Paddy Keenan's 1st Solo Album Reissue

Subject: Paddy Keenan's 1st Solo Album Reissue
From: Aidan Crossey
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 03:52 AM

Anybody got any firm info as to online music stores that have copies in stock of the Hot Conya re-issue of Paddy Keenan's Solo Gael-Linn album?

The only "major" that I've found which claims to stock it is Tower. But after being "in the system" for a good few weeks, Tower have written and cancelled my order due to their not having been able to source the CD.

Searches via Google have not helped.

The CD can be ordered via the Hot Conya site, but not on-line. The hassle involved in ordering from the USA (I live in England) by fax or post just isn't worth it!

Help! I've read Seamus Ennis' sleeve notes about a hundred times ...

Subject: RE: Paddy Keenan's 1st Solo Album Reissue
From: InOBU
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 07:46 AM

His sister in law Eve Zanni plays in my band, I will ask her, she speaks to him all the time in Boston. Paddy is a real dear, he was to play at my wedding but got the date wrong! It is a wonderful album. Cheers, Larry

Subject: RE: Paddy Keenan's 1st Solo Album Reissue
From: GUEST,Terry Blankenship
Date: 18 Jun 01 - 02:52 AM

That is a great CD.

I got mine from Tayberry music. They had it in stock and I received it in three days.

http://tayberry.com/index.html

Terry

Subject: RE: Paddy Keenan's 1st Solo Album Reissue
From: Aidan Crossey
Date: 18 Jun 01 - 04:03 AM

Terry ...

Many thanks for this. I've tripped across your site often when I've been digging about for music. I'll give Tayberry a try.

Subject: RE: Paddy Keenan's 1st Solo Album Reissue
From: Auxiris
Date: 18 Jun 01 - 11:05 AM

Just a remark about what a hassle it is to order CDs by post or fax: how bad do you want the music in question? If indeed you do want it very badly, NOTHING is too much hassle. . .

cheers,

Aux

Subject: RE: Paddy Keenan's 1st Solo Album Reissue
From: Aidan Crossey
Date: 18 Jun 01 - 11:11 AM

Agreed ... but I'd rather explore the paths of least resistance in the first instance!!

Subject: RE: Paddy Keenan's 1st Solo Album Reissue
From: SDShad
Date: 18 Jun 01 - 12:26 PM

Well, derrymacash, I got my copy by a path of very little resistance indeed: I purchased it at a Paddy Keenan concert in Sioux Falls, South Dakota last November. Three of them, signed, in fact: one for Hyp and me, one for Mom, one for my daughter.

But that specific solution isn't available to you, unfortunately. Doesn't look from his website (www.paddykeenan.com) that he'll be playing in England any real time soon. I went through a bunch of UK-based online CD places, and plenty have "Na Keen Affair" and "Poirt An Phiobaire," but none have the solo debut. But looks like Terry's got the thing for you.

I'm glad that those who know him well find him as grand a fellow as we did, Larry. He took the time to chat with us for several minutes after the show when we shoved this short stack of CDs in front of him to sign. He had been talking during the show about a piece of music he had written that was inspired by the Sand Creek massacre, but that ended up being used in a documentary about Wiccans for British TV (or something like that; the memory grows hazy). Anyway, the only recorded version of the tune was on this TV documentary, and he offered to send us a copy of the tape--said to email him about it. Procrastinators that we are, we haven't got back in touch with him, but will--we found him to be charming, a touch eccentric (went in stocking-feet with a hat pulled down low over his eyes for the whole show), gracious, witty, and kind.

And, in spite of the Dakota-wintry lack of humidity, a damn fine Uillean piper--one of the very best. No slouch on whistles and flutes, either. He wasn't happy with his performance because the dry air was working buggers with his regulators, but we were in heaven from the first note. But he did tell us about the worst dry-reeds experience he'd had--playing a festival in Telluride (I think--Colorado, anyway). Ouch. Guess all that wetness in Ireland and the UK serves a purpose after all.

Chris

Subject: RE: Paddy Keenan's 1st Solo Album Reissue
From: Aidan Crossey
Date: 19 Jun 01 - 04:05 AM

I saw him a few weeks back at the Hammersmith Irish Centre in London when, unfortunately, the only stuff they were pushing was the Na Keen Affair CD, which I already have.

I've tried ordering the CD via Tayberry as advised by Terry. I'm hopeful!

There's a lot of talk about whether Paddy's the world's greatest living piper. The debate is probably completely sterile, since much of musical appreciation is in the ear of the listener. But personally I find his willingness to take huge risks is the thing that impresses me most about Keenan.

Thanks for the post!

Subject: RE: Paddy Keenan's 1st Solo Album Reissue
From: InOBU
Date: 19 Jun 01 - 08:51 AM

I am not much into lists of "the greatest". But, I always concidered Paddy way up there if not unchanlenged, but I also have to say, hearing Cillian Vallely will put anyone off the idea of a single greatest piper, he and Paddy have to share that top of the list. Cheers Larry

Subject: RE: Paddy Keenan's 1st Solo Album Reissue
From: Aidan Crossey
Date: 19 Jun 01 - 10:39 AM

I haven't heard any of Cillian's playing, but I gather he's one of the Armagh Vallelys? (My sister played in an outfit once with Darragh Vallely, who may or may not be related to the Brains and Nialls and Cillians.) He's certainly mentioned a lot on the Armagh Pipers Club pages. Maybe next time I'm over home - about ten miles from Armagh - I might get a chance to catch some of his music.

Subject: RE: Paddy Keenan's 1st Solo Album Reissue
From: Aidan Crossey
Date: 25 Jun 01 - 04:25 AM

Forgot to mention that an online order to Tayberry elicited an immediate reply that the CD was on its way (probably half-way across the Atlantic as I write). To think that most "majors" don't carry this title and of those that purport to, one strung me along for the best part of two months before e-mailing me to say that the item was out of stock and unobtainable.

I guess I'll probably make Tayberry my first port of call in future when I can't source stuff in Ireland or the UK!

Pay The Reckoning

Subject: RE: Paddy Keenan's 1st Solo Album Reissue
From: InOBU
Date: 25 Jun 01 - 07:47 AM

He is in deed one of the Armagh Vallelys. He is Finton's cousin, I believe, and the son of the Vallely who played the pipes on the old colection which had "The Song of the Chanter" on it, I forget the name of both the piper and the album, but I am rather sure it is Cillian's dad.
Larry

Subject: RE: Paddy Keenan's 1st Solo Album Reissue
From: Aidan Crossey
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 09:01 AM

It arrived yesterday ... excellent service from Tayberry. Many thanks again to Terry for the tip.

I've only listened to it through once. Pretty obvious that there wasn't a huge pot of money available to lavish on the production - compared with recordings of Paddy Keenan from the Bothy Band days onwards the feel is very much rawer than we have become used to. (Not necessarily a bad thing!)

Some stand-out tracks! Bit disapppointed that Paddy only gives Coppers and Brass the once-round (but nice version of The Rambling Pitchfork to follow).

His piping of the Blackbird is a classic and it's interesting to compare it with the version on Afterhours. Each time I've listened to Paddy play the tune on Afterhours, the change from the Air to the Dance has always been more pleasurable than I remember. (If that makes sense!) I'm sure the same will hold true for the version on this album. (I've always wanted the Blackbird played at my funeral ... I would really get a kick out of the atmosphere changing as the dance section of the tune is introduced.)

As for the two closing tracks (The Wild Irishman/The Sailor's Bonnet and Colonel Frazier/My Love Is In Amerikay), Ennis goes into detail on the legato, staccato and other techniques Paddy uses whereas I just shake my head at the untamed beauty.

Subject: RE: Paddy Keenan's 1st Solo Album Reissue
From: InOBU
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 11:07 AM

Paddy was to play at my wedding, he got the date wrong... better that than planning a funeral ol' skin! I hope they play what ever is current some three or four hundred years hence at our passing!
Cheers, Larry