John Williams

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It is said that Irish music was born on the farms of Ireland and came to maturity in the cities of America. No one exemplifies this evolutionary process better than All-Ireland cha mpion box player John Williams. Steeped in the tradition of his family’s County Clare, and yet imbued with the spirit of his native Chicago, Williams combines a deep love and understanding of the origins of the music with a fire and passion that permeates every note he plays. His wizardry extends to those two most difficult of wind instruments, the accordion and concertina, both of which he uses to maximum effect to bring old tunes to life. It is to his everlasting credit that he brought in legendary Clare tin whistle player Micho Russell for what would turn out to be Micho’s final recording session prior to his untimely passing. This lovely album also features Martin Hayes on fiddle. "A true virtuoso on both concertina and button accordion...his mastery of dynamics and subtly shifting ornamentation is absolute and complete, leaving listeners slack-jawed in admiration." - Earle Hitchner, The Irish Echo Show more