As flutist and uilleann piper Seán Gavin recalls, he first met accordionist/melodeonist Colm Gannon – a Boston native and now once-again resident – some 15 years ago, during the nearly two-decade period when Gannon lived in Connemara. It was a memorable introduction.

“We had a great session at his house that lasted nearly until sunrise. Though we hadn't met or played together at that point, we had many mutual close friends,” says Gavin, “so it felt like meeting an old friend.” 

During the years that followed, the two new/old friends managed to squeeze in a few tours here and there, and now and then talked about making an album. And gradually things began to fall into place, especially when Gannon moved back to Boston. Although the pandemic intervened, Gannon flew out to Detroit a couple of years ago and over the course of three days sat in a recording studio with Gavin to finally put their partnership on record – literally.

The result is “The Boys of 25,” the 13-track album they released last fall with an accompanying tour that included a December performance at The Burren’s Brian O’Donovan Legacy Series – a long-awaited new capture of Gannon’s superb box playing which, along with his breezy, friendly humor, is on full display regularly at area sessions, notably The Druid (Cambridge) and The Red Rose (Weymouth).  

Accordion is a family tradition for Gannon: He learned the Connemara style from his father John and late brother Sean, and when John wasn’t playing, he would have the boys listen to legendary musicians like Kevin Coyne, Finbarr Dwyer, Joe Burke, and Martin McMahon. To Colm, taking up accordion was no chore. 

“From a young age, I just knew it was it was something I’d get into; I’d practically chase Dad down until he’d play accordion for me,” he recalls. “From the start, I knew playing music was going to be a big part of my life. And it’s meant a lot to carry on this tradition that’s been so important for my family.”

Gannon went on to become an All-Ireland champion, tour extensively with “Riverdance,” and was fortunate to have opportunities to fill in with bands like Dervish and De Dannan; he also earned a master’s degree in Traditional Music Performance at the University of Limerick.  He recorded the solo albums “Return to Droim” and “The Rights of Man” (the latter featuring De Dannan colleagues Alec Finn and Johnny “Ringo” McDonagh), “Trasna Na dTonnta” with John, and “The Ewe with the Crooked Horn” with Jesse Smith and John Blake; and he has collaborated on other recordings with the likes of Harry Bradley, Mick Conneely, and Martin Meehan, among others.

“The Boys of 25” is split almost equally between accordion/melodeon and flute or pipes duets, with backing from Gavin’s brother Michael (bouzouki), John Blake (piano, guitar), and Cecil Morton (tambourine). The arrangements are straightforward, all in unison, and make plain that the Gannon-Gavin pairing is an interplay not just of raw skill and ability, but a mutual affinity for certain subtleties of traditional Irish music.

“Colm and I have many shared influences as far as friends and recordings that we love,” agrees Gavin. “In particular, Colm has a great knowledge of the old pipers whose music I cherish as well: You can hear it in his articulation, ornamentation, and phrasing. He understands the old piping music better than most pipers, in fact.”

“We just had this great connection from the start,” says Gannon. “Seán is into the old 78 records I listen to, and he really gets the phrasing in the older music. I think it’s important for an accordionist to know and appreciate the way pipers play the tunes, so everything just clicked for us.”

Things certainly click on a pair of well-known hornpipes, “The Peacock’s Feather/Bantry Bay,” which sound fresh and buoyant, as well as the accordion-pipes combo for “Barndance for Nia,” composed by former Altan accordionist Dermot Byrne. Sets like “Cuz Teahan’s/The Bird,” associated with Kerry melodeon player Terry “Cuz” Teahan, and the reels “Castle Kelly/Lad O’Beirne’s” from, respectively, Finbarr Dwyer and James “Lad” O’Beirne, underscore Gannon and Gavin’s respect for musicians who were foundational for the Irish tradition.

The two also show their talent for adaptation and shrewd blending of tunes. “Judy Hynes” – a robust D-mixolydian jig from early American piper Patsy Touhey – is paired with “Billy the Butcherer,” Gannon’s setting of “Connie the Soldier,” and the result is one of the album’s more intense tracks. Gavin’s rendition of “Maude Millar’s” is based on the version by Donegal fiddler Con Cassidy and follows “The Leitrim Reel,” sourced from a recording of radio broadcast with Sligo musicians Paddy Killoran (fiddle) and Jim McGowan (flute). 

The accordion-flute tracks are ear-catching in any case simply because the two instruments might seem an improbable combination:  one rich, reedy, and muscular; the other softer and soulful. But they are equal partners here.

“I suppose It's an unusual duo in the sense that it hasn't been recorded much,” says Gavin. “Because of that, there was plenty of space for us to develop our own kind of sound through the tunes we like to play. Of course, flute and box have been played together in informal settings for a long time, so it wasn't uncharted territory either.” 

“I just think of it as an ‘old sound’ that perhaps was quite common but just wasn’t captured when recordings first began,” agrees Gannon. “Although it’s true the accordion and flute have quite different voices, they really do go together very well.”  

Recording an album and touring are all well and good for Gannon, but he’s perfectly happy making the rounds of Boston-area sessions, whether in pubs or in living rooms.

“The music scene here is just thriving, as strong and vibrant as I've ever seen in any community,” he says. “It's a special time for traditional music in Boston: Everyone in the scene can feel the electricity, definitely reinvigorating. So many good young musicians around, too, who are really invested in the tradition, like Joe De Georgeo and Seamus Noonan. Just a great place to be.”

“The Boys of 25” is available at seangavinmusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-boys-of-25