John Whelan - Come to Dance (1999 Ireland) @VBR~256

English-born button-accordion virtuoso John Whelan retreats from the Celtic-world music fusion experiments of his last few albums to make a straight-ahead, traditional Irish dance record. As such, “Come to Dance” feels like something of a breather. 

It’s also a relief. “Riverdance” has popularized Celtic hybrids to the point of cliché. Whelan’s exceptional technique, good taste in tunes and bandmates, and obvious love of the genre helps him skirt that trap while also avoiding the boredom common to many traditional Irish dates. 

"Come to Dance” doesn’t break any new ground, but it tills the old sod pretty well.


01 — Jackie Coleman's — Bag of Spuds — Bird in the Bush
02 — The Broadstone Inn — Big Snugs — Beth Patterson's
03 — The Turning of the Season
04 — The Crooked Road to Dublin — Dinkey Dorian — Gan Aimn — The Copperplate
05 — Frances O'Neill's — Jesse and Franchesca's Miracle — Stop the Car
06 — Tracks in the Snow — The Nightlight
07 — Fernoy Lasses — The Old High Reel
08 — Queen Esther's — What Daddy — April's Polka
09 — Simone
10 — Crossing the Shannon — Man of the House — The Five Mile Chase
11 — Mary O'Neill's — Bank of Ireland — Ballinamore
12 — Bob's Garden of Earthly Delights — Broderick's
13 — Concert Reel — Flogging Reel
14 — Dowd's Favorite — O'Gorman's Salute — My Cup of Coffee
15 — Ten Penney Bit — Trip to Athlone — Gallagher's Frolics
16 — Newtown Bridge — The Kerryman
17 — Father O'Flynn — Father Tom's Wager — Lilting Fisherman
18 — Spellan the Fiddler — Gan Aimn — Deacon Harry Doyle


John WHELAN: Accordeon
Robin BULLOCK: Guitar, Cistre, Mandolin
Tom WETMORE: Bass
Jim EAGAN: harmonic
John MCGANN: Guitar, Mandolin
Cillian VALLELY: Whistle, Uilleann pipes