As I walked into a concert in a packed Dublin venue, a friend and music lover remarked that Paddy Keenan was playing on stage as well as ever. When I mentioned I had spoken to Paddy only the previous day in Boston, a mixture of disbelief and confusion set in. Both of us edged closer to the stage to see the apparition that was, in fact, a fine young piper playing Colonel Frazier in the same vibrant and energetic style associated with Paddy. This incident is an example of Paddy's seminal influence on Irish music and on a younger generation of pipers in particular.
I first met Paddy in the mid' 70s in the middle of the Bothy Band era - an exciting and innovative period in Irish music. The Bothy Band represented a new, fresh and experimental music and Paddy was a key figure in developing the band's unique driving rhythm. Around that time Paddy recorded his first solo album (Gael-Linn, 1975), which remains a landmark in piping. Although he was busy on the road touring or recording, Paddy was generous with his time for aspiring pipers like myself, with hints on playing and reed making. After the demise of the Bothy Band, Paddy embarked on a solo career, playing in Ireland and Europe.
He eventually moved to the US and settled in the
Boston area, where he has become an established figure in the New England Irish music scene. As well as playing around Boston, Paddy has been in demand throughout North America at both large festivals and small coffee houses.
Although much has been said and written about the influence of the famous Doran brothers, and Johnny in particular, on Paddy's music and piping style, Paddy cites his father, the late John Keenan, as his mentor. John Keenan was an admirer of the Dorans and communicated their style and choice of tunes to Paddy and his brothers. Paddy, however, has developed his own unique style, molded not only from the Dorans through his father, but also from his contact with other traditional musicians. His piping combines passion with tight control, fluency with technical brilliance, as in Rakish Paddy (Track 12), which exemplifies Paddy's mastery of the instrument.
On this album Paddy is joined
by friends from Ireland and Newfoundland to produce an exhilarating selection of dance music and evocative slow airs.
by Padriac MacMathuna
（アルバムのライナー解説より抜粋）