Is Seamus Egan the best flutist of all time?

[Nanohedron]

Throw in Larry Nugent and I'll gladly judge the competition. Sounds like a great event. "Flutestock"?

Y'know, Larry will say many's the time that there are many far better skilled and able musicians than he, and yet he's generally my first choice.

[rh]

i like Nugent very much as well, and i also like MM, Crawford and many others.

My "favorite" or "first choice" varies from week to week, in fact. But to me the question is who is a great musician as well as an excellent flutist. Veillon's combination of technical ability, versatility and emotional power to me marks him as a great musician, i'd even say IMO he's one of the finest musicians walking the planet. He has astounding technique, has created a style all his own which is a reference point for many others, but when he plays (to my ears anyway) the technique is always secondary to the music. I hear a depth of feeling in his music that is really rare -- i'm especially thinking of one live show he did in Chicago, so i don't expect anyone else to really understand what i mean.

Seamus Egan, by contrast, is astonishing technically but when i listen to him i can't really get a sense of who he is as a person, beyond being someone who has spent a lot of time listening and practicing.

I do feel that Nugent has moments when he reveals a lot of himself through his music, BTW, and i much prefer listening to him than Egan. I've heard both of them live on several occasions as well.

just my ramblings.

BTW, at the end of that exquisite Veillon concert, Nugent, Paul McGrattan, Paddy Keenan, and a couple of others joined JMV on stage and tore through an impromptu 20-minute set of reels that completely blew everyone in the club away. What a great night.

[Richard]

I think this is a great topic. I'm not sure who is the greatest flute player of all time, but my two favorites are Eric Dolphy and Matt Molloy. I attribute my interest in the flute to hearing these musicians.

Eric Dolphy, known chiefly for playing alto sax, was also a virtuoso on the flute and bass clarinet. If you like avant-garde jazz, check out his flute tone on "You Don't Know What Love Is" from the Last Date CD.

The other fave is Matt Molloy. After I heard "The Parting of Friends" from the Music at Matt Molloy's CD, I had to go buy a flute immediately (a Firth & Hall antique). This was about 10 years ago and started my interest in ITM.

[Nanohedron]

I do feel that Nugent has moments when he reveals a lot of himself through his music...

You are not the only one to ever have said so. I find his music to be quite revealing, and this quality is what grabs me.

But back to the discussion.

[Jack Bradshaw]

There's still plenty of room at the bottom, so I'll just nominate myself as..............

Hey! There are no pic players mentioned. Even half a flute deserves some respect!

(Paul M. rattles around in my brain the most..but that may be because the better half would play him 24-7 if she could get away with it......would you believe he's programed into the alarm clock!)

[carrie]

But to me the question is who is a great musician as well as an excellent flutist. Veillon's combination of technical ability, versatility and emotional power to me marks him as a great musician, i'd even say IMO he's one of the finest musicians walking the planet. He has astounding technique, has created a style all his own which is a reference point for many others, but when he plays (to my ears anyway) the technique is always secondary to the music. I hear a depth of feeling in his music that is really rare -- i'm especially thinking of one live show he did in Chicago, so i don't expect anyone else to really understand what i mean...

BTW, at the end of that exquisite Veillon concert, Nugent, Paul McGrattan, Paddy Keenan, and a couple of others joined JMV on stage and tore through an impromptu 20-minute set of reels that completely blew everyone in the club away. What a great night.

I'm with you all the way, rh, on JMV. Btw, what club *was* that? A fellow Chicagoan really wants to know, though I realize it must have been some years ago.

Carol

[rh]

I'm with you all the way, rh, on JMV. Btw, what club *was* that? A fellow Chicagoan really wants to know, though I realize it must have been some years ago.

It was Martyr's... i think 1996 or '97? a while back, anyway.

[BigDavy]

I have no clue who is the best flute player, only who is my favourite player - Frankie Kennedy.

David

[Kevin L. Rietmann]

Seamus sued Shameless? Ha!
The Banjo S. Egan had a band, Buscar Ban. Sounds good and Celtic to ya? Translation is "White Trash."
Another outfit was "Last Night's Crusties."
I read how Jean-Pierre Rampal was in the top three or four recorded artists of all time. So there's your quantity.
My fave's Jack Dolan, Co. Leitrim. Swingin' stuff!

[Matt_Paris]

I think this is a great topic. I'm not sure who is the greatest flute player of all time, but my two favorites are Eric Dolphy and Matt Molloy. I attribute my interest in the flute to hearing these musicians.

Eric Dolphy, known chiefly for playing alto sax, was also a virtuoso on the flute and bass clarinet. If you like avant-garde jazz, check out his flute tone on "You Don't Know What Love Is" from the Last Date CD.

The other fave is Matt Molloy. After I heard "The Parting of Friends" from the Music at Matt Molloy's CD, I had to go buy a flute immediately (a Firth & Hall antique). This was about 10 years ago and started my interest in ITM.

Hi Richard... I could tell almost the same story. Especially about Molloy, I discovered Dolphy later... And Charles Lloyd, and Coltrane. Some great sax players played the flute.

How is that Firth & Hall??

[smoro]

Hi all:
I should like to add that Seamus is also a great multi-instrument player (mandolin, guitar, banjo...) and a great arrange-maker too. He also is a great composer, and producer..., so, in my opinion hi is one of the greatest MUSICIANS at the moment. I agree with the people who says that Molloy is the best, of course he is, now and forever. But we have to think about Seamus in other terms, not only as a performer, but someone who has done a great contribution to music in several dimensions.
Serafin.

[kenny]

Molloy is not "the best". Nobody is.

[smoro]

Molloy is not "the best". Nobody is.

Molloy is the best. He is.

[peeplj]

Molloy is someone you can listen to if you want to hear it done right. However, if he's not to your taste, there are many others.

As for Rampal, he was someone you could listen to if you wanted to hear "classical" flute done right. He was, among other things, almost single-handedly responsible for both bringing the flute "back" as a strong solo voice in classical music, as well as for bringing Baroque music back to wide popularity after WWII. Few musicians who have ever lived had this level of impact upon their art.

--James

[Tom O'Farrell]

Probably best classical flutist I have ever heard is Emmanuel Pahud.
I prefer James Galway over Rampall, more soul and braver in the interpretations. I play along with Galway as part of my basic practice. Leaves me panting sometimes.
For ITM there is great playing all over the place Hard to criticize any players on the WFO discs. All doing their best.