Galway Advertiser, Galway, Ireland
May 25, 2006
Dan Possumato "Land of Sunshine" (Claddagh Records)
IRISH TRAD albums from Alaska are not what you'd describe as 'in abundance' so Land of Sunshine from Pittsburgh born, Anchoraged based Possumato comes as a surprise.
Possumato's melodeon playing has a lively, sprightly touch, that draws from the more traditional side of the fence, but displays enough ad-libs and flourishes to provide plenty of welcome colour, variety, and freshness throughout the tunes on the album.
Possumato is also happy to let his collaborators shine, as on 'I Buried My Wife And Danced On Top of Her' which comes across like a musical duet between Possumato and the nimble banjo picking of Jerry Mulvihill. Laura Mulcahy also contributes a marvelous rendition of 'Blackwater's Side,' the old Irish song that Jimmy Page would later transform into Led Zepplein I's 'Blackmountain Side.' A delight from start to finish.
-- Kernan Andrews, Arts Editor, Galway Advertiser
* note: Jerry Mulvihill plays banjo on two album tracks, but not on the one mentioned above: Quentin Cooper is actually the man doing the 'nimble picking' on that track!