Mojo (Publisher) (5/03, p.103) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Ivers takes her blazing blue fiddle fearlessly into all manner of styles and cultures....She's a masterful player..."
A rollicking, eclectic album of Celtic fiddle and world beat fusion, Eileen Ivers stays true to her New York City roots on EILEEN IVERS & IMMIGRANT SOUL. Born in the Bronx to Irish immigrant parents, Ivers incorporates the sounds of her heritage and diverse neighborhood in her music. Immigrant Soul's sound is based in Celtic rhythms but seeks parallels in the music of Africa, Latin America, and early North American folk music. This fusion has become Eileen Ivers's signature sound and has earned her acclaim all over the world. Songs like "Paddy Goes to Zululand" and "Afro-Jig" incorporate African rhythms and Celtic melodies with Latin timbales and percussive ornamentation. "Darlin' Corey" is a classic American folk song that is standard in any fiddler's repertoire. Ivers, the nine-time winner of the All-Irish Fiddling Championship, turns "Darlin' Corey" into a blasting blues number featuring Tommy McDonnell. These iconoclastic interpretations have earned Ivers a huge international following. One listen to EILEEN IVERS AND IMMIGRANT SOUL makes that fact completely understandable.