Egan and The Vega Set

[Henke]

I'm listening to an old Solas cd right now, "the words that remain". I don't think I'll ever stop beeing amazed by Egans flute playing in that Vega Set, first part. Nothing personal against Tansey, Molloy or Crawford, but I don't think anyone else can make a flute sing the way Seamus does. A lot of people can give very good interpretations of old tunes, ornament at just the right places and do variations that stunns you, but when this guy plays, he's flute sounds like a living creature, a creature with feelings.
I can't explain any better, but I don't think there is one other man alive who can handle the flute quite like Seamus Egan does.

Just wanted to share.

[chas]

A lot of people can give very good interpretations of old tunes, ornament at just the right places and do variations that stunns you, but when this guy plays, he's flute sounds like a living creature, a creature with feelings.
I can't explain any better, but I don't think there is one other man alive who can handle the flute quite like Seamus Egan does.

I still love Seamus, too, at least when he plays flute or banjo.

If you like the things I quoted above, especially variations, try the Garry Shannon CD, Loozin Air. It's not the most traditional Irish flute playing, but in his own way he breathes new life into old tunes.

[David Levine]

Seamus who? Breathy flute-playing on the edge of hysterics. The flute is pushed to the edge of harsh. Maybe appropriate in a loud pub? Not lovely. Very frenetic. Commercial.
Not my cup of tea. Give me one of the old guys any day.
The kid has the chops, no question. Now he needs some taste. He needs to find the nyaah.

[Craig Stuntz]

The Words That Remain is my favorite Solas CD.

[Unseen122]

I have no problem with Solas they make some great music, but Egan's playing will never speak to me the way Kevin Crawford's does. I have probably listen to Lunasa's "Redwood" over a hundred times and it never gets boring, I love their other albums but none of them speak to me like this one. I am also a fan of Liam Kelly and Tom Doorley.

[Wormdiet]

I pulled out the first Solas CD about a week ago or so. . . . I am still blown away by the second set, starting with The FLowing Bowl. I don;t know what others see in that type of music, but I find plenty of taste and mature style to go along with the chops. MOstly, though, it is such a tremendously joyous set. Once in a while it's like a jolt of crack on the first day of Spring. . .not something one needs all the time. ONce in a while though, a neat listen. NOt to everybody's preference, but thank god for diversity of opinion.

Just to reassure everybody of my "trad" credentials, I immediately swigged the antidote thereafter. . .a good dose of Paddy Carty. ;P

EDIT: "crack" above meant in the American sense. . . IE crystallized cocaine, not "craic."

Disclaimer - I've never had Cocaine, but people who have tell me it's like listening to Solas ;P

[Eivind]

Seamus who? Breathy flute-playing on the edge of hysterics. The flute is pushed to the edge of harsh. Maybe appropriate in a loud pub? Not lovely. Very frenetic. Commercial.

What do you mean - too breathy or too harsh?

Personally, what I find the most hysterical, is the need among some to put down Egan's playing (No offense, David).
Egan plays marvellously, with great dynamics and unbelievable precision. Disagreeing to his taste and style is one thing, but you couldn't fool me into criticizing his playing or his artistry. People that use nicks like "Shameless Egan" etc. for any other purpose than humorous, better make sure they can demonstrate what good flute-playing means to them

Still; no offense to anyone, and thank God for diversity of opinion!

[Sylvester]

Egan's playing is astonishing and I'd be so happy if I ever was 10% technically and naturally gifted as he is. I enjoy Solas mostly because of S.E.

Said that I'll add that he sometimes lack that simplicity charm of the traditional players. THE TUNE IS THE TARGET. Some modern players (excellent musicians as they are) try to look for new ways, but some of them seem to me as using the tune as an excuse to launch a huge ornamentation arsenal that sounds a bit too much for me.

Not my cup of tea. Give me one of the old guys any day

Not mine either. But no matter how old they are. Just listen to Marcas O'Murchu or Harry Bradley, they are young and they look for embellishing the tune through style, tone and pulse, not through loads of tongueing, digitation and so on... it's just the tune...

cheerio

[chas]

Not mine either. But no matter how old they are. Just listen to Marcas O'Murchu or Harry Bradley, they are young and they look for embellishing the tune through style, tone and pulse, not through loads of tongueing, digitation and so on... it's just the tune...

Is Harry Bradley not amazing? I just got my first disc by him. He's another example of how to be a great flute player without being a speed demon or having to ornament every note. I'm still trying to get my mind (or heart) around the whole idea (or feeling) of what makes good phrasing. But whatever it is, Harry has it in spades.

For those who can't stand what Seamus does with Solas, don't forget that he still does a lot without Solas. I saw him earlier in the year in the Johnny Cunningham memorial tour fundraiser. He played in a pretty straightforward style, and very tightly, with Kevin Burke and Phil Cunningham.

[AaronMalcomb]

Egan definitely has amazing technique and control of the intruments but I can never hear the tune. Same goes for Solas too.

Even when Crawford's putting a triplet on as many notes as he can I can still hear the tune. And no matter what jazzy things the Lúnasa boys are doing, you can still hear the tune (just as a couple examples)

In the end it's the tune that matters. I will compromise speed, technique and tone for the tune.

But what really attests to Egan's success is that he is nearly up there with Flatley and Spillane when it comes to the tussle raised by the mention of his name.

Cheers,
Aaron

[Henke]

Interesting points everyone. And very well said Eivind.

I don't really understand what you guys mean when you say you can't hear the tune. Do you think it's obscured by all the ornamentation or what?
I don't quite understand, because always when I listen to Solas or Egan solo, the tunes seems to shine through very well.
I'm not even sure I agree with the statement that the tune is the most important thing, or all that matters. I think the most important thing is the feelings you put out there. If I get a certain, powerful emotion when I listen to a tune, that's the most important thing, and that's all that matters.

Solas, and Egan has, in my opinion, the most emotionally packed folk music I've heard. I've heard plenty of old flute masters and plenty of ITM bands, but no one else I've heard has been so good at portraying emotions through the music as Solas (to me of course, I do respect other people's opinions). To me, that's soooo much more important than being purely traditional or what ever. Isn't that pretty much what music has been all about since the roots? Why do we even play music? I don't play music to be traditional. I draw my inspiration from ITM, because I love that music, and I love to listen to purely traditional ITM as well, but I don't get that great surge of emotions from playing exactly what Mr. (insert name here) did 150 years ago... I want to be me, and do it my way. And I love to listen to people who does just that as well. And it sort of buggs me off when people get mad at other people because they bring some development into the tradition, or because they let their garage punk band draw inspiration from ITM. But I accept that people don't like to listen to it of course. And I appreciate that some still play it the way it used to be done, but without some development in the tradition, it wouldn't take long for it to die.

This thread has taken a turn into a discussion I did not intend when I created it, but what can you do? Just roll with it...

[spittle]

No one can deny his chops (not that you really could an All-Ireland winner), but I too, find his style a bit spastic for my taste. Inspiring technitian, but I sort of lose the music as well *shrug*.

His first solo CD of Irish Trad music has a much different feel (and one I prefer) than his playing with Solas. I far from dislike the band - but again, the term 'spastic' comes to mind with some of their faster sets. Speed for speed's sake, which is fun sometimes but in limited quantity.

But to each his own - wherever you find inspiration!

Cheers,
- Ryan

[Henke]

Now I might have realised what you all mean by spastic and such. And I must say, I did agree with that a while ago. Tunes like "the Stride Set" and such felt mostly like a mess. I just remembered that now.
That has changed, some way or another. Don't really know why. I think one reason is that the last couple of years, I have really started to dig into other kinds of music and widened my horisons in many ways. I find a lot of music that I previously couldn't listen to enjoyable.
Since I started to broaden my tastes, and educate myself in music theory and spending a lot of time with music and playing lots of music, I've come to enjoy more advanced listening, that I previously felt was very "spastic".

This probably came out all wrong, but I can't find another way to explain it. So in order to not start a flame-war, I'll write the following disclaimer:
I don't mean, by anything I said, that anyone here has a narrow musical mind or is uneducated when it comes to music. I know there are people here who have a lot more experience or a more open mind than me.

Cheers

[Cathy Wilde]

Eeeeehhh .... Seamus is no slouch (better than I'll ever be!), but the real reason that band rocks is because of the two Johns.

[Doc Jones]

Did anyone else infer from the title that this thread was going to be about an old Star Trek ephisode or was it just me?



Live long and prosper,

Doc

Oh, and to get back on topic...I also do not play as well as Seamus. But, I have a much better haircut.