Looking For Irish Music Session CDs

[PennyWhistle]

Hello there,

I have been looking for an Irish Music Session (or so I think!) CD for several weeks and despite countless hours of searching I have not been able to find what I'm looking for. Hopefully someone here can help me.

I'm not sure if I am using the correct search terms or if there simply isn't a lot of that music out there.

What I'm looking for is:

- Irish music
- upbeat
- cheerful
- pennywhistle included (fiddle welcome)
- no singers, instrumental only

I have found a few Youtube videos with the type of music I'd be looking for. Here's one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlrGblTIZQ0

Whenever I found an Irish Music Session cd in online shops, they were either very old with no samples to listen to or there was someone singing.

The reason I'm looking for Irish Music Session cds is that I absolutely love this type of music, also I do line dance and I would like to come up with my own dances for it. It puts you in such a good mood, it's ideal for dancing and thus being active despite being at home a lot.

One of the line dances I love most is "Coastin'". The song that goes with it is "Lord of the Dance". But I do prefer the live-style sessions, the more "down to earth" music.

I'd be grateful for any info you may have.

Thanks very much in advance, and Merry Christmas!

Penny (from Germany)

[ecadre]

I have recording of sessions. They mean something to me, memories of people (some no longer with us), places, tunes, ways of playing tunes. But none of them would have a commercial value. I can't really see any session recording be commercial, ie. put on a CD by a recording company and sold. It's simply too anarchic for want of a better word.

The come-all-ye pub music session is a relatively new thing in Irish traditional music. It plunders from song airs (and the songs themselves), country dance tunes, baroque music, set dance tunes, step dance tunes, and the eclectic accretion of bits and pieces from the European mainland (let alone Britain), North America, Australia etc etc.

And each session is different; maybe by geography, personalities and musical taste. They may take all the elements mentioned above, or only one of them.

This is mostly music that may be played in a session, but doesn't originate there or get its fundamental characteristics from sessions.

What's all this waffle in aid of? If you want a CD of Irish dance music, then I think you need to take a step or two back from romantic thoughts of "session music" and start looking up the specifics. In your case it would be dance music.

I'd say look up ceilidh bands, set or step dance musicians. There are certainly CDs of those. I'm not sure exactly what you're looking for ... "line dance"? However, looking for commercial recordings of sessions would be pretty fruitless, as you've found.

[PennyWhistle]

Hello Andrew,

Yes, line dance. And I want to mix it with Irish Sessions music. Not all musicians or publishers may feel the way you do about it not being of commercial value. I have found some, but, as said, they are old and can't be "listened into" online. There may be other cds around I just haven't found. If there aren't any or not many cds anyway, that's fine. Still, I'm not looking for dance music specifically. Also, I have no thoughts, romantic or otherwise, of Irish Sessions music. I just love it and want to dance to it.

Best wishes.

Penny

[kkrell]

This might be close:

Traditional Irish Music ((traditional Music Session From Belfast)
https://thesession.org/recordings/872

Recorded live in studio, with musicians who do play together in sessions.

[kenny]

"Music From Matt Molloy's" 1992 - easy to find on eBay.
"Paddy In The Smoke" is a classic from 1968, but mainly fiddle, no whistle.
Kevin's Belfast session has good music on it, but I don't recall any whistle.
Your best bet, according to the criteria you've mentioned, is to probably continue trawling through videos on "Youtube".

[kkrell]

Music at Matt Molloy's has songs.

[Katharine]

Hello Andrew,

Yes, line dance. And I want to mix it with Irish Sessions music. Not all musicians or publishers may feel the way you do about it not being of commercial value. I have found some, but, as said, they are old and can't be "listened into" online. There may be other cds around I just haven't found. If there aren't any or not many cds anyway, that's fine. Still, I'm not looking for dance music specifically. Also, I have no thoughts, romantic or otherwise, of Irish Sessions music. I just love it and want to dance to it.

Best wishes.

Penny

I think the point he was trying to make is that it's unlikely there are people trawling sessions in order to make professional recordings of them for sale. I would imagine there are plenty of legal considerations-- such as compensation for the musicians and pub/venue involved-- as well as practical ones, like how to get a quality recording in a possibly-crowded pub.

I'm also not really certain what you're searching for. I'm not sure why it has to be specifically sessions, rather than just bands playing ITM. Maybe I'm just ignorant, but can someone explain to me what is the difference between a "session" and, say, a recording of the same tunes done by Cherish The Ladies or the Bothy Band, except that one is more "informal"?

[PennyWhistle]

Hello Katharine,

I have clearly stated what I am looking for.

Please, if you would like explanations about sessions or whatever other topic, open up a new thread. This is my thread which I would like to stay on topic.

Thank you.

Penny

[PennyWhistle]

kkrell and kenny,

Thanks very much for your kind help. I'll have a look at your suggestions!

Thanks again, and happy holidays.

Penny

[PennyWhistle]

This might be close:

Traditional Irish Music ((traditional Music Session From Belfast)
https://thesession.org/recordings/872

Recorded live in studio, with musicians who do play together in sessions.

Just listened to some of it. Excellent! Thank you!

[PennyWhistle]

"Music From Matt Molloy's" 1992 - easy to find on eBay.
"Paddy In The Smoke" is a classic from 1968, but mainly fiddle, no whistle.

Great! Thanks so much!

[kenny]

Glad to be of assistance.
Yes, "MFMM's" does have songs - 3 out of 20 tracks.
PS - "Paddy In The Smoke" is for sale, new/unplayed, on eBay for under £5 these days. I'm not sure that it will be what you're looking for, but I would recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in Irish traditional dance music. [Even though there are no flutes on it (:]

[Katharine]

Hello Katharine,

I have clearly stated what I am looking for.

Please, if you would like explanations about sessions or whatever other topic, open up a new thread. This is my thread which I would like to stay on topic.

Thank you.

Penny

Pull in your claws. I asked a simple question in an attempt to clarify what you're looking for-- in order to, y'know, help you. Never mind, then.