Named "CD of the Year" by the Irish Echo,
the largest Irish American newspaper in the United States,
First Through the Gate
continues to get rave reviews.

(1) FIRST THROUGH THE GATE, by Brian Conway (Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40481)
Since its release in early August, this album, produced by Conway and Edward Haber, has been the benchmark against which I've compared every other Irish traditional release in 2002. Strip away the impressive packaging (29-page booklet of essays, tune descriptions, and discography), and you still have the best Irish traditional music recorded last year. This long-anticipated solo debut from one of Irish America's most accomplished, if sometimes overlooked, fiddlers was well worth the wait. The production is clean and defined, the concept and execution are masterful, and the spotlighted playing by Conway is stirring throughout.

Born in the Bronx and now living in Ossining, N.Y., this three-time All-Ireland champion fiddler applies his New York Sligo-style skill with utmost taste and conviction. Conway's playing of "The Mullingar Lea/Dowd's No. 9/The Lass of Carracastle," for example, illustrates how respectfully, not slavishly, he sticks to tradition. He strikes an ideal balance between upholding the integrity of a melody and enriching it with a prodigious, never-over-the-top technique.

A further measure of his sway with the bow can be heard in the performances he inspired from both his mentor and his pupil: Andy McGann and Patrick Mangan. Those tracks are priceless, but then, everything about Brian Conway's "First Through the Gate" is an unabated pleasure. This album goes beyond mere recommendation. It's essential.

Earle Hitchner        
Irish Echo         
January 2003        

…suffused with a sweetness and clarity of tone…sweet and altogether wonderful. Conway's playing and this recording should be taken up as a model for younger players.

Brendan Taafe        
Fiddler Magazine        
October 2002         

Everything about the CD sparkles…First Through the Gate is that rarest of releases. The music moves from strength to strength, and its variety and virtuosity should be boilerplated for future albums from other instrumentalists. Brian Conway has done his mentors and New York Irish fiddling proud, and this keeper CD is one of the frontrunners for best album of the year.

Earle Hitchner        
Irish Echo        
November 2002        

…a superb fiddler whose dedication to and love of music are always in evidence, certainly one of the finest Irish-American musician fiddlers…

Dirty Linen         
December 2002        

Conway has long been recognized both in Ireland and abroad as one of trad's premier musicians (due to) his style, swing and sheer technical mastery.

Sarah McQuaid        
Evening Herald        
January 5, 2003        

Brian Conway's fiddling just sounds right. He was born in the Bronx to parents who had immigrated to New York from County Tyrone in northern Ireland. Conway took up the fiddle at age 10 and later took lessons from Martin Mulvihill, a well-respected Irish traditional music expert originally from County Limerick. Through chance and perhaps a bit of Irish luck, Conway also ended up as a student of Martin Wynne, a legendary fiddler from County Sligo. It's important to know which county in Ireland musicians come from, because their instrumental styles are invariably colored by those of the local players. Conway is known for exquisitely accurate and soulful Sligo-style fiddling. On his debut solo recording, First Through the Gate, he delivers sets of Irish jigs, reels, hornpipes and slow airs that succeed on a number of levels: The playing is impeccable, never rushed, and is pleasant to listen to - one can't say that about all the many flashy Celtic instrumental recordings released over the past 30 years! The lasting impression is of a fine fiddler who holds the traditions in high reverence.

Robert Resnick        
www.sevendaysvt.com         

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