Good solo piping recordings

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ennischanter
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Tell us something.: If you flush your toilet 7 times whilst lilting "The Bucks of Oranmore", an apparition of one of the great pipers of old will appear in the mirror, you will be blessed with good reeds, but cursed with bad bags and bellows.
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Good solo piping recordings

Post by ennischanter »

I listen mostly to older recordings like Ennis or Reck, but I'd happily try out newer recordings.


Do you have any good recommendations of solo albums by pipers of Today?



Thanks.
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Tom_S
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Re: Good solo piping recordings

Post by Tom_S »

Not many true solo piping albums around IMO, but here's a few recommendations from my list that I listen to



A New Harvest - A Generation of Uilleann Pipers
Some slightly raw talent on this album but some nice piping for sure

Alison Perkins & Nick Brown - All Covered With Moss
Pipes & fiddle, but still Nick's piping is real nice and easy to distinguish in the recording, and some great playing from both of them

Blackie O'Connel - Friar's Green
Haven't listened to this heaps but Blackie is a madman

Brian McNamara - A Piper's Dream / Fort of Jewels
Brian's got a distinct style, but some lovely playing on these albums, beautiful slows airs

Brian Bigley & Brian Holleran - Traditional Irish Music on Flute and Pipes
Pipes & flute, but I love this album the piping rocks and the flute gives it an extra dynamic flow

Chris McMullan - Uilleann Tales
Really fine piping album, great stuff IMO

Cillian Vallely - The Raven's Rock
Haven't listen to this heaps but some nice playing

Cillian Vallely & Kevin Crawford - On Common Ground
Pipes & flute, but still a great album

David Power - Cuaichin Gleann Neifin / My Love is in America
Two incredible albums, must listen IMO, David is seriously awesome

David Power - The Eighteen Moloney
David on his Bb set, another brilliant album

David Power - Apples in Winter
Pipes & fiddle, I prefer his other albums personally but this one is still good

Dicky Deegan - An Phib / By the River of Gems
Dicky is a madman, some really good stuff in here

Drones and Chanters Vol 1 and 2
Two releases by NPU, should be part of everyone's collection, lovely selection, obviously 1st one is older stuff

Eanna O'Croinin - Ceol Arsa na bPiob
A lesser known album I think, but a real gem, some fine piping pieces

Elliot Grasso - North by Northwest / Standing Room Only
Mainly accompanied by backing/rhythm instruments but a real great set of albums

Elliot Grasso - Up Against the Flatirons
NPU released, a real brilliant album of fully solo piping, recommended

Emmett Gill - The Mountain Groves
NPU release, really nice solo piping

Fiachra O'Regan & Sophie Lavoie - Sophie & Fiachra
Pipes & fiddle, really great harmonies and Quebecois(?) inspired tunes

Gay McKeon - Irish Piping Tradition
Mainly a solo album, some great stuff on here

Jack Brennan - Piper's Dream / Unison
Some really interesting solo pieces going into different genres with the pipes, along with more trad stuff, really interesting stuff, also a personal friend so I gotta recommend these haha

Jarlath Henderson & Ross Ainslie - Partners in Crime
Uilleann pipes & smallpipes (?) but amazing, really mindblowing

Jimmy O'Brien Moran - Sean Reid's Favourite / Take Me Tender
Two lovely flat piping albums, lots to absorb and take in, really nice

Joey Abarta - Swimming Against the Falls
Joey is exceptional, amazing, incredible - this is one of my favourites, solo piping at its best

Leonard Barry - New Road
Some solo, some accompanied, but very very nice piping album

Liam O'Flynn - "LOF1" / Out To Another Side / The Fine Art of Piping / The Given Note / The Piper's Call / The Poet and the Piper / The Fire Aflame
Lots of accompaniment on some of these albums but Liam's playing is (was) (IMO) so gorgeous they're all a must have. Also all the Planxty stuff!

Live Recordings from William Kennedy Piping Festival Vol 1 / Vol 2
Many different sorts of pipes, but quite a bit of uilleann piping, worth getting, there's some really really incredible playing here

Michael Cooney - Just Piping
I always underrate this, but it's such a solid great album of solo piping, it's really good every time I listen

Neil Mulligan - An Tobar Gle / Leitrim Thrush
Good piping from Neil on these two

Paddy Keenan - Na Keen Affair / Paddy Keenan / Port an Phiobaire / The Long Grazing Acre / Doublin
Paddy is a living legend, I think I like the self-titled album the best. Some of these have accompaniment and non solo piping stuff. Also all the Bothy Band stuff!

Robbie Hannan - The Tempest / Traditional Irish Music Played on the Uilleann Pipes / The Whirlwind
Mind blowing, Robbie's playing could be studied for years, gobsmacking, I love these especially the first two which are pure solo piping albums

Preston Howard - The Primrose Glen
Not too bad IMO, mainly solo I'm pretty sure

Sean Potts - Self Titled (I think)
I love this album, mainly solo piping, really really great playing

Mick O'Brien - May Morning Dew / Tunes from the Goodman Manuscript / Deadly Buzz / Kitty Lie Over
Mostly playing with others, but it's worth getting Mick's albums because they're all so good, and there's enough piping on there to keep you going for years. Mick's playing is truly truly gorgeous.

Ronan Browne - The Wynd You Know
Some lovely playing on this one, quite a bit of solo piping

Sean McCarthy - Halcyon Days
Sean's playing is almost too perfect for my taste haha - but I think this is pretty much a solo piping album


That should keep you going for a while!
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Re: Good solo piping recordings

Post by tommykleen »

What a terrific list of recordings! I'm filing that away!

I would add Leo Rickard "Pure Piping". A pipes-only high-wire (and without a net) act!
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Re: Good solo piping recordings

Post by An Draighean »

If you like good flat piping, I would also add Jimmy O'Brien Moran to the list, especially his "Take Me Tender" album.
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chaos97
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Re: Good solo piping recordings

Post by chaos97 »

Tom_S wrote: Fiachra O'Regan & Sophie Lavoie - Sophie & Fiachra
Pipes & fiddle, really great harmonies and Quebecois(?) inspired tunes
I think it's worth noting, Fiachra also has a solo album 'Aisling Gheal'

I also really like Mikey Smyth's 'The Wild Keys' & while it has some backing, I think Sean McKeon's 'To The City' is fantastic. Preston Howard, in addition to his 'The Primrose Glen' album, also has/had a blog called 'Irish Tune Tarot' with about 70 or so tunes available mostly using (i think) a lovely B. Angus C# set.

NPU has a couple compilations of young pipers available, 'A New Harvest' & 'The Rolling Wave'. There's also the recordings of older players that aren't mentioned enough like Tommy Kearney & Sean McAloon. Recently the Jim Lavin recording 'Ceol an Mhala' was reissued, and while it's not great recording quality - there's certainly interesting piping there.


Just about any of the pipers mentioned can be sampled playing live in the NPU archives. There's also plenty of material from pipers that haven't released much material on their own. Some of my favorites are Cormac Cannon, Fionnan MacGabhann (does anyone know the set he's using in the 2015 recordings? I love the sound of that chanter), Padraic Keane (fantastic recent show playing a Kenna), & particularly John Tuohy. I really look forward to proper solo releases from any/all of them.
ennischanter
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Re: Good solo piping recordings

Post by ennischanter »

These are indeed great suggestions, I'll be sure to look these up.




An Draighean wrote:If you like good flat piping, I would also add Jimmy O'Brien Moran to the list, especially his "Take Me Tender" album.


That is a great one indeed, a nice warm sound from those pipes he's got.
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Re: Good solo piping recordings

Post by RenaissanceGuy »

Patrick D'Arcy's "Wallop the Spot," released in 2012.
Mostly piping, with a piece or two on whistle, and some vocal.
The flat set in B has a lovely sound.
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Re: Good solo piping recordings

Post by Pipewort »

The Drones and Chanters, Vols. One and Two. And The Pipers Rock ( pieces from many of those mentioned in the first reply but recorded when they were 'young' in the latter, some great playing.
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Re: Good solo piping recordings

Post by shakyhands »

I submit Tiarnan O'Duinnchinn's latest album, Reggish Paddy, as the foremost masterpiece in modern piping. Mandatory listen.
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Juan Pablo Plata
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Re: Good solo piping recordings

Post by Juan Pablo Plata »

1. There is no better chanter work than Robbie Hannan´s in "Traditional Irish Music Played on Uilleann Pipes" and "Seidean Si" (this one with Paddy Glackin). Outstanding and never surpassed. His last album not so stellar.
2. Elliot Grasso´s solo album "Up Against the Flatirons" is great, too, and very similar to Hannan´s.
3. A more recent album to listen and listen again is "Forgotten Gems" by Padraig MacGovern and Peter Carberry. We need a solo album from MacGovern NOW.

Yes, there are other great albums and excellent pipers, but these are instant classics, albums to STUDY, the technique, style, ornamentation, sense of rythm and musicality is brilliant.



PD: I still dream of Sean Og Potts recording just pipes.
PD2: Yes, they all play(ed) B Rogge chanters... I like that sound.
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