Micho russell a great musician...

Killain · Post by **Killain** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 7:35 pm

Well latley I have been spending a good deal of time with some recordings and footage of micho russell playing the whistle, he seems to be so unique compared to other performers... now from what many have described it is due to his lack of over ornamentation. He instead uses stops, short phrases, and tonguing.

Do you feel this to be the case, and what is it that makes him so unique... to me it is simple and beautiful music from what I have heard, but I am trying to learn how he does it.. sure you can't play like some one who grew up so involved in the music. But I am trying to get a better grasp on understanding a musical style of play that is truly amazing to me.

Are there any other players you could compare musically to Micho..

Roger O'Keeffe · Post by **Roger O'Keeffe** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:35 pm

On a previous thread some time ago, Peter Laban remarked that Micho learnt from concertina players.

That had never occurred to me, but it made sense once he pointed it out.

Aanvil · Post by **Aanvil** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:13 pm

I really enjoy hearing him tell his stories about the tunes.

Killain · Post by **Killain** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 11:13 am

Roger that much I have learned, but it is something that does seem to be of great importance when understanding Micho and his style. As a concertina player he takes aspects of stops or pauses and it really defines his music as unique.

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 11:35 am

I would hardly think his use of stops has much to do with the concertinas he heard, considering the older concertina styles of north and west Clare. It's very similar however to his halting speech patterns.

Killain · Post by **Killain** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 11:51 am

Well peter good to hear from you, and I will take your word on that one, I was going off of information I have gathered from others on the use of stops or pauses in the concertina playing... but I have to say I trust your word on this issue over my other sources

I personally do not have any room to talk about anything to do with concertina or button box. But I have to agree with you on how he talks in relation to his halting.

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:09 pm

If you listen to the recording of Mary Haren that I have put here you get a fairly good impression of the sort of style that was used on the German concertina in West and North Clare. Powerful stuff, that.

Mary Haren was from Letterkelly, Miltown Malbay and this recording was made in 1960 by Seamus Ennis, for the BBC. Haren was in her eighties at the time and hadn't played for years, a concertina had to be borrowed to have her play. She would have been an older generation to Micho but they will have met, Micho, John and Paddy Killourhy travelled out to dances Letterkelly and the neighbouring townland of Cloghanmore, both North East of Miltown and just over the hill from me. Another neighbour of mine, Marty Malley, who sadly died last month, has told me about both Mary Haren and the dances in his house with Micho et al. So, while not necessarily an influence (you'd want to look more at the mother of the Russells and their neighbour Patrick Flanagan for that) but certainly part of the musical backdrop and representative of the general style of the early 20th century concertina players in West Clare.

Ofcourse there's the music of the inimitable Kitty Hayes who retained the early concertina style when she rose as a player during her late years. One of the Russell sisters was married to a neighbour of Kitty's and she took Kitty to visit the Russell household in Doonagore during the early 40s when Kitty was in her early teens. Packie Russell played at Kitty's wedding in 1948.

There are some nice clips of Packie and Gussie playing with Mattie 'Bheag' Shannon and Paddy and John Killourhy (and others) on youtube by the way, if you want to get some more impressions of the musical background. This one for example.

Killain · Post by **Killain** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:46 pm

Thank you again peter, and good to see you are still on here. I used to be a pretty frequent visitor of this site way before my current accounts 2006 date... But it's been awhile since I have been on here almost two years but I was watching some old recordings of Micho that are from my family over in Ireland at a unknown pub... if I ever get the means to convert it to a computer some day I will send you a link as you would probably enjoy it, it is on a old 8mm hand cranked recorder I believe. It was transfered to vhs some years ago though.

I just was amazed though by such a unique player atleast to me, Micho really had something that I hear so little of in others. I am sure over in your area with such distinct musical playing styles you get the treat of hearing such unique talent, but being in the states these days, I find the playing to lack much of the historical sound that can only be developed over the course of a life enriched by the music of the people.

I appreciate your time and response though and the german concertina clip was a nice insight on that form of playing, and I am looking up those others as I type

My question to you which you could keep short if you can or have a moment is this, how would you define Micho's playing what characteristics do you think really defines him? THANKS!!!

Killain · Post by **Killain** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:49 pm

Also as a note I am reffering to his whistle playing which is on my video it just seems to have something I can't place in my own words, and I have a feeling you could express what I am looking for in words.