Skip Healy's "Purgatory Chasm"

JS · Post by JS » Sat Mar 17, 2007 7:02 am

I just downloaded yesterday (emusic.com can be a good deal for trad music fans interested in legit downloads) Skip Healy's "Purgatory Chasm" cd, and I pretty much haven't stopped listening to it since. Very precise & energetic playing on a great variety of tunes--to my ear, a rather New England feel to it, as with Frank Ferrel's fiddle albums. I especially enjoy the fife numbers (is that Fife Acquisition Syndrome I feel coming on?), and the very cool title track.

Good music to be snowed in with, which is what I am, here on St. Patrick's Day in Saratoga County.

greenspiderweb · Post by **greenspiderweb** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 8:31 am

I've been listening to Skip's clip of Dark is the Color of my True Love's Hair for some time on CDbaby.com, and it's one of my favorite tunes on flute. I tend to like the airs and such best. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of the higher pitched stuff like fifes and piccolos (and many of the faster tunes) though he plays them well.

I also like how the harp and flute complement each other in general and on Dark is the Color, and I really like the tone of Skips flute too. I guess it's a Healy big bore! Here's the link to Purgatory Chasm on CDbaby:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/skiphealy1

Yes, it's definitely not a GREEN St.Patrick's day here either!

fyffer · Post by **fyffer** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:43 am

JS wrote:I just downloaded yesterday (emusic.com can be a good deal for trad music fans interested in legit downloads) Skip Healy's "Purgatory Chasm" cd, and I pretty much haven't stopped listening to it since. Very precise & energetic playing on a great variety of tunes--to my ear, a rather New England feel to it, as with Frank Ferrel's fiddle albums.

Yep -- gotta agree there. Very nice stuff. (Though I am a bit biased, being a pretty close neighbor, and owner of a flute and fife of his making).

JS wrote: I especially enjoy the fife numbers (is that Fife Acquisition Syndrome I feel coming on?) ...

Be careful ... 'Tis a disorder I'm all-too-familiar with. I've succumbed to buying about 10 in the last 2 years.

Good music to be snowed in with, which is what I am, here on St. Patrick's Day in Saratoga County.

Ahh, well I spent mine with the Fife and Drum corps in lovely Savannah, Georgia. Not gloating, just reporting.

rama · Post by **rama** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 9:15 pm

"Skip sprays sixteenth notes like machine gun bullets, dazzling listeners with his daring high speed improvisations."
-- Don Meade (Blarney Stone, New York City )

skip is a quite a phenom - an interesting blend of american fife and irish flute. gotta luv that camel's hump!

greenspiderweb · Post by **greenspiderweb** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 10:50 pm

fyffer wrote: Yep -- gotta agree there. Very nice stuff. (Though I am a bit biased, being a pretty close neighbor, and owner of a flute and fife of his making).

So, fyffer, how are you getting along with that Healy flute by now? I remember when you got it you weren't too sure about how it was playing for you then. I imagine with time you've been able to get some nice tone and music from it?

rama wrote:"Skip sprays sixteenth notes like machine gun bullets, dazzling listeners with his daring high speed improvisations."
-- Don Meade (Blarney Stone, New York City )

skip is a quite a phenom - an interesting blend of american fife and irish flute. gotta luv that camel's hump!

Well, he's not spraying the 16th notes in Dark is the Color, and there's no hump about it on that tune either! Just nice playing, and great expression.

Does anyone know of more nice flute/harp music they can recommend, that might have a similar feel to it?

rama · Post by **rama** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 6:54 am

i believe joe burke's "tailor's choice" had a few slow airs on wooden flute (boxwood r&r) w/harp and a second flute harmony.

fyffer · Post by **fyffer** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 7:08 am

greenspiderweb wrote:
fyffer wrote: Yep -- gotta agree there. Very nice stuff. (Though I am a bit biased, being a pretty close neighbor, and owner of a flute and fife of his making).
So, fyffer, how are you getting along with that Healy flute by now? I remember when you got it you weren't too sure about how it was playing for you then. I imagine with time you've been able to get some nice tone and music from it?

Thanks for asking! In fact, sometimes I'm quite pleased with the sound I'm able to get from my flute, but I split my time with the fife, which I definitely lean more towards, so my progress (I feel) is a bit slower than it could be. Still, I'm quite happy with it. One of these days I may have keys put on it, but I'm a little nervous about having that done, having never played a keyed flute -- I don't necessarily want to disturb the "pristine" nature of the beast. However, I may just get a D# key to keep it from rolling off tables at sessions.

I do keep poking around eBay for a keyed flute. I'd like to see if I can get an old German flute which might require a little TLC as a project for myself, and to get me warmed up to the idea of getting keys added to my Healy. I'm watching a couple now, but I can't quite justify the expense to my wife yet, having, over that past couple of years, acquired 10 or so fifes from eBay and elsewhere. Still watching though ....

greenspiderweb · Post by **greenspiderweb** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 7:34 am

rama wrote:i believe joe burke's "tailor's choice" had a few slow airs on wooden flute (boxwood r&r) w/harp and a second flute harmony.

Thanks, Rama for mentioning that one. It seems many albums are like that-only a couple or so airs on them. Not that I don't like faster stuff, but sometimes it seems too repetitious, though I've enjoyed the great variety on the WFO CDs immensely.

greenspiderweb · Post by **greenspiderweb** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 7:42 am

fyffer wrote:
greenspiderweb wrote:
fyffer wrote: Yep -- gotta agree there. Very nice stuff. (Though I am a bit biased, being a pretty close neighbor, and owner of a flute and fife of his making).
So, fyffer, how are you getting along with that Healy flute by now? I remember when you got it you weren't too sure about how it was playing for you then. I imagine with time you've been able to get some nice tone and music from it?
Thanks for asking! In fact, sometimes I'm quite pleased with the sound I'm able to get from my flute, but I split my time with the fife, which I definitely lean more towards, so my progress (I feel) is a bit slower than it could be. Still, I'm quite happy with it. One of these days I may have keys put on it, but I'm a little nervous about having that done, having never played a keyed flute -- I don't necessarily want to disturb the "pristine" nature of the beast. However, I may just get a D# key to keep it from rolling off tables at sessions.

I do keep poking around eBay for a keyed flute. I'd like to see if I can get an old German flute which might require a little TLC as a project for myself, and to get me warmed up to the idea of getting keys added to my Healy. I'm watching a couple now, but I can't quite justify the expense to my wife yet, having, over that past couple of years, acquired 10 or so fifes from eBay and elsewhere. Still watching though ....

Glad to hear you like your Healy, and you are making progress on it. Yes, I guess if you play fife mostly, it's not easy keeping practiced on the big one. Just enjoy it for when you do play it-they sound great I think! Wouldn't mind playing one someday too.

Sometimes you can pick up an old German keyed flute for not much money, but it can also cost a bit to get them repaired if you can't manage it yourself. It's sometimes cheaper to buy one that's in playing condition and leave the repairs to the pros! You never know what you'll run into.

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Skip Healy's "Purgatory Chasm"

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