Not Before Time​.​.​.​39 Years in the Making

Páraic Mac Donnchadha has played tenor banjo for almost forty years and now shares his wealth of experience, insight and musical pedigree on his breakthrough album ‘Not Before Time… 39 Years in the Making’ (Thar Am)

Available At: https://paraic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.custysmusic.com/product-info.php?pid1033.html

I had thought to buy this, but there are a couple of questions. First off, Paraic’s website says “release 10th Dec. 2018”. Also, they seem to want to charge £21.87 to post to the UK. I think I’ll let this one go.

Hi Kenny,

Thank you for checking out the CD and I’m sorry that the result thus far was a negative for you. Two things to note, however: one, the date system they use is Month/Date/Year so in fact, the release date was 12th October, this year. Two, I agree that the quoted price for shipping is extortionate and in fact, not the arrangement that I’d understood to be in place. There IS alright a steep 23% VAT on the base price plus a modest Shipping fee but… that’s still a long way from what you’re being quoted! Yours is the third example of this mix-up that I’ve come across… I’ve committed to get to the bottom of it and will revert. Don’t give up just yet… it’d be a shame for you to miss out (Ha!) Seriously… hang in!
Kind regards - Páraic

Hi Paraic - thanks for the reply. I didn’t make a mistake with the date. The website says literally “releases 10th December 2018”. If that’s not the case, then that needs to be changed.
I sent a “digipak” CD to Ireland yesterday for less than £3. CDs in “jewel-cases” are under £4. I’d be surprised to have to pay much more than that for a CD coming from Ireland to Scotland.
Once you get the P&P costs sorted, please let us know.
All the best, Kenny

Wonderful cd and playing!! One of my favourite cds ever,cant stop to listening to it.A must have!!what a good choice of tunes and perfect pace

Paraic here, in good company….
https://youtu.be/t0Ro1INYLXQ

play video

This is a terrific CD, with lots of tracks, so you get a great value for the dollar as well. Wonderful “live” feel throughout and the playing is infectious and inventive.

Highly recommended.

I got a digital download via Bandcamp, so I didn’t have to pay postage to the U.S.

Just updated the tune link for Track 2 “Tommy Coen’s”. It was linked to Christmas Eve before, but I’m pretty sure it’s actually Cottage in the Grove.

I just updated the link in track 12 so that points to the correct Matt Peoples’

This is my favourite banjo album of all time, if not my favourite trad album of all time. I have listened to it more times than I can count. The variations are so subtle and every time I listen I hear something new. This album has made me a better banjo player and a better listener! I encourage all banjo players to get this album asap! Banjo genius.

I got this album last week and like others have hinted at it is phenomenal! Do another album please!

For anyone wanting to know how to pronounce his surname I think it’s like Donacha with the ch like in loch - kind of similar to Duncan. He pronounces it here:

https://youtu.be/1LMwi7DyXqU

play video

This is one of those rare “shout from the rooftops” albums - once you snap out of the trance and realize you’ve listened to it 5 times in a row without a break, you start pushing it on all your friends

You ain’t getting virtuoso flashy playing here (if you want that done right, get Damien O’Kane’s Mystery Inch and Stevie Dunne’s Live at the Crosskeys).

But if you’re really listening and paying attention, you’ll hear the Pure Drop on this.

I’ve been bashing away at this stuff for about 20 years now and have heard so many versions of most of the tunes on this album I’ve lost count. Then you put on a track - for the sake of argument let’s say #16 - and you hear what they do with it all and how it builds and it’s like you’re hearing The Green Mountain for the first time

Not for banjo players only - this is a landmark recording