Whistler Tom Barry

[kevin m.]

O.k. Folks,
What can anyone tell me about Tom Barry?
I know that he played in the group 'Na Fili' (the Poets),as I recently bought the album 'Na Fili 3' (So there has to be a 'Na Fili' and 'Na Fili 2' out there!).
From what I've heard,his playing appeals to me because it sounds 'pure drop' musical 'depth' without artifice or 'showmanship'.
Where's he from? Is he still alive? Is he still recording? What's his story?

[Cayden]

He's a Corkman but that's just about all I know.

[kevin m.]

Thanks Peter,
I thought that that was the case.
Any thoughts about 'Na Fili'?

[Cayden]

I only know the first one. T O'C is not my favourite piper or accordeonplayer but I still play a few tunes I learned off that one very long ago.

[dubhlinn]

From what I can recall off the top of my head, Na Fili were actve in the early seventies and were around before Planxty.
The Fiddle player ,Matt Cranitch I think, was last heard playing in an Old time American music group called the Lee Valley Boys alongside Jimmy Crowley another well known Cork boyo.

I have a week off work from tomorrow so I'll do a bit of Googling about and let you know what I come up with.

Slan,
D.

[djm]

No need to Google this one. Matt is playing with Sliabh Notes, and is touring the US. See the thread on this forum posted a day or to ago:
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php ... ee26db154e

djm

[dubhlinn]

Tom Barry seems to be well hidden below the radar. I found an interview with Matt Cranitch in which Tom gets a very brief mention but thats it.
It may well be that he retired from the public eye to concentrate on family/career.
In the late sixties/early seventies the playing of ITM was not nearly as profitable as it is nowadays and even those who do make a living from it today have to spend an impossible amount of time on the road.This constant travelling away from home can be very destructive to families. When I was a full time musician I was a single man and had a absolute Ball for many years but I could not help but notice the amount of broken marriages and such that went with the turf.
Not being dependent on music for your living gives you the freedom to play what you want to play whenever you want to play it and this freedom can in itself vastly improve your understanding of the music and your ability to get in between the notes where the real action is.


Slan,
D.

OOPS: I forgot to add the link to the Matt Cranitch interview

http://www.brendantaaffe.com/matt_cranitch.html

D.

[djm]

Great link. Thanks for that. I am still struggling with Matt's book, but it is certainly the best one out there for learning the bowing.

djm

[Seanie]

Hello

In one of the transcriptions that Peter did, the whistle player was a Barry from Cork. Nobody knew much about her either.

Perhaps there are whole tribes of musicians that exist below the radar.
What a thought?

Cheers

John Moran

[kevin m.]

Thanks for the link Dubh,that's a great article which I'll read in full at my leisure.
As you say,Tom Barry gets a slight mention.
As regards musicians 'below the Radar'-as Peter has mentioned many times before,we only get to hear Irish musicians who have recorded,Irish musicians who tour,or local 'ITM' musicians.
I have no doubts that there are musicians out there just as good as the 'Greats',who, for reasons of their own, choose not to record,or drop their existing career or lifestyle to join the hectic schedule of the touring musician.

[Bloomfield]

Interesting. About 17 years ago I posted a thread on this asking if anyone knew who the whistler for Na Fili was. I learned The Chanters Tune and O'Neill's Cavalcade off that one, hehehe. Heady stuff.