CD Review: GARY GALE – On The Squid Jiggin’ Ground

GARY GALE

On The Squid Jiggin’ Ground
This Kettle Boils Over – Take
Me Back – Kevin Barry – Harbour Le Cou – The Liquor Book – Hirin Fair –
Over The Waves – Galway Bay (swing style) – Grey Foggy Day – Mussels In
The Corner/Rowed Up A Dory – Husky Reel – The Green Glens Of Antrim –
Farewell To Nova Scotia – The Cliffs of Baccalieu – Old Maid In The
Garrett – P.E.I. Is Heaven To Me – Sonny’s Dream – Never On Sunday

Gary Gale is  remarkable
musician.  This CD is full of tradition, it’s full of classic accordion
music, it’s full of history. That’s not something we would find on
country music charts today.  Still, the accordion played a massively
important role in country music history.  In the two photos on the album
cover, we see Gary playing a regular accordion and also a box
accordion.  He must be able to play both well, for this CD is totally
full of extremely well played accordion music.  I remember growing up on
a poor share-croppers farm in the prairies of Nebraska.  My father was a
poor farmer, but I can distinctly remember not only seeing it happen in
our own house, but many of the neighbors.  Especially on Saturday night
the furniture would be removed from the living room (probably
stashed in a bedroom somewhere) and only a few of the chairs from the
kitchen allowed, usually the musicians would take them. Everyone else
either stood to listen to the accordion music (usually German, Czech, or
Polish), or spend their time dancing.  The music I hear on Gary Gale’s
CD takes me right back to that incredibly fun time.  Gary’s music is
inside him, it’s in his soul.  He will never be able to get rid of it,
it will be in his heart and his mind until the day he dies.  How
wonderful it is to hear this incredible heart felt music again.  Gary
has also very wisely added some gifted musicians to finish out the
session: Keith Fitzgerald on rhythm guitar; Wilf Doyle Jr. on bass;
Gerald Companion on lead guitar; Al Esis, Kevin Brown & Sal
Noguera on drums; and Kevin Brown on saxophone.  I especially enjoyed
“Over The Waves” sea gulls and boat whistle and all. Very effective. 
This entire CD is a step back in time, but make that a very pleasant
step back.  It is so unfortunate that young people cannot find this
music, cannot find it in their hearts to ‘enjoy’ something like this, to
share it.  What a much nicer world this would be if only they could
‘discover’ it for themselves.  What a treat and a tragedy at the same
time.  This CD will go directly to the Rural Roots Music Commission for
their annual selection of “CD of the Year” awards. A delightful
experience. Prepare for a trip to the USA Gary.
RECORD REVIEW BY BOB EVERHART, President of the National Traditional Country Music Association for Country Music News International

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