"This is one of the best fiddle and uilleann pipes albums of the past ten years. It’s long, it’s packed full of big tunes, it is grounded in the tradition, it’s as raw bar as you can get, it’s never flash and it’s marvelous for it. Fiddler Alison Perkins from Detroit and piper Nicolas Brown from Fergus, Ontario. That’s a long way from Ireland, but as each track unfolds you’d think they were regulars in Henrietta Street Dublin." (Read full review here)

 — Irish Music Magazine

 

 

"Despite their youth, the performing accent here is unapologetically
old-fashioned. It’s a pleasing quality, underscored by Perkins’ dexterous
and authentically jaunty fiddle and Brown’s keening flat-pitched uilleann pipes and bright, dancing flute... Rousing reels make the most of Perkins’ characterful bowing and Brown’s imaginative interrogation of both pipes and flute. Perkins also sports a low-set voice that sounds securely rooted in sean-nós style. Throughout the release there is a solid sense of ensemble and reciprocity – this is a duo that listens to each other, responding in the moment with structure and spontaneity; blissfully at one in their loose and elastic athleticism."

 — Songlines Magazine UK, starred review

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"Perkins is a brilliant fiddler who sometimes flashes an aggressive drive. Brown is an excellent piper who incorporates smart, subtle touches in his ornamentation and regulator work to yield a smooth, gentlemanly style.  The warmth between the two players and their instruments is complemented by the sensitivity each has for the other’s playing. Perkins and Brown are terrifically responsive to each other and together they make a grand duo and a lovely racket." (Read full review here)

 — The Irish Echo

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"When it comes to Irish music in the Midwest, Chicago and Milwaukee tend to get most of the attention, with Minneapolis a little off to the side. Now comes this Detroit-based duo of spouses to serve notice that the Motor City deserves to be in the conversation... All well and good to have two musicians of such caliber play together, but Perkins and Brown also embody that whole greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts thing: There is, plain and simple, a real heft to their sound. It has to do with the way Perkins employs double stops, for example, or how Brown uses the regulators on his pipes (which are in the mellow key of B) – the melody line remains dominant, of course, but there are robust harmonies and subtle contrasts to relish." (Read full review here)

 — Boston Irish Reporter

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"When I first encountered Alison Perkins and Nick Brown together, I knew that they shared a passion for each other and the music that they played. Finding two people who complement each other so well on their instruments and who weave their melodies into such wonderful performances is very special.  I expected great things with their new CD “All Covered in Moss,” and I was not disappointed.  I have always been a big fan of pipes and fiddle together, and this CD increases my admiration for those with the skills required to play traditional Irish music at such a high level.  The performances are authentic, pure drop.  I look forward to more of their thoughtful and masterfully played music in the years ahead." 

 — Ken Fleming, Director of The O'Flaherty Irish Music Retreat

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"This debut album from accomplished musicians Perkins and Brown brings Irish music back to its traditional roots. Brown’s consummate knowledge of his instrument, the uilleann pipes (as well as stellar playing on the flute), is matched with Perkins’ subtle yet fierce fiddle. It is the perfect pairing. These players have done their research. Brown and Perkins play tunes as they were originally transcribed in places like the O’Neill collection providing a retro departure from the way tunes are usually played in the contemporary session. Hypnotic, yet precise, All Covered with Moss is like sitting next to a comfortable fire and hearing ancient stories from the Old Country."

—Alex T. Davis, WTJU Folk 

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"It is patently and beautifully obvious how much they play together and how thoughtful and generous they are with each other's playing, and the moments of perfect duplication are delightful because they come from that depth of rapport and love that characterizes everything they do. Those moments are like auditory high fives, celebrating togetherness."
 — Irish piper Patrick Hutchinson