Request for Irish music recommendations

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 12 Jun 17 - 07:06 AM

Two Irish musicians with classical leanings;

Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin - starting with Casadh

Shaun Davey - The Brendan Voyage - Soloist Liam O'Flynn

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 12 Jun 17 - 06:35 AM

I think this thread is testament to what a broad church 'Irish music' really is, and how many things it means to different people.

And also that making recommendations based on a simple request for 'Irish music' can be a bit of a wild goose chase.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: AmyLove
Date: 11 Jun 17 - 04:18 PM

Proud to be one of the few who possess it. :-) That same seller on amazon had a copy of Dancin' To The Ceili Band and I decided to go for it once again. I listened to some of the songs on youtube:

What a Time by The Bucks

The Bucks - Gra Geal Mo Chroi (Ron Kavana and Terry Woods)

Tony Hustler My Dad & The Bucks Rashers 'n' Eggs... X :-)

The Bucks Courtin in the Kitchen

The Bucks An Poc ar Buille

In my search for those songs, I came across the Irish Folk/Punk band Neck. I'm not sure at this point whether or not I find them too jarring (I haven't listened to The Pogues recently, but I think Neck is more jarring than they are), but if anyone wants to give one of their albums a listen:

Sod 'Em & Begorrah

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 10 Jun 17 - 07:16 PM

Incidentally, and this isn't for the purists, but Ron Kavana recorded another album in the mid-1990s under the band name The Bucks, called Dancin' To The Ceili Band. His chief collaborator on that one was Terry Woods but Paddy Keenan is on there too among others.   If you like Galway To Graceland you'll love that one too. The final track is a killer. I'll say no more for now!

Another amazing album is Bothy Band Live In Concert. It's a BBC recording. It's Kevin Burke rather than Tommy Peoples on fiddle and it's post-Paddy Keenan, but none the worse for either.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 10 Jun 17 - 07:03 PM

Gosh, I'm relieved you like it! There aren't many of us who possess that album I'll have you know! Dunno whether it was copyright issues but very few copies were ever pressed. Didn't the world lose out!

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: AmyLove
Date: 10 Jun 17 - 06:18 PM

Steve Shaw,

I received the correct cd - Galway to Graceland. What a delight! Thanks again for the recommendation.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: The Sandman
Date: 04 Jun 17 - 03:54 PM

https://www.fastnetmaritime.com

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: The Sandman
Date: 04 Jun 17 - 03:52 PM

Andy Irvine
https://www.fastnetmaritime.com

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Jun 17 - 12:17 PM

Hf you liked Mozaik, then you may also like Andy Irvine's latest group, Usher's Island.

Their CD came out in March this year.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 04 Jun 17 - 03:31 AM

And go on, while we're there, a bit of self indulgence:

Collection of Photos of Traditional Music in Clare

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 04 Jun 17 - 03:27 AM

A matter of wood and trees. I should have mentioned the resources at Clare library:

Singers and songs

Traditional music of Clare : field recordings

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST,Dick Miles
Date: 02 Jun 17 - 04:15 PM

Michael Gorman, Sarah Makem.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: AmyLove
Date: 02 Jun 17 - 01:32 AM

Kenny,

I am starting to make my way through your many recommendations and I'm loving them.

For anyone who's interested, you can listen to the full album of one of Kenny's recommendations — Where The Bog Is by Bryan O'Leary & Colm Guilfoyle — as well as purchase it here:

Where The Bog Is | Bryan O'Leary & Colm Guilfoyle

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: Stewie
Date: 30 May 17 - 09:10 PM

My apologies for the superfluous 's' on Heartstring that sent Peter to Ohio!

A few more that do not appear to be mentioned above: Voice Squad, Packie Byrne, Phil Callery, Skylark, Pecker Dunne.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: AmyLove
Date: 30 May 17 - 05:46 PM

So much help you all are giving me. My Irish music collection is going to be vastly improved.

gillymor, thanks! Great links. I've added Between Words to my list. For anyone who's interested, you can listen to the full album here:

Between Words

Stewie, that's so funny. I was exploring Len Graham earlier today. I downloaded the songs of his available at The Song Collectors Collective:

Len Graham talks about and sings the songs of Joe Holmes

And there are downloadable songs from a number of performers at that site:

Tradition Bearers

I mentioned my interest in the use of unusual instruments. This includes the banjo. I found a lovely playlist at ITMA:

'With a Banjo on my Knee': Early Recordings of Banjo in Irish Traditional Music

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 30 May 17 - 11:14 AM

I searched Heartstrings Quartet and ended up on the website of a string quartet catering for weddings in Ohio. Only when I saw the [i]Heartstring Quartet[/i] things made sense ;-)

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: Stewie
Date: 30 May 17 - 10:48 AM

I didn't see these mentioned: Al O'Donnell, Arcady, Niamh Parsons, Heartstrings Quartet, Len Graham, John Campbell, Any Old Time, Jimmy Crowley.

I second the mention of The Gloaming - wonderful stuff!

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 30 May 17 - 09:55 AM

Seán sa Ceo : Ceo=Fog/Mist

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: gillymor
Date: 30 May 17 - 09:30 AM

Amy, your enthusiasm is infectious and it's cool to find out what everyone's listening to.

Here's a young group, Ce doing Spirit Of The Dance / Dans Loudieg / The Bulga from their album Between the Words.

American player John Williams, formerly of Solas, doing Earl's Chair, John of the Bog (Sean se Cheo) and MacArthur Road.
His all-instrumental recording "Steam" is one of my favorites in the genre.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 29 May 17 - 04:02 PM

"And thanks for sharing those stories."
One of the most touching stories I ever heard about the music was told by veteran broadcaster/collector, Cairán MacMathúnna, not long before he died coincidentally at the hall dedicated to Padraig O'Keefe in Scartaglen, in Kerry
He described recording a very elderly fiddle player giving him a number of tunes for his radio programme
When the session finished, Cairán said to the old man, "there is a little matter of the recording fee".
The old man thought fora second and replied, "Well, I have no money in the house at present, but I'm taking a bullock to the market in the morning if you don't mind waiting until then".
You really can't beat the generosity and humility of the older generosity of musicians and singers.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: AmyLove
Date: 29 May 17 - 03:39 PM

I'm thinking it'll help to provides some contrasts between what I like and what I don't. Though first let me reiterate that I appreciate all recommendations.

gillymor mentioned Dé Danann, Dónal Lunny, Kevin Burke, and Dervish, all of whom I like. I have At Home by Cherish the Ladies, which I find okay — I like their fast-paced instrumental pieces and the rest of the album I find rather dull. I listened to samples of The Girls Won't Leave the Boys Alone and Woman of the House, and I didn't find much there to interest me, either. And gillymor's mention of CTL's leader Joannie Madden got me to check her out, too. Song of the Irish Whistle didn't interest me, except for these two tracks:

Joanie MADDEN / The Otter's Nest-Richie Dwyers

Joanie MADDEN // The Legacy Jig -Tar Road to Sligo

I also listened to samples from Mozaik's Changing Trains and Live From the Powerhouse. The former didn't have enough tracks I liked but the latter did.

And I hope this proves my previous point that anyone who's willing to take the time to make recommendations can do so knowing that I'll almost certainly like some if not most or all of them.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: AmyLove
Date: 29 May 17 - 11:18 AM

A couple more approaches to recommendations:

Consider some commonly played songs and tell me your favorite performers (instrumental and/or vocal) of them.

What do you listen to when you're in not the best of moods to help you feel better? A few examples of my own: I find Albert Fry soothing. I love the energy of Celtic Mouth Music. And for a song in Irish that is decidedly not traditional, I sometimes listen to An Dreoilín by Seán Monaghan and The Maimín Cajun Band on repeat.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 27 May 17 - 04:01 PM

Hi Amy - some recordings of the best traditional Irish musicians playing in the 1970s were made by the Belfast "Outlet" label. By means not known to me, several of what were LP records at the time, and can only usually be found on "eBay" these days, usually at inflated prices, can now be downloaded through "iTunes" for £3.99 sterling. Certainly some of the Outlet recordings by Seamus Tansey [ flute ], Finbarr Dwyer [ accordion ], Tom McHaile [ whistle ], Sean Ryan Trio [ fiddle, accordion, piano ], "Na Fili" [ fiddle, whistle, uilleann pipes and songs ], Sean McGuire [ fiddle ], Ted Furey [ fiddle ], Kevin Loughlin [ accordion ] and several more are available.
My favourite flute album ever was one of the last Outlet recordings. "Bad Turns And Horseshoe Bends", by Harry Bradley from Belfast is £3.99. If you ever only own 1 flute album of Irish music, this has to be it. Give it a listen, please.
Best of luck. Kenny

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 27 May 17 - 03:44 PM

For harp Paul Dooley for the wire-strung. Also Laoise Kelly, Grainne Hambly, Deirdre Granville, Máire Ní Chathasaigh, Kathleen Loughnane

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: AmyLove
Date: 27 May 17 - 02:43 PM

I also quite like harp music. Some of the albums I have:

Irish Harp Songs: Emily Mitchell

Suaimhneas: Michelle Mulcahy

Dear Harp Of My Country: The Melodies Of Thomas Moore: James W. Flannery, Janet Harbison

Erin's Harp: Melissa Morgan

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: AmyLove
Date: 27 May 17 - 02:20 PM

Thank you again to each of you who are taking the time to help me with recommendations.

Seriously, as I said before, I like most Irish music I've heard, so please allow the recommendations to flow freely. As many as any of you are willing to take the time to post, I will check out. I guarantee you that I will like the majority of the performers you share with me. Also, I like to think that others in the future will come across this thread and find it useful.

Peter Laban,
I love piping music. Reel off as many names as you like. A couple of the albums I already have: The Humours of Piping, featuring Claire Byrne, Darragh Murphy, Barry Kerr, Patrick Davey. The Best of Irish Piping, featuring Seamus Ennis.

Jim,
Yes, I actually have 'Seoltí Séidte' (Setting Sail). It's wonderful. And thanks for sharing those stories.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 27 May 17 - 07:58 AM

Three eminent names not mentioned so far;

Frankie Gavin, Cathal Hayden and Sharron Shannon

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 27 May 17 - 07:56 AM

The mention of Tom Billy is interesting, I am unware of any recordings made of his playing. Any links, Dick?

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 27 May 17 - 06:26 AM

"Surely Padraig O'Keeffe as well, Dick?"
I thought that too Peter
Our dear late friend, Tom McCarthy, used to tell the story of Denis Murphy's efforts to obtain an unnamed tune from Padraig, without a great deal of success.
Finally, Denis cornered him in the pub and, on the offer of a pint, Padraig promied he would let him have the tune if he would meet him in the bog the following day.
He arrived to find the tune neatly finger-written into the wall of wet bog - Padraig named it, "The Bank of Turf".
O'Keefe used to play regularly in a pub in Kilarney - the landlord made a point of recording him whenever he did.
The tapes were carefully placed into round metal spool boxes and put into a large cupboards in the bar
On O'Keefe's death, at a get-together to celebrate his memory they were taken out and put on a tape recorder, where the horrified onlookers watched as the film covering of the tapes fell off and ended as a pile on the floor
Nobody had noticed the hot water pipe running through the cupboard.
Sadly, I was assured that that was not an urban or rural legend
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: The Sandman
Date: 27 May 17 - 06:09 AM

absolutely, and Paddy Cronin, and TOM BILLY AND NEILDH BYLE

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 27 May 17 - 05:36 AM

Surely Padraig O'Keeffe as well, Dick?

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: The Sandman
Date: 27 May 17 - 05:17 AM

denis murphy, julia clifford.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 27 May 17 - 05:07 AM

'Bout time you made your own solo album Peter (unless I've missed something)'

Let's not go there Jim. Ever.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 27 May 17 - 05:01 AM

I find questions like this incredibly difficult to begin to approach - it is so dependent on personal taste which is, by its very nature - very personal.
To someone who was looking for an overview of Irish music, I would have little hesitation in recommending Gael Linnn's 'Seoltí Séidte' (Setting Sail) - forty three historic recordings made between 1957-1961.
I don't like them all, but there's enough there to whet anybody's appetite
Some of my own personal favourites remain locked in the vaults somewhere - Folkways' delicious Willie Clancy, Michael Gorman Album somewhat innocuously titled, "Irish Dance Music' - Collector Records' Seamus Ennis e.p 'The Ace and Deuce of Piping'.... a few minutes of magic!
Irish music has never been more readily available, but I do wish that the produces would become conscious of the beauty of sound the solo instrument and stop converting it into muzak with (at best) unnecessary accompaniment.
One of these days somebody is going to gather together and issue the unnacompanied recordings of one of Ireland's finest fiddle players, Máirtín Byrnes - without the piano-driver (if they exist)!
That we should all live so long!!
'Bout time you made your own solo album Peter (unless I've missed something)
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 27 May 17 - 04:03 AM

Dan Sullivan made plenty of 78 rpms, I am not completely sure about re-issues, they do come up on compilations of old recordings. Their version of The Blackbird, with piano introduction by Sullivan, before the band joins in, is a must hear, for a number of reasons.

Tom Morrison didn't record all that extensively, his few sides of 78 rpms do tend to appear on those old compilations. (Not much use to you there, in my time kind people supplied me with endless tapes of dubbed 78s so the re-issues passed me by a bit).

If you're into that sort of things though, the extensive re-issues of John McKenna's flute 78s are a must hear/have, especially the most recent collection from the John McKenna people in Leitrim.

Felix Doran had his own lp, 'Last of the Traveling pipers' but other bits and bobs appeared here and there.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 27 May 17 - 03:30 AM

By the way, Johnny Doran never 'made an lp',. He was recorded for the Folklore commission on archival acetate discs during the late 1940s, shortly before his accidentin.

For years only tapes made from a radio broadcast of some of that material circulated among pipers until a cassette was released during the eighties but more recently Na Piobairi Uilleann released a CD of the complete recordings, all cleaned up. That should still be available, At claddagh Custy's and places like that, I would assume, and certainly at pipers.ie.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 27 May 17 - 03:18 AM

'Peter has not yet mentioned Willie Clancy'

I didn't, perhaps some names are so obvious that I assume them to be basic knowledge I don't feel they don't really need mention. I also didn't want to start reeling off names of too many pipers, not everybody finds piping very accessible. I did start my list with a number of core traditional fiddlers but steered away from that line of thinking a bit in favour of, perhaps, somewhat 'easier' listening. As I said, it's hard to know where to start and Amy's lists perhaps only increase the confusion.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: AmyLove
Date: 26 May 17 - 09:18 PM

I understand the confusion as to understanding my musical tastes, but what can I say? I like most of the Irish music I've heard.

I will say this. I don't generally like gloomy music. I listened to samples of a number of Christy Moore's albums and found most of them overall too gloomy for me. The Iron Behind the Velvet seems the most likely purchase for me. Possibly Folk Tale. I've only heard the title track from Paddy on the Road and quite liked it. If it's indicative of the overall tone of the album, I'll definitely get it. (His Me & Rose is quite fun.)

I want to make a distinction regarding the above. Consider The Outlandish Knight by Danú which I linked to in a previous post. It's definitely not cheerful, but I wouldn't describe it as gloomy, either. Poignant, perhaps. I hope that distinction makes sense. Another example of a poignant song I like is Grace. Perhaps gloomy music is emotionally greyish while poignant music has passion, though possibly buried, muted somewhat. Maybe that's not fair, but all I know is that music I'd describe as gloomy I find depressing while music I'd describe as poignant resonates with me, "plucks at my heartstrings."

Another point. I have a couple of Tempest albums, which I don't listen to. I'm not sure if Tempest is considered straight up rock or tending toward metal a bit. The latter would make more sense to me because I'm not a metal fan in general while I quite like some rock, especially classic rock from the 70s. I listened to samples from the album The Storm by Moving Hearts, as recommended above, as well as at least one other album by them, and it just didn't do it for me (but I still appreciate the recommendation — thank you, "guest."), perhaps in a similar way to my not liking Tempest. Now, I'm not sure how to describe Insulated Man by The Drovers, as featured in the movie Blink. Perhaps straight up rock. Anyway, I like it:

Insulated Man (feat. Chantal Wentworth)

And actually The Drovers are another band whose songs I generally consider gloomy, if I remember correctly.

Hope this helps a bit.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 26 May 17 - 08:41 PM

As Peter Laban suggested, it's not easy to see the focus here! It's certainly unusual to see Arty McGlynn and, say, Ruby Murray, in the same list....

Rather surprisingly (unless I overlooked it) Peter has not yet mentioned Willie Clancy, a hugely celebrated piper and whistler from Clare.

Seamus Kennedy, no less, has nominated Sean McGuire and I cannot endorse that too strongly. Two reasons: he played in an exceptionally distinctive style, admittedly not to every traditionalist's taste, and he was regionally rooted, specifically in Belfast. Also inextricably associated with Belfast, and worthy of consideration: the McPeake family, of which there is quite a lot on vinyl.

And from Co Wicklow, but by no means rooted since he and his family were travellers, there is johnny Doran, who before being incapacitated by a freak accident in the late 1940s was rated by some as the finest piper in Ireland. You might enjoy trying to track down the one LP he ever made. It's rare, and I've never found it. (His brother Felix, also a piper - as their father was too - is to be heard on a Nigel Denver LP from around 1965 - Rebellion? - and possibly elsewhere.)

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: AmyLove
Date: 26 May 17 - 07:26 PM

I just came across Kíla. They seem quite promising.

Does anyone here know about recordings by pianist Dan Sullivan, of Dan Sullivan's Shamrock Band? I'm interested most in listening to him play solo, as in track 20 here:

Nano's Favorites

And how about recordings featuring Tom Morrison and John Reynolds, such as this:

Tom Morrrison with John Reynolds (Co Leitrim)- Dunmore Lassies

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST
Date: 24 May 17 - 03:09 AM

Yes Dick, we know what you think. No need to keep telling us each time the man gets a mention.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: The Sandman
Date: 24 May 17 - 02:50 AM

Tommy Potts.
I find his playing unusual, it always sounds as if he is playing out of time when in fact he is not, I am not sure whether his playing would work for dancers.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: AmyLove
Date: 24 May 17 - 12:12 AM

Coming across other performers as I go through all your recommendations. I'm getting a number of ideas from this:

Claddagh's Choice: An Anthology of Traditional Irish Music, Vols. 1-2

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 23 May 17 - 11:01 PM

Daniel o'Donnell, Val Doonican...

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: AmyLove
Date: 23 May 17 - 10:57 PM

I just remembered Cran. I don't own any albums by them yet, but I've come across their music from time to time. I just listened to samples from their album Music from the Edge of the World, and I quite like it. It definitely qualifies as distinctive.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST,Alex S
Date: 23 May 17 - 07:36 PM

Deanta

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 23 May 17 - 12:09 PM

And I meant to put Claire Egan into the fiddle line up, to include another more recent recording.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 23 May 17 - 09:40 AM

With regards to your request for lilters, you will probably want to check out Séamus Fay, The Cavan lilter.

And, perhaps, a few pipers Jimmy O'Brien-Moran's Take me tender, any of the three by Ronan Browne and Peter O'Loughlin.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 23 May 17 - 08:52 AM

John McSherry has been involved in a variety of projects over the years, ranging from traditional to avant-garde. Worth looking up.

Subject: RE: Request for Irish music recommendations
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 23 May 17 - 08:33 AM

Kevin Crehan's An Bhábóg sa Bhádóg should have been in that list.

And I should have proof read. Sorry about the typos in the previous post.