New CD: Grey Larsen/Cindy Kallet

[jim stone]

http://kalletlarsen.com/pages/page1

some whistle music--track 2

Some flute music--track 8

[jim stone]

I add that there is some flute on track 5 too.
Also Grey turns out to be a terrific fiddler.

[jim stone]

Grey's flute playing is controversial--we've had some
discussions about this. It seems to me track 8
may typify his music--far from any sort of honking,
no brilliant virtuousity, but (it seems to me) deep inside the
music. I wonder if this is an East Galway sort of music,
the biography says something that suggests it might be.

What do you all think of it?

[Doug_Tipple]

Grey's flute playing is controversial--we've had some
discussions about this. It seems to me track 8
may typify his music--far from any sort of honking,
no brilliant virtuousity, but (it seems to me) deep inside the
music. I wonder if this is an East Galway sort of music,
the biography says something that suggests it might be.

What do you all think of it?

If I had the technical ability to play these pieces at tempo, I would play with a more driving rhythm than Grey does. I am reminded of how people perform pieces by Bach. Do you give each note its full value as written in the music? Some performers do. Grey's playing strikes me of someone doing just that. That being said, I like Grey's playing. He also can sing quite well, as well as play the fiddle and concertina. BTW, Cindy Kallet has a wonderfully seductive singing voice. I ordered this CD for my collection.

[tin tin]

I had the pleasure of seeing the duo in concert not long ago, and a fine concert it was. The fiddle duets were a favorite (check out Playing With a Full Deck--if you think Thunderhead is tricky, it ain't got nothin' on this!), and Grey's playing of the slow air The Blackbird was beautiful--and a lesson in the art of variation, as I'm familiar with his recording of the tune on Dark of the Moon. I was also struck by Cindy Kallet's control of tone color when playing the guitar. All in all, a lovely mix of music (in alphabetical order): Irish, Old-Time, original and Scandinavian on a variety of instruments: flute, alto flute, whistle, concertina, fiddle, guitar, voice, and harmonium. I got to try Grey's 8-key in A (by Casey Burns), which he sounded great on, but I don't think I did. I also got to briefly try his Firth, Pond and Hall (with Abell headjoint), which was quite interesting--very light and responsive--but not quite my bag. And I think I discovered I'm allergic to cocus.

[bruceb]

I'm a big fan of his flute playing. This recording with Cindy Kallet is certainly more laid back than some of his others. If you're looking for Itrad this isn't the one to get. His recordings with Paddy League (The Green House and The Dark of the Moon) are my personal favorites.

To me, Grey is a subtle, highly creative player, more about tone color and variation than straight ahead speed and drive. His CD's hold my interest for a long time, which is not the case with some other well known and talented players.

It all comes down to personal taste. He has a distinct, easily recognizable sound (I bet I could guess it's his playing within a couple of seconds of hearing a cut), yet plays very much within the tradition. Obviously, this new one is more of a crossover effort with him playing as part of a duo. I've only listened to a couple of cuts but his flute sure sounds great on the folkie stuff.

bruce boysen, just ordered the CD and will be seeing them play just down the road on March 7.

[jim stone]

I'm amazed by track 5--it's really beautiful.

[monkey587]

I think it would be misleading to describe his music as "East Galway music." He says he is influenced by it but I listen to a lot of east galway players, more than any others, and I don't think his music fits with them. I think it would be fair to say that he has a pretty unique style and there's no need to try to fit him into other categories. Regardless of what he says his influences are, my ear hears mostly "early music" and Matt Molloy in his playing.

[Doug_Tipple]

I'm amazed by track 5--it's really beautiful.

I received the CD today in the mail, and I will have to agree with you, Jim, that track 5, "If You Say Yes", is beautiful. This is one of Cindy's own compositions, and the words to the tune are empowering. Grey's accompaniment with voice and the Irish alto flute are also very well done. There is a beautiful alto flute solo a little after the two minutes mark on the band. It makes me want to grab my alto flute and try to play along with the other tunes.

Another thing that I learned from the CD is that the instrument hanging on my wall is really a fiola. Shucks, I have been calling it a viola all of these years. If you like fiddle duets, band 6, "Playing With a Full Deck" has Grey on the fiddle (violin) and Cindy on the fiola (viola). This is Grey's own composition, written in January of 2007.

[tin tin]

Another thing that I learned from the CD is that the instrument hanging on my wall is really a fiola. Shucks, I have been calling it a viola all of these years. If you like fiddle duets, band 6, "Playing With a Full Deck" has Grey on the fiddle (violin) and Cindy on the fiola (viola). This is Grey's own composition, written in January of 2007.

In fact, she's playing a fiddle strung with viola strings.

[Gordon]

I think it would be misleading to describe his music as "East Galway music." He says he is influenced by it but I listen to a lot of east galway players, more than any others, and I don't think his music fits with them. I think it would be fair to say that he has a pretty unique style and there's no need to try to fit him into other categories. Regardless of what he says his influences are, my ear hears mostly "early music" and Matt Molloy in his playing.

Definitely not East Galway; he may have been influenced by it, personally, but it's not in his playing here, nor in these tune settings. This is more new age.
Track 8 does remind me a bit of Molloy on his Maids of Mitchellstown, but, then, so would any reel, slowed down and prettily played. I don't think Gray is a controversial player; it's more about the tutorials and whether teaching ITM in such a way simplifies or merely gentrifies everything. That said, he's certainly a good player, and I wouldn't fault him for not being or playing like other players; more than enough room for every style.

[Jumbuk]

Grey is one of my favourite players, and I definitely want this CD. I think of him as the flute equivalent of Martin Hayes - who is also controversial in some circles. Martin is easily my favourite fiddler. Oddly enough, my fiddler daughter shares my enthusiasm for Hayes (she introduced me to his music), but finds Grey's flute style lacking in passion - but she did like his fiddling when we saw him at a festival here a couple of years back.

[jim stone]

Well, the controversy was here. Indeed, one member's
wife was reported to describe Grey's flute playing
as 'a cow hooting up a chimney.'

I don't suppose passion is Grey's strong point, at least
not musically. He does seem to get pretty deep
inside the tunes he plays. The whistling on track
2 is worth a listen, IMO.

Thanks for this info about East Galway. I don't
much know about Irish flute styles.

[monkey587]

I think of him as the flute equivalent of Martin Hayes

What makes you say that?

[monkey587]

Thanks for this info about East Galway. I don't
much know about Irish flute styles.

It's a tricky thing to characterize, but to my ear at least, east galway players like paddy carty, jack coen, mike rafferty, eddie moloney, sean moloney, etc all sound about as different from eachother as from Larsen.

If you take the East Galway players as a whole, there is a kind of flow and logic to the phrasing that I think is quite different from Larsen's. I would say he doesn't breathe the way any of them would, or in a way that fits with their general tendencies.

If you're not familiar with East Galway, I'd encourage you to start by listening to those players and use them as a point of comparison to draw your own conclusions.