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Ok, ok - I know this was released in 2006, but it’s a good album that deserves attention so I’m going to review it anyway.
Raven is a celebration of Celtic music, performed by two of the best Celtic musicians currently on the scene.
John Williams is one of the living legends of modern Celtic music, playing with groups like Solas, performing guest appearances with Nickel Creek and Riverdance, and composing music for the movie ”Road to Perdition.” Dean Magraw is a skilled guitarist with his fingers in many pies, but his most notable Celtic link is from playing with Altan.
The music on this album is a blend of styles, from the sprightly dance numbers to slow aires, and some almost dark pieces.
The accordion and guitar almost act like dance partners, they complement each other beautifully. Most of the tracks only have two instruments on it, but the abilities of the accordion make it seem like three sometimes.
One unusual thing about this album is that both performers solo on the songs. Generally Celtic music doesn’t have a solo section, like Jazz, Rock or any number of popular genres. The solos are astute variations on the melody and demonstrate the characteristics of their instruments.
Williams’ instruments, be it accordion, wood flute or piano, are played deftly and with delicate finesse. One of the tracks, “The Gypsy Queen” is played with a sultry style reminisce of Zydeco accordion that fits beautifully.
Magraw’s guitar playing is a study in how an instrument often relegated to a purely accompaniment role can come front and center and still fit the style. He uses deft techniques and jazz influences to give a depth and colour to the guitar.
Everything is recorded crisply. It’s definitely worth listening to this album with good headphones – the recording is so detailed it even has the click of the accordion buttons, the rustle of Williams on the piano for the “Perdition piano duet” (from “Road to Perdition”) and the subtle little noises from playing guitar that are rarely heard unless you are the one playing. And "Kilnamona" has such sublte sound effects (it seems the boys were playing with their sound library) that they would be lost in even a moderatly noisy environment.
This album is a beautiful example of what two skilled musicians can do with a style they obviously love. The passion in their playing could not be fabricated, and makes this album a joy to listen to. Even though the songs might not be canon now, the way they play this music should be.
This CD is available from John Williams’ site or Dean Magraw’s site; or you can you can buy it as MP3s from Amazon.com
Rating system:
 | Don’t waste your money on this. |
| Has some cool elements, not my cup of tea. |
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| Good middle of the road, will occasionally appear on my iPod. |
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| Wonderful album with something for almost everybody. |
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| Buy it. Trust us on this one. |
About the Author
Liz Patton is the founder of Celtic Music Nations, an avid Celtic musician and fan. She has played guitar and bass for over a decade, and occasionally dabbles in other
Celtic instruments like mandolin, bodhran, fiddle and tin whistle. She wrote and edited for the University of Texas at Arlington's student paper for two years.
She has an Associate's in Commercial Music from South Plains College, and a Bachelor's of Music from UT Arlington.
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