I have been listening to Traditional Irish music for awhile now, but have mainly concentrated on the so-called “supergroups” from the 70s (Bothy Band, Phlanxy, etc.) along with the more current groups (Altan, Dervish, Danu). Although I love the arrangements and drive of these groups I would love to hear what the music sounded like before this, when Irish music had a distinct regional flavour. Can anyone suggest some albums/cds that might be available of earlier Irish music? All I have so far are Willie Clancy and Seamus Ennis. Thanks for any suggestions you might have.
The Sliabh Luachra Fiddle Master, from Padraig O’Keefe. Available from RTE.
Supposedly Padraig O’Keefe was one of the last fiddlers to play in a true Sliabh Luachra style. The CD is completely unaccompanied, there are a couple tracks of duets with Denis Murphy, one of O’Keefe’s most famous students. He plays some enchanting airs on this disk, perhaps the best air player I’ve heard.
As a halfway house you could also try the first three or four Chieftains albums if they’re still available. They’re slightly “arranged” but don’t have the heavy rhythm section which characterises the groups of the “post-Bothy” era.
In the last year or two, Shanachie reissued the classic “All Ireland Champions: Violin” with Paddy Canny and P.J. Hayes on fiddle, Peter O’Loughlin on flute, and Bridie Lafferty on piano, recorded in 1959. Shanachie gave it a new title: “An Historic Recording of Irish Traditional Music From County Clare and East Galway” and they rearranged the tracks, but at least it’s finally commercially available again after 20 years. This is a great and legendary recording, and the source of a number of sets and tunes that are played widely today.
Until recently at least, the first four Chieftains albums were available as a boxed set, nicely packaged and very good value. You can’t go wrong here although there are dozens of other ways of going right.
Howsabout …
Paddy in the Smoke (x- west coast Irish in London fiddlers)
Michael Coleman’s 78 collection
John & James Kelly (Clare)
Casey in the Cowhouse (Bobby Casey)
The Brass Fiddle (Donegal fiddlers)
Milestone at the Garden (collection of 78 era fiddle tracks)
this is more than enough to get you started on fiddle stuff, you’ll be amazed out how much of this stuff turned up on Planxty/De Danudo etc.. albums. The Cheiftans are fun but they have a sound that’s peculier to them, not the same as the stuff you’ll hear on these recordings.
My personal favourite: Tribute to Michael Coleman (fiddle, accordion, piano)
Kevin Henry - One’s Own Place (flute - the very distinctive style from the Mayo/Sligo border)
Kevin Crehan - An Bjábóg sa Bhádóg (fiddle, Junior Crehan’s stuff)
Kevin Burke - If the cap fits (fiddle - lots of overdubs, but amazing fiddle playing that has influenced a lot of people)
Seamus Tansey - The Phantom Shadows of a Connaught Fire (flute, whistle - Seamus Tansey’s musical legacy) Wooden Flute Obsession (flute - the definitive record of Irish flute playing in the 20th century)
Prince - Purple Rain (just kidding!)
I suggest the following:
‘The South-West Wind’- Ronan Browne and Peter O’Loughlin
Fantastic duets on u.Pipes,flutes and fiddle.
‘The Branch Line’-Jack and Charlie Coen
Pure drop duets on flute and Concertina.
‘Two Gentlemen of Clare Music’- Gerard Commane and Joe Ryan.
Joyful music on Concertina and Fiddle,Full of atmosphere-you can hear the wind whistling down the chimney!
Kitty Hayes ‘A touch of Clare’
Recorded in the kitchen-a real old style kitchen party.Kitty may be in her 70’s,and wear a flowery dress on the cover-but SHE ROCKS! (to put it is a modern parlance!)
All recommended unreservedly-I hope that I’m right in thinking that this is indeed the REAL stuff.
And of course there’s the infamous Flute Geezer mp3s. This is great stuff and I believe its currently hosted by Rich. I do hope that the rest of this series resurfaces though (with McEvoy, Seamus McMahon, Paul McGrattan etc). Lots of very very nice music!
If you are looking for really good, free musc you should also check out RTE Ceolnet. You can listen to the broadcast or go to the Artists tabe and find wonderful recordings of great artist, many of them old & pure. I was listening to some amazing Paddy Canny clips yesterday.
Star Above the Garter with Julia Clifford/Dennis Murphy. Hear polkas and slides in unforgettable versions. I could swear you can feel the warmth of the hearth on this collection.
My whistle teacher showed me an album with a old guy on the front, holding a beat up fiddle and a ratty bow with a whiskey cork used to tighten the strings. I cannot remember his name but I will ask. He supposedly does a lot of old timey stiff.
Would it be this guy? http://www.irishtune.info/album/KF/
That’s Padraig O’Keefe, nothing old timey about him in the slightest. He’s the yardstick for Kerry fiddling.
That’s the one. My teacher sent me an email. Here is part of it
“O’Keefe distilled the playing of a half a dozen great old fiddlers in his
home area into an incredibly sophisticated comprehensive modern way of
playing without ever leaving the place he was born. The way he plays his
tunes became the bench mark for those tunes. Every great modern fiddler
has studied his style and rarely deviated from the actual notes he
played.”
Old timey was my phrase, not his. It was erroneous.
Half my lesson every time is not playing but talking and listening to Irish music. I absolutely love it.
*scratches head