Various Artists
The History of Irish Music written by Larry Kirwan
Review by Gary Hill
When I saw the title to this book, I was expecting a dry reading experience. Well, this is anything but dry. I’d have to say that, perhaps the title is a bit deceptive. I mean, this is a story about more than just Irish music. It’s part autobiography, part personal documentation of the Irish experience and a lot more. As one of the biggies in the world of Irish music in America, Larry Kirwan has been a big part of the experience for a long time. With his band Black 47 and beyond, he’s an expert of modern Irish culture, the world of music and more. He really has a unique set of experiences that have imparted that kind of expertise. All of those things get visited in this fascinating book. It’s not an exhaustive examination of Irish music as the title suggests. It’s so much more than that. This is a great read, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Irish music. I’d recommend it to just about anyone who likes to read, really.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2015 Volume 3 at lulu.com/strangesound.
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