I’m very interested to hear what folks think of as their favorite Irish flute CD, either of all-time or your favorite at the moment.
I have only a few CD’s, still growing the collection, but right now I am loving John Wynn’s “With Every Breath”. Phenomenal playing, tremendous variety of tunes, styles and backup instrumentalists with some high and medium-low whistle thrown in. Just great.
Jason
My favorite is “Dark of the Moon” with Grey Larsen…
I’ve listened to a LOT of Irish flute players in the last year+, and I like Grey best. He has an expressiveness I don’t hear in other players. Matt Molloy is great and I like listening to him, but it always sounds like he’s in a hurry - either to get to the bar or the bathroom, I suppose. Most Irish flute players seem to be in the mode of “put as many notes and embellishments as possible per unit of time”. I like expressiveness better, myself. Grey can put lots of “stuff” in there as well, but he never sounds rushed to me.
'Course it may be, in part, that I spent a week with him and Cindy last summer as well…
Pat
Irish flute, probably Loozin’ Air by Garry Shannon. Simple-system flute, The Man with the Wooden Flute by Chris Norman. Nothing else even comes close. Once my wife was asking who was playing when Loozin’ Air was on, then when I told her, she said Garry sounded a little like the Chris Norman of the Irish flute. The opening set of reels is incredible (it’s no wonder Kevin chose it as the opening cut of WFO); the second cut of jigs is done sooo smoothly; Micho Russel’s slides are wonderful, but the thing that really stands out for me is the set of mazurkas. That set is quite possibly my favorite Irish fluting of all.
Looking for something a little different? Try ‘Shady Woods’ by Desi Wilkinson. His control of tone & pitch is wonderful on these slower tunes - a genre often avoided by many other flute recordings.
“Shadows on Stone” by Matt Molloy. No contest really. I love his other albums, and I’m very fond of McGoldrick, Egan and Crawford (I do need to start trying to appreciate the older players more), but this album is a work of art, from the first few notes to the last it’s magical. It’s not 100% traditional like the “Black album”, it feathures more progressive and interesting accompaniment, it has the odd classical tune, but there are quite a few tracks there that are 100% trad. And I don’t think Molloy’s playing has ever been better than on this album. Haven’t heard this one? Buy it now!
Also- It goes very well together with a well matured, smooth Speyside
whisky 
“The Gloup” by Mark Roberts. It’s a killer album - they play so laid-back and cool (and fast and furious - on different tracks though ) - I love it.
I have to name two recordings as there so differentand I can’t pick a favourite
Matt Molloy’s The Stony Steps. One of the first flute albums I ever bought and I never tire of it.
Conal O’Grada’s The Top of Coom. There is classic rawness and power captured in that recording.
Connie just read my mind. Those are the two I’ll always go back to and they’re the two that have instilled my strongest feelings for the instrument.
Well I have to throw in Brendan Mulholland’s new “Tuned Up” album. I paid $18 to download the MP3s and it’s the best entertainment money I’ve spent in a long time. Although there are other tunes from other albums I should be learning, I’m still obsessed with figuring out several tunes from this collection. I’m also transcribing them as I go (the transcriptions on thesession.org don’t seem to even be close to what he’s playing). If anyone is interested in taking a look at the “dots” just drop me a PM.
“Don’t Touch the Elk” by Niall Keegan.
Kevin Crawford’s “d Flute album”, and “In Good Company”.
All of Mike Rafferty’s, especially “Speed 78”.
Of course the Wooden Flute Obsessions.
Matt Molloy - Heathery Breeze
Mark Roberts - The Gloup
Also right now I have an “album crush” on Paul McGratten’s Keelwest.
Harry’s next one…
I recently listened to Josie McDermott’s ‘Darby’s Farwell’ which has flute and whistle playing. Great stuff. Been trying to get my hands on one to no avail. Anyone have one that they already downloaded onto their computer and would be willing to part with?
Another great Flute CD is ‘Southerly Breeze’..This is a collection of Aussie Flute players,playing Irish Trad…most with tasteful accompaniament (one day I’m going to learn how to pronounce AND spell that word !!)…
You can get it from Mr Terry McGee…Good value for money this one ..
Here’s another vote for Desi Wilkinson’s Shady Grove, which, along with Harry Bradley’s As I Carelessly Did Stray, has been among the favorites on the player this year.
It’s New England rather than ITM, with its mix of contradance and fife tunes but Skip Healy’s Purgatory Chasm deserves a listen from flute lovers as well.
I’d have to say that McGoldrick’s Morning Rory is my favorite all time for straight flute. His playing is completely imaculate. It’s techniquely flawless and his music flows like a river. others would include Flook’s Flatfish album and Brian Finnegan’s solo album. i could listen to just those three for the rest of my life and i’d be happy=)
Well, there are so many good flute CDs around now it’s very hard to pick just one.
Anything by Catherine McEvoy or Marcas O Murchu is in my list.
Some of my newer discoveries which I would definitely recommend are:
BUT, perhaps my most favourite recent CD is James Carty ‘Upon my Soul’.
I would definitely recommend any - in fact, all - of these!
cheers!
Another vote for Conal O Grada and Josie McDermott. Great old-time pulsing honking playing that blows all the quasi-pop neo-Irish stuff out of the water.
But all-time fav has got to be Heathery Breeze by the Man Himself.
“The Maple Leaf” with Jimmy Noonan.
The Maple Leaf is my all time favorite. The groove on this CD is awesome!!! 
Obviously there are some others that go as the great ones but most already know who they are 