Best Irish fiddle album

Subject: Best Irish fiddle album
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Aug 15 - 01:43 PM

I want to buy a CD of Irish fiddle music for de nephew, who's 12 and learning violin. Undecided what to get him. Has to be really good music, moving, a mix… doesn't *have* to be fiddle music. Any ideas? I thought of The Blue Fiddle or Grace Notes, but these aren't traditional music… really not sure.

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 14 Aug 15 - 02:03 PM

Ego Trip by MacDara Ó Raghallaigh. The very best.

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Aug 15 - 02:13 PM

It's lovely. I'm now wondering, though, should I start off with something more mixed - thinking of Out To Another Side by Liam O Floinn (only his da probably has it from me years ago), or maybe Irish Heartbeat by the Chieftains and Van Morrison, since he may not necessarily be familiar with those songs, which are long overfamiliar for most Irish people. Or maybe The Chieftains' Another Country.

It needs to be something his parents will enjoy hearing and not tell him to take that damn thing off, and also something that will entice him technically and through his heart.

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Aug 15 - 02:18 PM

He's grown up in Australia, by the way.

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Aug 15 - 02:20 PM

Anything by Kevin Burke. Or Tommy Peoples.

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Aug 15 - 02:27 PM

Was thinking of Tommy Peoples all right; I don't want to spook him with anything too obtrusively diddly-eye at first.

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 14 Aug 15 - 03:02 PM

If you're in Australia, then consider supporting the best Irish band in Australia - any CD by "Trouble In The Kitchen" from Melbourne. Some very good songs on their recordings as well as superb flute and fiddle playing.
On the other hand, if he's just 12, a purely fiddle album might be a bit "hard core". A band might be better - my favourite Irish group currently still performing is "Teada". Check them out.
All of the fiddle players mentioned above, are of course, excellent.

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: michaelr
Date: 14 Aug 15 - 03:17 PM

Check out Donal Lunny's Coolfin CD. Lots of variation there: good songs, great instrumentals, not too diddley because of the cracking rhythm section.

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 14 Aug 15 - 03:26 PM

A warning - some of the more complex (flashy) players can have the effect of putting a new player off
Wouldn't bother with any of the groups - the instruments tend to merge and if accompaniment is added, particularly percussive, become musak.   
Personally, I would go for a good, solid, old time source fiddler - Junior Crehan of Clare's double C.D. 'Last House in Ballymackea' springs to mind - good, solid playing at a reasonable pace with lots of unique, interesting tunes
His nephew, Kevin Crehan, produced a lovely selection from Junior's repertoire; An Bhábóg sa Bhadog
Magic stuff.
Good luck
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 14 Aug 15 - 05:42 PM

While I fully respect your opinion, Jim, I have to reluctantly disagree with you in this specific case. Certainly, for Irish fiddle playing, the recordings you mention can't be faulted, but in this particular instance, the recording is for a 12-year old, living in Australia, with presumably not a lot of familiarity with traditional Irish fiddle playing. I would think that Junior's CDs might be a bit - shall we say "esoteric", for someone so young. Musicians of that age I would think are more likely to respond to a lively band rather than a solo performer. That may not be the case in Ireland - and I envy you for having that - but this is a young musician on the other side of the world. Appreciation of the solo music of Junior Crehan, I would hope would come later [ but the sooner the better ! ].
All the best, Kenny

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 14 Aug 15 - 06:00 PM

If you think Ego Trip is lovely, let him hear it! The very first piece of classical music I ever properly heard was a Beethoven late string quartet and I've never looked back. If you want to give him a bit of a mix, get him early Planxty (not much fiddle in evidence, however), or any Bothy Band you can get your hands on. And get him down to a decent session!

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Aug 15 - 07:37 PM

He's in Australia, I'm in Ireland, so I can't reach out a long arm and drag him to sessions!

Can't find the Junior Crehan album with audio samples, so unless I can go in to Claddagh or somewhere and get them to play a few tracks, that's out.

i'm getting more inclined to bring him in with a more soft-focus album, not so much fiddle. Maybe Brendan Begley, or Smaointe, or Blasta. I thought of Altan, but they tend to have a rather grating line in female songs that I think might be off-putting for an adolescent boy, and to favour those relentlessly chirpy Northern/Scottish songs like Maire's Wedding and Dúlamán.

I may just go for something like Another Country by the Chieftains, though not really Irish at all…

The singing on Sail Óg Rua is great, of course, but I find the fiddle a bit squeaky.

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 14 Aug 15 - 08:08 PM

"Can't find the Junior Crehan album"
Junior was off the top of my head - I know from the bitter experience of trying to learn several instruments myself, how easy it is to be put off by virtuoso playing - would depend how advanced he is of course, which is why I recommended Junior (he died in 1998 aged 90).
As I'm sure you know, Ireland is experiencing a traditional music instrumental boom at present, with thousands of young people coming to the music - luckily that is happening largely by them listening to the genuine source players and, in the case of this town, being taught by them, mainly at the annual Willie Clancy Summer School.
There seems to be a genuine respect for the elderly players - what the kids do with their newly acquired skills is still in the melting pot, but at least they have been given a grounding in the music.
So far, the signs are all positive, and they have absorbed a genuine love for traditional music and are not off chasing rainbows - yet!.
Don't dismiss their powers of discernment - speaking personally, when I came to traditional song, I did so along the well worn path - Jazz, Country and Western, The Spinners..... and eventually the real stuff - which has given me half a century of sheer pleasure not to mention interest.
Kids seem not to need to do that any more and are being weaned on musicians who sat at the feet of Willie Clancy, Seamus Ennis and Brendan McGlinchey (never met Willie, but I was lucky enough to spand time with the other two.
Jim Carroll
Happy to help with recordings from our somewhat extensive archive if needed

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Aug 15 - 04:48 AM

Thanks, Jim. Having started out thinking I'd like to get him a lovely album of fiddle music, and listened a bit to what's out there, I'm now moving towards something that will include some fiddle (but not too much squeaky diddly-eye) but mainly will give him a taste of the library of classic traditional tunes, probably slower tunes - which is why I like the Dolores Keane album, Smaointe, Seamus Begley, etc.

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: GUEST,Morris-ey
Date: 15 Aug 15 - 06:21 AM

I would echo the Tommy Peoples, Kevin Burke suggestion. Also, more recently Niamh Ni Charra's "Cuz"

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 15 Aug 15 - 11:00 AM

The old 'All-Ireland Chapions-violin : meet Paddy Canny & PJ Hayes., accompanied by Peter O'Loughlin-concert flute & Bridie Lafferty-piano' is perhaps the finest and always accessible recording of Irish music. At least I find it he one I can always come back to and still enjoy after all those years.

Your mileage may vary ofcourse. Finding a 'gateway' for a young musician into a music you would like him to enter into, it's not an easy job. And perhaps an impossible one. Even in an environment where music is part of day to day things many young people go into, develop into fine young players, only for 80% of them to drop it completely by the time they are 18. You can wonder if getting a young player interest in an environment where this music won't come natural isn't an uphill struggle. I would suggest offering a variety of Irish recordings (different formats, different instruments and different styles) and then, if any of it sparks an interest, gently coaxing along wherever that sparks takes him is your only hope. Unless there's a peer group with an interest in music he can fall in with, that's perhaps the essential element.

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 16 Aug 15 - 02:09 AM

Moving Hearts , The Storm. A great album , will get his toes tapping .

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 16 Aug 15 - 03:29 AM

Martin Hayes? But maybe in that category of being so brilliant as to put off a young learner.
For groups: Dervish, Lunasa, Stockton's Wing? He'd probably enjoy Mike McGoldrick's albums, with Desi Donnelly on fiddle, for some more contemporary tunes.

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: GUEST,FloraG
Date: 16 Aug 15 - 03:31 AM

I still like to hear The Dubliners. When learning by ear I always find its easier to learn from a song than a tune.
You might also think of the film DVD The Titanic. I go to a pub and there are Romanian fruit pickers - they nearly always ask for the tunes that the Irish band played.
FloraG.

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 16 Aug 15 - 04:22 AM

"The old 'All-Ireland Champions-violin : meet Paddy Canny & PJ Hayes."
Yes- yes - yes - you can always be relied on to pull one out of the hat Peter.
Good, uncluttered traditional fiddle playing played to the highest level of skill and extremely inspiring for a would-be musician.
This was once described to me as the best album of Irish fiddle playing ever made, and I have never had cause to question that description.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 16 Aug 15 - 07:28 AM

Jim, aside from the fact I recently stumbled into the original Dublin records lp of that one (it's sitting on the table beside me), it is the one you can always go back to and never find it dated or worn out by listening too often. Completely timeless and, if you're a learner, it isn't scary but your appreciation will grow to deeper levels when your (listening) skills grow.

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 16 Aug 15 - 08:22 AM

My feelings exactly Peter
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Best Irish fiddle album
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Aug 15 - 03:17 AM

Thanks for all the suggestions - a great start.