Who should I listen to?

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 5:40 pm

For general listening I would recommend this CD set. If you click on the picture you will get to a description. I have found it to be a really worthwhile investment. Slow airs sung by some of the greatest singers alternate with instrumentals by great musicians. Recordings from 1957 -61.

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 7:01 pm

You don't only learn about your instrument when you listen to different albums, you learn how to listen. As you pick up more and more cds (and there are trillions of them, just search the forums) you'll go back and listen to some of your firsts and hear things you never heard before, maybe you'll end up liking that Chieftans album afterall. And then when you go back to Planxty you'll pick up on intricacies you never noticed before. Discovering new elements of a track can be just as satisfying as progressing on your instrument. So get buying or borrowing or whatever and don't be discouraged by the duds.

colomon · Post by **colomon** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 8:27 pm

Cynth wrote:For general listening I would recommend this CD set. If you click on the picture you will get to a description. I have found it to be a really worthwhile investment. Slow airs sung by some of the greatest singers alternate with instrumentals by great musicians. Recordings from 1957 -61.

Wow. It's got Sean Ryan playing his reel "Dash to Portobello"! I didn't realize there were recordings of him playing his tunes. Sweet.

Campbell · Post by **Campbell** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 10:03 pm

Jason Paul wrote:Or, to whom should I listen?

I just started playing the whistle about a month ago. I originally got it to tide me over until I'm able to get a Native American flute, but I'm beginning to like the whistle quite a bit. Still getting an NA flute though!

Anyway, who should I listen to for a dose of good ITM? So far I've mainly been listening to tunes online by whistle players at Clips n Snips and other sites.

I have NO idea who might be traditional, but assume it's not Enya and the like. My only other exposure is The Best of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem (which I like), a few songs by Planxty (?) which I just heard today for the first time, and one CD by the Chieftans (Black Veil or something), which I didn't much care for.

So, for a brand-newbie looking for a bit of ITM to begin getting the feel for this type of music, who would you recommend? I'd like to be able to hear a few popular session tunes - not that I'm going to be playing in a session. Of course, a decent amount of whistle would be good, since that's what I'm trying to play.

By the way, I'm taking a liking to slow airs, but would still like to get the feel of good jigs and reels. And I'm not sure I know the difference between a reel and a hornpipe. A hornpipe isn't just a slow reel is it?

Thanks,
Jason

Thats funny, Im in the same fancy! I was at a small fair last weekend downtown in my inlaws area and came across a Native Amarican tent. THere was alot of leather and head dresses etc, you know all that jazz. The one thing that caught my eye was their flutes. There was great pain to walk out of that tent with out one..Unfortently I didnt have the find of money on me...SO I grabed up a five dollar whistle (I thought it was just a diffrent kind of flute..heh). Anyway, now that a week has gone by I am in love with my whistle. Instead of buying a flute, however, I am in the prosses of making my own out of mahlgony.

Les Cruttenden · Post by **Les Cruttenden** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 9:26 am

Cynth........can't believe you were a whistle player in 1957....or did you just get hold of an old recording!!!!!!!!!!!Best...Les.

colomon · Post by **colomon** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 10:42 am

Les Cruttenden wrote:Cynth........can't believe you were a whistle player in 1957....or did you just get hold of an old recording!!!!!!!!!!!Best...Les.

Here's a hint -- the two CD set she refers to was not released in that form in 1957.

Hmmm... now that I think about it, I wonder how many albums of Irish music I have that were originally released before I was born? I can think of 7 right off the top of my head...

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 10:55 am

Les and colomon---I have to admit I could have been playing the whistle in 1957. I guess I would have turned 8 that year. I was starting out on my brief unillustrious piano career about that time I believe. I do have some CD's of pipers whose orginals were issued before I was born but they were issued way before 1957.

Key_of_D · Post by **Key_of_D** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 4:40 pm

Although this isn't ITM music, it does have some easy tunes to learn. Flogging Molly has a lot of music in the key of D, and the majority are easy to learn. However, there really isn't any solo whistle playing, so my point is, if you can handle their style of music, (punk/rock, little folky at times) then there are some easy tunes to be learned. Some of the songs I learned don't even have a whistle in it, but can definitely be played on one! I'd recommend Swagger, and Drunken Lullabies, they're in my opinion, the best "whistle" cd's from their collection. Give it a shot!

-Eric

AaronMalcomb · Post by **AaronMalcomb** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 12:13 pm

Tintin wrote:Catherine McEvoy, Mike Rafferty.

Best advice so far.

Another source for recordings is TradTunes. They don't have some of the more obscure recordings but they have Contentment is Wealth, Cathal McConnell, Sean Potts & Paddy Moloney, and Harry Bradley.

It's a small but growing catalogue. You can download whole albums or individual tracks and listen to clips too.

Wormdiet · Post by **Wormdiet** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 5:05 pm

Tradtunes also has David Power's disc My Love Is In America, which is simply extremely good. IN addition to being a nice guy, David also posts in the UP forum from time to time

CHCBrown · Post by **CHCBrown** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 4:49 am

Green Linnet Records 20th Anniversary CD set has about 40 tracks, each by a different band (a mile wide and an inch deep!). Unfortunately, there are a number of good bands and artists who don't record on the Green Linnet label. I don't know if Shanachie has a similar collection, but missing Cherish the Ladies and the Boys of the Lough would be criminal.

BrassBlower · Post by **BrassBlower** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 4:02 pm

Wormdiet wrote:
Step Three.
Download Mary Bergin, Feadoga Stain (Both volumes)

If you download Mary Bergin, also download Moritz Behm. If Mary is the "Yngwie Malmsteen of the whistle", then Moritz is certainly the "Joe Satriani of the fiddle". That first track has Satch written all over it!

(Hmm, that emoticon even looks like Satch!)

While you're there, don't forget to download a Fairport Convention album or two, as well as some of their proteges like Rosheen and Dan Ar Braz. And if your tastes run a bit on the psychedelic side, check out Bohinta, Mouth Music, or It's a Beautiful Day.

Spanishwhistler · Post by **Spanishwhistler** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 4:20 pm

I too second the suggestions of Bríd O'Donoghue and Micho Russell. They are undoubtedly two of the best whistlers to ever have existed. Indeed it must be something about Co. Clare and the way the music is played there. But in all of this rush, nobody has individually mentioned one of the undoubtedly greatest flautists that ever lived, and he started off as a whistler and adapted tunes to and from each instrument. I speak of course about Sir James Galway. Get an album or so of his and learn some of his style. Take cues from Bríd and Micho, and blend it all into your own style. This is what will make your music unique but still traditional, just the way it should be.

Matty Connolly, The Tannahill Weavers, Bill Ochs (Who by the way is another player I highly recommed you listen to), The Chieftains and Michael Cooney are also all good examples of having a unique sound to their music while keeping it traditional, again, the way it should be.

By the way, when I mentioned getting albums of Sir James Galway, I do mean his solo albums, especially so. While listening to him with the Chieftains is very, very wonderful idea, you get quite a bit more of a benefit from listening to him as a soloist. In other words, certain things about his playing style and articulations and gracing will stand out more.

Hope this helps you, if only a little.

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 4:25 pm

Spanishwhistler wrote:By the way, when I mentioned getting albums of Sir James Galway, I do mean his solo albums, especially so. While listening to him with the Chieftains is very, very wonderful idea, you get quite a bit more of a benefit from listening to him as a soloist. In other words, certain things about his playing style and articulations and gracing will stand out more.

I've got the Cheiftains/Galway album, and I must say that it's... listenable. I can't say I'd try to use it to model my trad playing after, but it's not a bad little disc.

Spanishwhistler · Post by **Spanishwhistler** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 6:41 pm

And that is the very reason I would recommend his solo works. If not using recordings, see if you can find any of his sheets from a music store. Though some musicians in this genre scoff at sheet music, it can be a good source of learning and at the very least, a source of ideas from which you can pick and choose.

Chiff and Fipple Forums

Who should I listen to?

Re: Who should I listen to?

Long time whistle player!

Re: Long time whistle player!

A nice starting place