Album Launch ; Gerry O’Connor & Gilles le Bigot : Live in Oriel” at Centre Cultural Irlandaise Paris

Just before the first lockdown Irish fiddle player Gerry O’Connor and  Breton Guitarist Gilles le Bigot  had prepared to record a second album of their music as a follow up to their previously live album recorded in Gille’s hometown of Dournanez in 2007. 

 A successful Crowdfunding campaign, in conjunction with an intimate style Irish tour was put on hold until Aprii 7th 2022 when the recording was made as part of the Féile Patrick Byrne at the recently restored Patrick Kavanagh Centre in Inniskeen on the Louth/ Monaghan border in the ancient Oriel region, an area long celebrated for its poetry and music. 

The album was recorded in front  of a restricted audience . The result was 12 tracks of instrumental music showcasing the depth and virtuosity of these two experienced musicians. Over half the album contains previously unrecorded material by the Duo, interspersed  with sets of Breton and Irish music Gerry and Gilles hade recorded In their 25 years of collaborating on albums and projects, including Lå Lugh, Oirialla, Fiddle Rendezvous, Caliana  and Bilingua 

Compositions of le Bigot and recently sourced local tunes by O’Connor pepper the album, resulting in truly representative take on these musicians repertory. 

Produced and engineered by Dónal O’Connor,  (At First Light, Ulaid, Bilingua, Roisin Reimagined  etc ) the album of offers a true representation of this duos collective  legacy of over 80 years professional performance and recording !

Gerry O’Connor and Gilles le Bigot “Live in Oriel “ Lughnasa Music  LUGCD967