Olaf Sickmann - Whistle Man (CD)

The eighth solo CD by composer, guitarist, and tin whistle player Olaf Sickmann is a real treat. He has enlisted top-class support from a member and a former member of the internationally successful Irish music group Cara, making his new album "Whistle Man" a true gem. Rolf Wagels, one of Europe's best bodhrán players, and Claus Steinort, master of the Irish wooden flute, perfectly enhance his wonderfully flowing compositions. "Whistle Man" is an extremely lively, diverse tin whistle CD, primarily inspired by traditional Irish music.
Crisp bodhrán playing meets virtuosic tin whistle melodies, and the simple, energetic guitar accompaniments act like a rolled-out carpet on which the music can unfold. Beautifully tranquil pieces (e.g., Cave Music, To Be At Home), played by Claus Steinort and others with timeless elegance and an incredible feeling for the respective composition, make the listener hear a pin drop and think of films like Braveheart and Lord of the Rings, before things get lively again (e.g., Whistle Reels), and you find yourself immediately transported to a traditional Irish music session. A rarely heard balance of technical perfection, feeling, and wonderfully catchy compositions runs like a common thread through Whistle Man.
In pieces like "A Morning Tune" the classical music training of his childhood shines through again and again. In the title track, "Whistle Man," he captures the wonderfully relaxed atmosphere of a stay in New Zealand in film-score style. Olaf Sickmann skillfully creates an organic whole in which his passion for composition, the tin whistle, and traditional Irish music can be felt in every note. The booklet is full of little background stories about the pieces, bringing the listener a little closer to Olaf Sickmann as a person. In recent years, his music has been heard more and more frequently on radio and television, and one or two of Whistle Man's pieces will surely follow this path.

01 Nick & Leila / The wedding whistle
02 Go! / The autumn jig / The old water mill No. 2
03 Tune for Kevin
04 Bowed glass (Flute Version)
05 Dancing girls / The german hornpipe
06 My girls / Paul the cat / Yes or not
07 Olaf's No. 2 / Polka on a Thursday morning / Controversy / Coastfire
08 Cave music
09 Whistle waltz No. 3 / The barber / Joseph
10 Whistle Reel No. 1 / Whistle Reel No. 2
11 White house / Letter from Scotland
12 To be at home
13 Whistleman
14 Early / A morning tune
15 Bowed glass (Whistle Version)