - exemplified by Sharon's gorgeous rendition of 'Tenpenny Bit' jig. In contrast, Sue's songs tend towards the melancholic, none more so than the lost lover's 'Johnny, Lovely Johnny'.

Not so much promising as inevitable - a fabulously vibrant debut!

Musical Traditions

Now, anyone who has followed the London Irish scene over the years is well aware of the abundance of outstanding individual players we have had the privilege and pleasure of hearing, but, for some reason which I have never quite understood, London has never produced a recording traditional group which has managed to achieve international recognition. However, all things being equal, this situation should now change with this release of the recording debut of the London Lasses. In the booklet of this superb CD, Brendan McGlinchey describes an identifiable London style of Irish traditional music as that of the London Lasses and I wholeheartedly agree.

With their seemingly permanent guests Pete Quinn on piano and Sue Cullen on vocals, the London Lasses are Karen Ryan (fiddle and whistles), Sharon Whelton (flute and whistles), Bernie Conneely (tenor banjo) and Elaine Conwell (fiddle). The Lasses’ timely debut comes at a time when the London Irish session scene has hit a low ebb and when traditional Irish group recordings in general have not been particularly inspired in recent years. It is cause for celebration then that, together with the excellent sound engineer and producer John McCormack, the Lasses have managed to come up with an album that sounds fresh and inventive, diverse and entertaining while never being anything less than totally traditional. Conneely’s banjo style has a London lilt to it reminiscent of the playing of Sean Casey and John Carty and oozes that special subtlety which only the most confident and relaxed players possess while providing a steady driving undercurrent for the dancetune arrangements. Whelton’s flute is imaginative and powerful, occasionally calling to mind the late great Josie McDermott and often providing the icing for this very rich musical confection. Both Ryan and Conwell are superb solo fiddlers of enormous talent but when they combine forces to provide a twin-fiddle front for the band the sound of the group moves up a gear or two and you are left in no doubt that you are listening to something special. Many of the sets are arranged so as to allow this outstanding fiddle team to shine and when they do they sparkle like proverbial diamonds. To this powerhouse quartet add the old fashioned but funky piano accompaniment of Pete Quinn and the sultry soulful voice of Sue Cullen on the four songs and you have an album that would be difficult to improve on. Right up there as contender for Best Album of the Year.

Traditional Music Maker Magazine

The London Lasses are a four-piece band comprising Bernie Conneely on banjo, fiddle player Elaine Conwell, Karen Ryan on fiddle and whistle and, on flute and whistle, Sharon Whelton. Also featured are regular live guests Pete Quinn on piano and vocalist Sue Cullen and Grace Kelly who plays whistle on one track.

The band are all familiar faces on the London session scene and the album shows off their combined musical talents brilliantly. The album takes me back to the Powerhaus, the Fiddler’s Elbow and Stag’s Head – places where I have heard some of the best Irish music.

I completely agree with Brendan McGlinchey when he says in the liner notes that the London Lasses’ sound perfectly represents what has become the London style of Irish traditional music. The lively, tight and punchy reels and jigs are balanced by the songs on which Sue Cullen sounds not unlike Dolores Keane.

With Quinn’s O’Súilleabháin-tinged céilí-vamping piano, the rattling applecart of this trad girl band from the fifth province of London catches up on you betimes: the fast internal beat, the ragged unison built up voice upon voice, with a fair ould punch to it. Bernie Conneely’s banjo underpins fiddlers Elaine Conwell and Karen Ryan (also whistles) and Sharon Whelton’s flute, while Sue Cullen’s voice gets atavistic power into The May Morning Dew. For all the fact that they’re cousins, the accents are hard to tie down, with individual skills subsumed into the straightahead sessions. It’s like McGowan, I suppose, lashing into the old culture with nothing at all to be ashamed of.

The Irish World

For a debut album, The London Lasses – Bernie Conneely, Elaine Conwell, Karen Ryan, Sharon Whelton and their trusty cohort, Pete Quinn – have managed what so few bands do; they come across as vibrantly on their recording as they do in a live performance on stage.

With a little help from a couple of friends – Grace Kelly plays whistle on one track on the album, and Sue Cullen, appears on vocals – the Lasses jig, reel, waltz and lament their way through 15 tracks. Among the ones that shine brightest is Tom Bhetty’s, a delightful cheery waltz that allows the fiddle to sing brightly and the banjo to shyly hum its accompaniment.

Quinn’s piano takes the spotlight on the Eleanor Plunkett Carolan, teamed up with the reel Eileen Curran’s; a duet of flute and whistle lazily join and then speed up the pace to finish with the rest of the instruments in a mad dash for the end.

Cullen’s interpretations of traditional songs like the May Morning Dew, Johnny, Lovely Johnny, Banks of the Lee and the Low, Low, Lands of Holland are spaced nicely to provide a bit of variety, although it is almost inconceivable that one would get tired of listening to just the instrumentals; they’re so much like double chocolate cake for someone with a sweet tooth – the vocals are the cherry on top.

From the opening notes of Brendan McGlinchey’s Splendid Isolation to the closing notes of the reel they’re named for, The London Lasses embody the spirit and tradition of Irish music, with a uniquely London twist. You can have your cake and eat it too.

Irish Music Magazine

‘This is a sheer delight, a beauty of a collection. Sinewy, strong tight playing, very polished and together with an instinctive understanding.’ And that’s what I wrote before I noticed Brendan McGlinchey’s note on defining the London style as melodious, fast, aggressive and punchy, it’s like the music reflects the faster pace of life in the Smoke. The Lasses are Bernie Conneely, banjo, Elaine Conwell, fiddle, Karen Ryan, fiddle and whistles and Sharon Whelton, flute and Pete Quinn on piano. Pete has a sensitive style, which shows especially well on O’Carolan’s Eleanor Plunkett.

Theirs is a fine selection, with a good balance between songs and tunes, the four songs from Sue Cullen are May Morning Dew (with some sensitive piano from Peter Quinn), Johnny Lovely Johnny, Banks of the Lee and Low Low Lands of Holland, all solid traditional songs and not a hint of radio friendly Mid Atlantic mediocrity. Reels from Paddy O’Brien contrasting with old favourites like My Love is in Americay and The Humours of Ballyconnell. Grand jigs too, taken with a welt, like The Tenpenny Bit and The Luckpenny.

It has the same savour as a good session where you might prefer to listen for a very long while before thinking of unlocking your own box of tricks. There’s a real sense of communication and enjoyment. My one regret is that I missed them when they were in Dublin, early March. I won’t make that mistake again.