Ireland has had its fair share of international breakout successes recently,including Tompkins Square’s own discovery, Muireann Bradley. Perhaps less known is that Ireland is a wellspring of amazing solo acoustic guitar talent. Guitarist Cian Nugent recruited some of the leading lights of Irish guitar to create ‘Imaginational Anthem vol. XIV : Ireland’. The release coincides with Tompkins Square’s 20th Anniversary. The label launched October 25th, 2005 with the release of the first volume of its acclaimed guitar compilation series, ‘Imaginational Anthem.’ The first four volumes of the guitar series featured early recordings by crucial figures such as James Blackshaw, Daniel Bachman, Nathan Salsburg and Jack Rose while re-discovering earlier masters like Suni McGrath, Michael Chapman, Max Ochs, Fred Gerlach, Steve Mann, and many more. Subsequent volumes were handed over for curation : Sam Moss Vol. 5 ; Chris King Vol. 6 ; Hayden Pedigo Vol. 7 ; Michael Klausman & Brooks Rice Vol. 8 ; Ryley Walker Vol. 9, Marcus Fruit Vol. 10 ; Luke Schneider Vol. 11 ; Henry Parker Vol. 12, James Toth Vol. 13, and Cian Nugent Vol. 14. In a full circle moment, a teenage Cian Nugent appeared on the cover of ‘Imaginational Anthem vol. 3’, and contributed one of his first solo compositions on that album. His liner notes for IAXIV illuminate the new project, highlighting each artist, and (rather humorously) framing the acoustic guitar in Irish music history.
“There’s a scene in Steve Coogan’s 1997 sitcom I’m Alan Partridge where the central character Alan starts talking to some Irish TV producers about Ireland and its varied poor representations (badly tarmacked driveways, people with eyebrows on their cheeks, and horses running through council estates) and suggests that perhaps a tagline for a new Irish era should be ‘There’s more to Ireland than this’. And while I didn’t quite have the facetious gall to call this album just that, the temptation did make me chuckle. Perhaps the intention of putting this collection together was to show a different side of Irish guitar. The guitar has often played a questionable role in Irish music. Its tendency towards bashing and harmonising has many times raised eyebrows at traditional sessions, and the good lord knows the dread that befalls faces when a guitar is produced unprovoked at a party. Passing a Dublin tourist trap pub, the sound of a plastic piezo strum can elicit horror in the passerby. But the guitar can also be a tool for dreaming and mystery. It can soothe a sleepless night or transport us in memory. This compilation includes guitar that does just these things by some of Ireland’s most imaginative guitarists. Some brief introductions: David Murphy is a pedal steel player from Cork who has recently been arranging Irish tunes for the steel in a way that is perfectly familiar yet unusual. The March of The King Of Laois is an old pipers’ tune from the 16th century, which David has worked his magic on arranging for the steel. Brendan Jenkinson is a guitarist and producer from Meath who I’ve known for a long time. I’ve often urged him to record some of his solo music, and he has finally given in and done just that, resenting his original Paris Blues. I am excited to see what comes next. Junior Brother AKA Ronan Kealy is a guitarist and songwriter from Kerry known for his powerful lyricism and singing, whose playing I’ve admired since I first heard it many years ago. He takes on the traditional tune The Lark In The Morning in a way I’ve never heard before, infusing it with joy. Caoimhe Hopkinson is a Irish-Okinawan guitarist from Mayo who grew up playing traditional music. She has become an in demand guitarist and bassist and her solo guitar playing has a unique and lyrical way of approaching traditional tunes fingerstyle such as Jamieson’s Favourite. Damian O’Neill is a guitarist from Derry who is probably best known for playing with the bands The Undertones and That Petrol Emotion. More recently he has been crafting reflective delicate instrumentals, which draw on traditional music and blend it with a contemporary sensibility, such as his original Inside Out. My own selection is a traditional Irish tune called I Am Asleep And Don’t Waken Me that I learned from the harp arrangement, which I’ve seen credited to both Turlough O’Carolan and Edward Bunting. Those who know me may notice the title’s aptness to my own wont to slumber. It seemed remiss to compile a record of Irish guitar music without mention of Arty McGlynn, the Tyrone guitarist who reimagined what was possible for the guitar in Irish music, exploring the instrument as a melodic vehicle rather than simply an accompaniment. Tyrone musicians Jerome McGlynn (son of Arty) and Mark McKowski (known as half of The Lost Brothers) render a beautiful take on Arty’s arrangement of the traditional tune The Blackbird. NC Lawlor is a guitarist originally from the north of England who has called Dublin home for a long time, and is known for providing beautiful live soundtracks to the city’s streets for many years. I’ve long been a fan of his playing and was excited to include his original Laurie Rose. Aonghus McEvoy is a guitarist and improviser from Dublin who I’ve known since we were teenagers. He grew up playing in punk bands and in more recent years has taken to exploring solo acoustic playing. His arrangement of Jimmy Guiffre’s Cry, Want is processed into a drastically different context, giving space for him to roam the melody and ruminate over the form. Sean Carpio is an Irish Peruvian musician from Dublin who is usually known as a jazz drummer but never ceases to confound and surprise people by the many strings to his bow. He has a solo guitar practice that he has been developing almost in secret for many years and I was pleased to bully him into recording some of it for this record. His piece Labour of Love is an original written while watching the James Graham play of the same title on television. In Sean’s own words, “although not connected directly to the meaning of the play, it was still about the dedication it takes to make a change, even often beyond your lifetime”. So hopefully beyond the rising rents, tourist traps and badly tarmacked driveways this collection shows there is more to Ireland than this.” Cian Nugent Dublin, 2025
