"Must Have" CDs & Best Places to Order

Uilleann Pipes
1

I’m getting ready to update my CD collection and would appreciate any suggestion others might have. I can see myself buying about maybe 20 or so new ones. I searched the archives but couldn’t find all the great suggestions everyone has had over the last couple years, so please remind me if you don’t mind.

I’ve shopped at Celtice Grooves, Ossian, MadForTrad, Green Linnet (controversial I know), Shanachie, 1/2.com, and various artists direct. Where’s the better/best places to buy, and which of these CDs are among the best, and which ones best to skip? There’s surely quite a few I’ve forgotten that’s not listed here on Celtic Grooves:

TIM BRITTON (uilleann pipes)
Chulrua: Barefoot on the Altar *** $15.99

RONAN BROWNE (uilleann pipes)
The Wynd You Know *** 1/2 $17.99
& Peadar O’Loughlin: The South West Wind **** $17.99
& Peadar O’Loughlin: Touch Me If You Dare **** $17.99
Cran: Lover’s Ghost **** $18.99

PETER CARBERRY (uilleann pipes)
Memories from the Holla **** $17.99

PETER & NOEL CARBERRY (uilleann pipes)
The Pipes are Calling *** $19.99

WILLIE CLANCY (uilleann pipes, tinwhistle)
The Pipering of Willie Clancy, Vol. 1 *** $17.99
The Pipering of Willie Clancy, Vol. 2 *** $17.99

MICHAEL COONEY (uilleann pipes, low whistle)
A Stone’s Throw *** $16.99

MICK COYNE (uilleann pipes)
Both Sides of the Coyne *** $18.99

CRAOBH RUA
If Ida Been Here, Ida Been There *** $19.99

JOHNNY DORAN (uilleann pipes)
The Master Pipers Vol. 1 **** $20.99

SEAMUS ENNIS (uilleann pipes)
The Return from Fingal **** $22.99

ROBBIE HANNAN (uilleann pipes)
Traditional Irish Music **** $17.99
& Paddy Glackin: Seidean Si **** $18.99

KEVIN HENRY (flute, tinwhistle, uilleann pipes, vocals)
One’s Own Place - A Family Tradition *** $17.99

TOMMY KEANE (uilleann pipes)
& J. McCarthy: The Wind Among the Reeds **** $16.99
Jacqueline McCarthy: The Hidden Note **** $16.99
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2556963090&category=43667

TOMMY KEARNEY (uilleann pipes)
The Master Pipers Vol. 2 *** $20.99

PADDY KEENAN (uilleann pipes, low whistle)
Paddy Keenan **** $16.99
Poirt an Phiobaire *** $19.99
The Long Grazing Acre *** $16.99

LUNASA
Lunasa (first album) **** $16.99

MARION McCARTHY (uilleann pipes)
The McCarthys: The Family Album **** $16.99
Jacqueline McCarthy: The Hidden Note **** $16.99

TOMMY McCARTHY (concertina, uilleann pipes)
Sporting Nell **** $16.99

JOHN McSHERRY (uilleann pipes)
Lunasa (first album) **** $16.99
& Michael McGoldrick: At First Light *** $16.99

BRIAN McNAMARA (uilleann pipes)
A Piper’s Dream **** $17.99

THE McNAMARA FAMILY
Leitrim’s Hidden Treasure **** $17.99

NEIL MULLIGAN (uilleann pipes)
Barr na Chuille *** $19.99
The Leitrim Thrush *** $19.99

THE NEFF BROTHERS (uilleann pipes, fiddle)
Soundpost and Bridle *** $16.99

MICK O’BRIEN (uilleann pipes, tinwhistle)
May Morning Dew **** $18.99

LIAM O’FLYNN (uilleann pipes)
& Sean Keane & Matt Molloy: The Fire Aflame **** $17.99
Paul Brady: The (Missing) Liberty Tapes **** $16.99

KIERAN O’HARE (uilleann pipes)
Kieran O’Hare *** $16.99

EOIN O’RIABHAIGH (uilleann pipes)
Tiomnacht - Handed On *** $17.99

SEAN OG POTTS (uilleann pipes)
Sean Potts *** $18.99
Bakerswell *** $17.99
Uilleann Pipes CD-ROM Tutorial **** $45.00

LEO RICKARD (uilleann pipes)
Pure Piping *** $17.99

BRENDAN RING (uilleann pipes)
Troublesome Things *** $16.99

KEVIN ROWSOME (uilleann pipes)
The Rowsome Tradition **** $15.99

LEO ROWSOME (uilleann pipes)
Classics of Irish Piping **** $17.99
King of the Pipers **** $17.99

DAVY SPILLANE (uilleann pipes)
& Kevin Glackin: Forgotten Days **** $19.99


VARIOUS ARTISTS
The Drones and the Chanters **** $17.99
The Drones and the Chanters Vol. 2 **** $17.99
Farewell to Ireland - Music of the Early Irish Immigrants *** $30.00
From Galway to Dublin **** $14.99
The Humours of Piping *** $17.99
Irish Dance Music **** $18.99
The Irish Folk Festival 2001 *** $21.99
Many Hands - Lamh ar Lamh **** 2-CD $31.99
A New Dawn - Uilleann Piping, Another Generation **** $18.99
Past Masters of Irish Dance Music **** $18.99
The Piper’s Rock **** $19.99
Rogha Ordha - Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann 50th Anniversary *** $20.99
The Tocane Concerts **** $16.99

2

Lorenzo,

Don’t count Peter & Angelina Carberry’s Memories from the Holla in if you’re looking for piping CDs. It’s box and banjo - very nice stuff it is too - but Peter (box) is nephew to Peter (pipes) - so they’re easily confused. Older Peter does do a solo on the CD though - see my review of the CD on the Mustrad site for more info.

Some of the others are worth skipping but I’d rather do that by pm that in public - person views and all that.

Don’t forget Jimmy O’Brien Moran’s excellent CD “Sean Reid’s Favourite” or the early Liam O’Flynn LPs if you can find them.

Ken

3

Yeah, I’d suggest the early Liam O’Flynn recording too…

for developing your piping, the best buys are generally those recordings of pipers that are unaccompanied.

Boyd

4

Brian McNamara’s Piper’s Dream is a must buy. The family album on the other hand I could do without, on most tracke the pipes are buried in a rather Céilí band sound - though there are one or two good piping tracks plus some nice concertina playing from his sister.

5

6

Don’t forget Ennis’s 40 years of Irish Piping, which has some fantastic stuff, some of it recorded in the 50s or early 60s, when he was in his prime. He can be rather shaky on his 70s albums but they have lots of great music, and the sound quality is nicer. I wrote a little review for Amazon of The Wandering Minstrel. Tommy Reck’s Stone in the Field is a good one, too. Past Masters of Irish Dance Music is a great CD, but it only has one track of solo piping, admittedly a fantastic set of jigs by Seamus. Liam O’Flynn has his Fine Art of Piping, that’s just solos, flawless all through, possibly through the magic of digital technology…hmmm? I like Willie’s Pipering Vol. 1 better. Or best. His Minstrel from Clare is a great record, too, with singing and whistle playing thrown in for good measure. If you’re after Leo Rowsome or Felix Doran you could do no worse than get a cable modem connection for a month and download all the RTE material Ceolnet have, assuming the connection works, that is…some have had trouble with it, and now they seem to be charging a fee, too. But for $45 or so you could get a fantastic CD of each of them, and great stuff of Clancy and Ennis, too, not to mention flutes, fiddles, boxes, singing.
Other than that…Andy’s Front Hall and Lark in the AM used to be good sources of stuff, but they’ve kind of lost their touch. Celtic Fire have lots of piping recordings, go to them for some of this. Don’t want Phillipe to get too rich!

7

Lorenzo, you haven’t mentioned what you do have, what you like or dislike, or what you are hoping to accomplish.

If you are going to get Liam O’Flynn, I would say get all of the Planxty albums, and most of his solo albums, unless you really like symphonic orchestras and new age stuff as backing, in which case get them all. You haven’t mentioned Finbar Furey in your list, or Paddy Moloney/The Chieftains.

Another source for CDs is Claddagh, as well as NPU’s site, which promises a discount to members on any CD you can name by any Irish label. Just make sure to tell them to send via Express Post, or you’ll be waiting months to receive your order.

djm

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Thanks for the tips. Feel free to PM or Email me for those albums to skip (thanks Rick).

What about the older masters LP stuff converted to digital, like WILLIE CLANCY, JOHNNY DORAN, LEO ROWSOME, etc…do these knock you off the bar stool? I do have the S. Ennis CDs.

I am looking more for the solo type recordings, so I can hear the details of excellent articulate piping, but I don’t mind at all a combo, like with fiddle, concertina, or flute. I have sorted out the O’Flynn stuff from the old Planxty albums, but have never gotten the solo stuff. I like some of the Keenan stuff (I’ve sorted that out) esp with P Glackin, but find myself moving away from the band sound of uilleann piping. I don’t know why I’ve never cared for P. Moloney’s Chieftans stuff much, maybe I need to relisten to some of his solo stuff…he has some right? But, then again, does it knock your sock off?

Any backroom recordings of..well some of our reed makers, pipe makers, pipers or maybe sessions and practices like Ken, Alan, Koehler, etc. I’d be glad to send $$ to the individual pipers for home recordings (I have some of Kreegan, Denman, Brooks, etc. ?

My older collectibles are in storage, so jar my memory a little…is EOIN O’RIABHAIGH the one from the Piper’s Rock that plays so articulately on the flat set?

Here’s my list so far:

Mick O’Brien http://www.kittylieover.com/ (for the review)
Brian McNamara
Jimmy O’Brien Moran
Robbie Hannan
Neill Mulligan
McSHERRY / McGoldrick
BRENDAN RING
KEVIN ROWSOME
DAVY SPILLANE & Kevin Glackin Forgotten Days

I actually like Davy Spillane’s “East Wind” album with A.Irvine. I’ve heard this one (FD) is more traditional. Don’t care for his other stuff much except I do appreciate the way he did “Langstrom’s Pony” in A bouncing the Sax in with the mix. Any pure recordings of that jig anywhere else?

Thanks Kevin, for Celtic Fire…and djm for the Claddagh and NPU site–I thought of that one after I posted the sites. Yes, I do have the F. Furry albums…the very first tune I ever learned on the pipes was “Piper in the Meadow Straying.” :smiley: (I liked the easy reg accompaniment)

I still have room for some more…

9

Hi Lorenzo,
of the CD’s you’ve listed, the ones I have and enjoy are,
Ronan Browne, The Wynd You Know
Paddy Keenan, Poirt an Piobaire
Lunasa, Lunasa
John Mc Sherry (& Mike McGoldrick), At First Light
Mick O’Brien, May Morning Dew

You haven’t mentioned the following, maybe you already have them. If not.
Mick O’Brien, The Ancient Voice of Ireland (I was told that this isn’t typical of Mick’s style??, I like it anyway)
Jimmy O’Brien Moran, Sean Reid’s Favourite
Liam O’Flynn, The Fine Art of Piping
Dicky Deegan, An Phib
Lunasa, Otherworld
Cillian Vallely, Callan Bridge (50-50 Pipes and Concertina)

Peter Laban mentioned Mick O’Brien and Kevin O’Raghallaigh, Kitty Lie Over, I haven’t heard it myself but based on reviews and what I’ve already heard of Mick O’Brien, it has to be good.

Re. where to buy, NPU, or Mad for Trad

Cheers, Mac

10

Mac, I do have the Cillian Vallely ablums. I was glad to hear him and his bro. play “Snug in the Blanket” one of my old favorite jigs I learned out of the book, but never heard it recorded on pipes…it’s a good pipe tune. I promptly gave the Calum Bridges album to a lady I use to play pipes and concertina with back in the late 80’s. She lives in Portland now and never plays. I thought it would reinspire her.

I meant to ask about Ronan Browne. Thanks. The Keenan stuff…I’ve sorted out already. Some of the other suggestions were covered already.

11

Lorenzo, at the risk of starting a minor war over nothing (as is often the case on C&F) I think it would help if you defined your tastes a bit more.

Of the pipers mentioned, there is stuff I defintely do not enjoy listening to, but use them for reference for their technical abilities, e.g. I don’t care for anything by Neill Mulligan, Willie Clancy, or Seamus Ennis due to the terrible sound of the recordings and/or their pipes. However, I cannot deny the quality of their playing skills, choice of ornamentation, variations, etc.

This is just my own personal taste, of course, and that’s why it would be helpful if you could indicate what you like, so others could make recommendations that would be more suitable for you.

I would strongly recommend Mick O’Brien’s “Kitty Lie Over” not for the technical piping, but for its listen-ability. Also, you might care to look into Declan Masterson’s earlier (non-low whistle new-age crap) piping CDs. Again, its a matter of personal taste.

djm

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Good question, djm, and BTW you could never start a war by requesting clearer definitions (I love 'em). My tastes are probably changing, and I probably don’t have a particular taste, although I’d like to isolate one by listening to a variety of excellent newer pipering recordings, regardless of the style.

I grew up listening to Furry, O’Flynn, Moloney, and Keenan and the various artist on the Piper’s Rock album. But I just haven’t gotten dozens of albums since, but I’d like to. Mostly what I’d like to avoid is blindly purchasing some albums on the internet that would be quickly referred to as “next please” by my fellow pipers who know better already, I mean DOA types, if you know what I mean. But at the same time, I’d like to know which ablums are top choice, must have, can’t go wrong types…which would include solo works, flat sets, concert pitch sets, tastey reg accompaniment, clear nuances (triplets, backstitching, etc) and the type of tunes that the better players are considering “fun” to play and which you might hear at some of the more progressive sessions.

If you think my list needs improved, send me a PM or Email and clue me in about a particular album or artist. You won’t be quoted, and I’d appreciate your view. It could help me form an opinion on whether to buy the album, and not waste the $$$. I don’t want a bunch of unplayed albums just sitting around.

I’d have to say I didn’t care for the orchestral O’Flynn stuff, as good a piping as it was. I prefer trad,. not “new age crap.” Seems not many can write tunes like the old guys anymore. I liked “The Piper’s Call” album.

13

Even though D. Lunnys “Cool Finn” album was kinda out there, I did enjoy McSherry’s solo “Miss Monahans” and the following tunes and arrangement in that one set on the album. I remember playing that one over and over till I had it (Miss Monahan’s). I like the fast clear closed-hole triplets I hear him doing.

PS: it might help to know that I took a ten year break from piping and have only gotten back into it in the last year or two.

14

Have a listen to Leo Rickard’s “Pure Piping”. Totally solo playing, mix of concert and flat sets, and a very interesting selection of tunes. (Claddagh)

15

Hey Lorenzo,

Don’t forget my little foray into music shop-land… it’s basically links to Amazon.com so everything isn’t available there. NPU would be your best bet… member discount and all that.

http://www.concentric.net/~pdarcy/page1/store.shtml

Some interseting stuff in there,

Patrick.

16

Lorenzo,

I see that you also have a Croabh Rua CD on your list.

You might look at obtaining one by them with the title, “Soh It Is”.

Great stuff.

BrianC

17

Thanks Patrick :slight_smile: I had completely forgotten about the resources on your web site…another good reason I’m glad I asked! I found some great prices on a few CDs, but most were not in stock and no “referred to” stores had them either.

You should start an outlet since you have the contacts both ways. But who would read all the orders, package and mail them, right? :slight_smile:

Thanks BrianC. Do you know any more about them? Here’s a note from Celtic Grooves http://celticgrooves.homestead.com/CGCatalogPipes.html

CRAOBH RUA: IF IDA BEEN HERE, IDA BEEN THERE
With a new line-up that includes Patrick Davey on pipes and Aaron Jones on cittern/guitar/vocals, the Belfast-based band has produced one of their best albums yet.

18

I recommend Craobh Ruas old piper Diarmuid Moynihan too, check out his band Calico, and a new CD (sort of supergroup) called “The Red Hat Band” (I think). He’s really rather good.

Alan

19

Here’s what I do know about Croabh Rua:

Brian Connolly (banjo) is the leader of the band;
Michael Cassidy (no relation) - fiddle;
He attempted uillean pipes, but then gave them up as a bad job.
Michael Cassidy:
“My Dad was a purist,” he continued, “sort of traditionalist Irish music. He was adamant that I was going to play the fiddle, and I was adamant that I was not going to play the fiddle. I finally came home with a set of pipes one day. I took up the pipes because he wouldn’t let me play guitar or something else popular.”


Mark Donnelly - Piper; (Croabh Rua has had several pipers over the years - I recall that one was killed in a automobile accident just a few years’ back, but I’d never met him) Patrick Davey was a piper who’d played with them previously, as well as a fellow named Diarmuid Byrne who played for them for a while in the late 90s/early 00. He, I recall, was fantastic at restoring reeds that I’d long given up for dead.

Jim Byrne - guitar/vocals; he’s fairly new to the band, I think, and he replaced Aaron Jones, a very nice guy from Edinburgh - I’d met up with him by chance at a session in Edinburgh a few years’ back.

They’ve played in Denver on 2 occasions - Eric Olson & I gave them a “tour of the Old West” when they visited in 1998 (or 99?) and we there was some great craic in visiting Buffalo Bill’s grave… that’s another story, though.

20

Thanks Alan -

Diarmuid MOYNIHAN - not Byrne, as I’d said.

He is indeed an outstanding piper!