Irish Flute CD Recommendations Needed

[bradhurley]

How's that CD of Molloy, Keane, and O'Flynn?

A mixed bag, I'd say...overall it doesn't live up to its potential although there are some great tracks. Despite the title it doesn't have the same fire as the Molloy/Keane album.

[brotherwind]

I prefer O'Murchu's first CD.
Doesn't anybody listen to the divine MM anymore?

Yeah, I like it and the second one too!

MM's great

I think it's popular now for people to dismiss MM (Matt Molloy), but really he's essential listening if you're looking to see "what is possible with the Irish flute." His first album (the black album) titled simply "Matt Molloy" is a classic and is just flute and bouzouki. His second one, "The Heathery Breeze" is equally brilliant, and the other essential one in my opinion is the recording he did with Sean Keane, "Contentment is Wealth." His style has spawned hundreds of imitators, but it's worth going back and listening to him as a reference to get the real thing. People will still be listening to Molloy 100 years from now, no doubt.

Kevin Crawford's "In Good Company" etc....There are many others to recommend...if you do a search or browse through this forum you'll find other threads here where people have mentioned their favorite flute players and recordings.

Also if you want to go further afield to see what can be done with the "Irish flute," get any of Jean-Michel Veillon's recordings.

Yes, yes, yes... No further comment necessary.

[doogieman]

Eddie Cahill's CD "Ah Surely" is available from Ossian as part of "Sligo Masters" which includes this CD and "The First Month of Spring" by fiddler John Vesey.
Cahill's distinctive Sligo flute stylings are worth the price. Wonderful stuff!

[Loren]

Question: Does anyone else think it would be more than a little helpful to have a "CD Recommendation" Sticky thread? This subject comes up fairly often, and there's so much good stuff out there, and more being produced monthly, that inevtably mention of some really good recordings are left out each time the subject comes up. Would be nice to have one thread at the top, for instant access and as a place to add new recommendations.


Loren

P.S. How come the UP forum's instrument picture thread is sticky and ours isn't? Bad enough we had to suffer a name change to that thread......

[johnkerr]

I ended up with PJ Crotty's CD with Tom Cullinan instead, which I'd recommend here.

Actually that's James Cullinan (fiddle) who along with his wife Carol (piano) played with PJ Crotty on that CD, called "Happy to Meet". I agree that it's a great one. PJ Crotty sadly died much too young only a couple years after this one was done.

Another great album along these same lines (great fiddle and flute duet, nice Clare tunes) is Peadar O Loughlinn and Maeve Donnelly's "The Thing Itself". Peadar is still playing great, last I heard, at 80 or thereabouts. I should only wish to play half as well as him at my own age (52), much less at his!

[monkey587]

I ended up with PJ Crotty's CD with Tom Cullinan instead, which I'd recommend here.

Actually that's James Cullinan (fiddle) who along with his wife Carol (piano) played with PJ Crotty on that CD, called "Happy to Meet". I agree that it's a great one. PJ Crotty sadly died much too young only a couple years after this one was done.

Another great album along these same lines (great fiddle and flute duet, nice Clare tunes) is Peadar O Loughlinn and Maeve Donnelly's "The Thing Itself". Peadar is still playing great, last I heard, at 80 or thereabouts. I should only wish to play half as well as him at my own age (52), much less at his!

Sorry about the name slipup, I just realized that I mixed him up with someone I knew as a kid with a similar name.

I'll second the recommendation for "The Thing Itself."

[Wormdiet]

PADDY CARTY. Did I miss a previous mention?

Catherine McEvoy

Frankie Kennedy (early Altan albums)

Although it isn't strictly Irish, anything with JM Veillon or Chris Norman.

[Whistlin'Dixie]

I prefer O'Murchu's first CD.
Doesn't anybody listen to the divine MM anymore?

I didn't even know she played flute...

Oh, My, Marilyn. That's the first thing I thought of when I saw "MM"
She is such an icon for me.

I buy a calendar each year, just for me.

Thanks for the pic.

M

[Denny]

dang kids...

"divine MM"

I like Matt but...devine?

[Eldarion]

I'm surprised no one mentioned this yet:

The style of flute playing is really quite different from a lot of flute playing you can buy today. While Sligo music isn't always my favourite kind of Irish music, I don't think I can find a commercially available flute recording that is to me as strong as this.

[Loren]

I'm surprised no one mentioned this yet:

The style of flute playing is really quite different from a lot of flute playing you can buy today. While Sligo music isn't always my favourite kind of Irish music, I don't think I can find a commercially available flute recording that is to me as strong as this.

Oh yeah man, that's a good one.


Loren

[michael_coleman]

His first album (the black album) titled simply "Matt Molloy" is a classic and is just flute and bouzouki.

Brad where can I get my hands on Matt Molloy's first album? I remember seeing on here the cover for it (some kind of controversy over the cover changing due to the lip plate on his flute being painted black when it was silver), am I correct?

[bradhurley]

Brad where can I get my hands on Matt Molloy's first album? I remember seeing on here the cover for it (some kind of controversy over the cover changing due to the lip plate on his flute being painted black when it was silver), am I correct?

Good question (and actually the controversy turned out to be due to it being a different photograph, not the same photograph being retouched. For some reason a new photo was taken for the CD version).

Green Linnet reissued that album on CD some years back but it's no longer available on their website (I suspect they lost or sold the rights to all the Mulligan albums, as they don't have the Bothy Band albums on their site either). Some of MM's albums are now available on the iTunes Music Store (including Contentment is Wealth and The Heathery Breeze), but not the first one.

[tin tin]

Looks like the black album is available on Amazon.

[Loren]

Geeze, I'd love to get a copy, but $50 for the one in good condition? Wow. And the other one says "Acceptable" condition, what the heck does that mean?


Loren