A blink and a year now it feels like.
Remember when the summer lasted forever, and for me, the years at college felt like a lifetime.
And then poof we're gone.
Dennis Cahill shuffled off this mortal coil a few days ago. I heard about it yesterday when Colm wrote this over on facebook yesterday:
Dennis Cahill could put more music into fewer notes than anyone else I've ever heard. So many times I've just sat and watched and listened while he would hang on a simple sparse fifth for a whole part, or a whole round of a tune, and then pick *exactly* the right moment to add a third or a seventh or a suspension and it suddenly felt as if that harmony had been there all along, lurking like a ghost, and when it came to it grabbed you by the soul. Shaking you. Incredible mastery of guitar, great mandolin player too, and as an accompanist he always brought out the best in people. Very sad that we won't get to hear more, but glad to have learned a bit from him!
I've worn out my Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill CDs, played them so much that the tunes are hardwired. I'm a violin person but if I could play guitar I would love to play it like Dennis.
So what does one do with that sort of news? Listen non-stop to them playing. A few of the sets with Martin and then down the Gloaming content on youtube.
Listening to this one (I think it was this one) and it feels like the best description is celtic jazz, if that makes sense. Absolutely fucking brilliant masters, using a minimum of notes but sometimes all the notes but all separate but insanely and mindblowingly perfectly together.
G
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