Cathal Hayden’s unassuming nature may be behind his long-awaited solo banjo album.

His fiddle has taken precedence in his solo work and in his collaborations with many, including Four Men and a Dog. Hooked on Banjo is a force to be reckoned with, albeit a genteel one.

Hayden’s ability to delve deep beneath the skin of a tune is writ large, particularly on his delivery of O’Carolan’s and his effortless, loping reading of The Scotsman Over The Border.

The haughty, high-stepping Medina, in all its baroque grandeur (composed by Brendan O’Regan) is a delight.

Hayden’s co-written (with Seán Óg Graham)Gortavale Rock is a mathematician’s dream: complex and elegant in equal measure. An all-star support cast support a very fine snapshot of a musician in full swing.

cathalhaydenmusic.com