P Joe and Martin Hayes

Three sets from a live Clare FM broadcast. One of the best sessions I was ever at was the Wednesday night in Pepper's, Feakle and this reminds me of those nights. Not technical music and a 'a bit like going to church' as someone once said but magic stuff. Its a pity 'The Shores Of Lough Graney' is not let loose again, sort of Martin Hayes (and dad) before he became Martin Hayes but there you go.

I haven't hunted all the names down for these tunes (too lazy). And I'll try and hunt a picture out (Christian beat me to it).

Download

The British Library Archive

Lucy Farr? Bobby Casey? No need to live outside the law any longer. Along with lots more unbelievable staff you can hear them here.

I can't wait for the Irish Traditional Music Archive to follow suit.

Mrs Galvin

This from a 1979 article in Dal gCais magazine: “Her family, McCarthy by name, were a musical people, and their house was a regular visiting place for the Inagh piper Garrett Barry, who is regarded as something of a father figure in the musical heritage of Clare. She became a close personal friend of Barry's before his death in 1901 and was perhaps one of the few people living in the 1930s who could speak authoritatively about the famous piper…Mrs. Galvin was a regualr competitor at Feiseanna in the 1920s and at one memorable Feis in Kilkee, in 1927, John remembers being present as she and Patsy Geary fought for first place in the fiddle competition. Geary beat her on that occasion, a feat which his son Sean used joyously refer to long afterwards as the time when 'the old man made the "Tocht" roll her sleeves down'. She was sometimes known as the Tocht [= 'mattress'] Galvin because she was such a fat woman, and she had the habit of playing the fiddle with her sleeves rolled up."

Yet another appalling recording (or copy). The source is labelled 'John Kelly, Mrs Galvin and Martin Rochford' so I had to guess who was who, and this might in fact be John Kelly as it is all his kind of tunes. Really scrapy playing but I like it.

Download

Martin Rochford

East Clare fiddler name-checked regularly, but of whom no legitimate recordings exist (I would be delighted to be corrected here). These tracks are from a pretty appalling recording and seem to be from two sessions. In the bit of chat at the end 'Peter' is mentioned, maybe Peter Kennedy?

Those familiar with Martin Hayes' recording will note the similarities.

I can't find any pictures, and a couple of websites devoted to him have vanished. His daughter lives at the bottom of my mate's lane but that doesn't really help.

Post removed on request (see comments)

The Isom Waltz

One morning, while surfing aimlessly around the net I came across the surname 'Isom' and remembered that I used to play a tune called the Isom Waltz from an old LP by the Hollow Rock String Band.

I could not remember a note of it however, and the CD rip I had of the album would no longer read on any of the computers in the house, neither could I get anything off the Internet to remind myself. As the day wore on I gradually remembered that it was in 'G' and that it started with a sort of downward chordal run, and by the evening I had managed to dredge it all from the depths of my memory.

Rather a weird experience and I now wonder what else is hidden away in the depths of my brain. I also realised that the tune had been far to difficult for my limited skills anyway....

I finally managed to get the CD read with a USB burner, and for anyone interested here it is.

Old Posts Restored

I've finally got back on the machine where I archived this blog a while ago. I've restored the more interesting posts, although some of the links have no doubt expired.

Johnny McGreevy - see it while you can

RTE are showing a half hour feature on Johnny McGreevy from the archives until Friday 13th November. See it here.

Why don't they re-release...

Kerry's Own Paddy Cronin



"Cronin was born in Ré Buí near Gneeveguilla, County Kerry in the 1920s.[1] He was taught fiddle by Padraig O'Keeffe. In 1949, Seamus Ennis recorded him on acetate disc for Radió Éireann, copies of which are held in the Irish Traditional Music Archive. Shortly after making these recordings, he left Ireland and emigrated to Boston in the United states. During the 1950s, he continued to record, becoming very well known through the seven 78rpm discs he made for the Copley label.

In the early 1970's he went on to record an LP, "Music In The Glen", for the Fleetwood label, followed by "The House In The Glen" for Talcon. 1n 1975, Paddy released The Rakish Paddy LP with Fiddler Records of Seattle, and in 1977 released Kerry's Own Paddy Cronin with Outlet records of Belfast.

In 2007, Cronin was awarded the prestigious Gradam Saoil, or Lifetime Achievement Award, by the Irish Gaelic-language television station TG4, in honour of his contribution to Irish Traditional Music over six decades." (Wikipedia)

This record is slightly marred by the 'retro-fitted' accompaniment, but the bodhrán at least is on one channel only and can be filtered out.

I'm never sure where to 'put' Cronin - he's not Kerry in the way that Denis Murphy and Julia Clifford are.

If you get a copy you can decide for yourself.

Rosa Dartle

Oh dear, one of my favourite blogs has just vanished. Always something of interest happening, and lots of witty commentary, it was one of the first things I checked out when firing up the ol' laptop. If by any chance you read this 'Rosa' thanks very much.

Electrif Lycanthrope

I've found this posted at Archive.org with THREE EXTRA TRACKS! And loads of stunned comments.

McGreevy and Cooley

Ceol Álainn (see below) has posted this, nicely split up and labelled.

Ceol Álainn

Rare recordings of Traditional Irish Music.

Check it out here.

The Innisfree Ceili Band

The Irish Ceili Band sound can be a bit of a joke, compared to the buzzing of trapped insects by some (I can't find the exact quote), although they are great for dancing to.

However these guys have tried something a bit different and instead of every musican just piling in with their settings of the tunes they have come up with a unison sound. While this must have needed a lot of rehearsal time it brings an enhanced clarity and focus to a stale old format. The unison stops come across as a bit mannered after a while, but apart from that it works really well.

I was so impressed I actually bought it - available as a download from Amazon, and you can try before you buy. Checkout YouTube as well.

The Beatles in Mono

I'm really enjoying this, it all sounds a lot more rockier and McCartney's bass lines are much more centred (obviously). Phil Lesh of the Dead has always been my favourite bassist, but I'm not so sure now.

Its not my posting, but you can get it all here if you don't mind killing off the music industry.

Or cough up £200.....

Electrif Lycanthrope

Boy this is good! I hadn't come across this before, despite at one time being in a three piece band called "Dixie Chicken". Its Little Feat live from 1974 in gut-churnin' form and brilliant sound quality.

If this doesn't get your mojo working you probably haven't got a mojo.

I can't remember who the original poster was but I've retrieved this link from my Firefox history. There's loads of posts of this anyway.

Take the rock'n'roll doctor's advice

Some RTE Broadcasts

I acquired these from someone years ago and they have just surfaced again in my CD mountain. Features on Paul McGrattan (flute), Ciaran Tourish (fiddle), Terry Crehan (fiddle), plus a mini-documentary on the tune "The Mountain Road". The presenter is Áine Hensey (pictured).

Download

The Blue 50's

This may have been the the second record I ever bought, from the cheap and cheerful Saga label (probably why I bought it). I love it for Jack Teagarden's 'Davenport Blues' and the two Big Bill Broonzy tracks.

01 Osie's Oasis - Osie Johnston and his orchestra
02 Nuages - Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club Quintet
03 Evil Hearted Me - Josh White
04 Melodie au Crepuscule - Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club Quintet
05 Meet Me Where They Play The Blues - Jack Teagarden and his Orchestra
06 Abstraction - Charlie Mingus - John LaPorta Sextet
07 Baby Please Don't Go - Big Bill Broonzy
08 Davenport Blues - Jack Teagarden and his Orchestra
09 A Letter To My Baby - Big Bill Broonzy
10 Autobarn Blues - Ralph Burns
11 Danse Norvegienne - Django Reinhardt
12 Stormy Weather - Charlie Mingus

Download

Thanks to Muriel for the ripping and scanning.

Why don't they re-release...

Ceol na dTéad - Francie & Mickey Byrne



Another out of print Cló Iar-Chonnachta cassette.

Here's some info from the Standing Stones website:

"Francie and Mickey Byrne, from Kilcar in southwest Donegal, epitomise the Donegal duo fiddling style. Kilcar has long been renowned for its fiddling tradition. The brothers were also influenced by a travelling piper named Mickey Gallagher, a relative of the Dohertys. Francie spent a number of years in Scotland, like many of the Donegal players. The duo playing of the brothers mixed deadly accurate unison passages, octave playing, drones and the occasional harmony note. Their playing had a major influence on the duo fiddling featured on recent Altan recordings."

Worth a listen then.

Rí na bPíobairí;
Caisleán Dhún na nGall;
Seán Ó Laidin;
Ríl Sheáin Parnell / An Cailin Rua;
Dúlamán na Binne Buí;
On the Road;
Máire Mhaitiú;
Cornphíopa Gan Ainm;
Ríl gan Ainm;
Báirseach Mná;
Toss the Feathers;
Ríl Uí Ruairc;
Clúine Meallta;
Caisleán Loch Eil;
Na Cosáin Ghraibhéil;
Ríl Phadaí 'n Atharaigh;
Northern Lights;
Cornphíopa Nell';
T Morrison's Reel;
Limerick House;
Miss Patterson's Slipper;
Stirling Castle;
Agnes Campbell Highland;
Dinky's Reel;
The Glory Reel;
An Bunnán Buí;
Port Aodha Uí Ghallchóir.

The Lonesome Sisters

Not my post but I think these girls are so great that I've cross-linked to Deacon Blues where the posts are. Just guitars, fiddle and banjo and two heartbreakin' voices. I'm not really a country fan but this might change my mind (actually it won't but I'm practicing writing sleeve notes).



The Lonesome Sisters With Riley Baugus: Going Home Shoes (2004)



The Lonesome Sisters with Rayna Gellert - Follow Me Down

Why don't they re-release...

McGreevy And Cooley (1974)


While posting out-of-print recordings of folk / traditional artists seems to be a source of much angst for some, I still think it worth while to point out material which is no longer available, but which is of some interest given its cultural weight i.e. old boys (usually) doing old stuff in the old way. I assume that there is little or no money to be made from re-releasing these recordings, but its so easy these days to make things available over the Internet that copyright owners, who I'm sure would like to be seen as keepers of the flame, really have no excuse.

Its almost as if the stuff is being carefully guarded for an inner circle to strip mine when new material is needed for the next CD? Surely not.


Anyway, here are two Chicago musicians, John McGreevy (fiddle) and Seamus Cooley (flute), a recording first released on vinyl on Philo in 1974, then on cassette by Cló Iar-Chonnachta, currently out of print. Seamus is the more famous Joe's brother, but its John's record really; he has the style nailed down in a Joe Ryan meets PJ Hayes fashion, his playing is always interesting and there's a good mix of well-known and unusual tunes. The few duets are reminiscent of Fred Finn and Peter Horan.


Liz Carroll name-checks these two as influencing her formative years and you can hear why.

The Irate Pirate also has a post on Joe Shannon and Johnny McGreevy here.

This guy talks a lot of sense...

...for nearly an hour, but well worth the time.

Watch here

Old Fretless Banjo (the movie)

Old Fretless Banjo (cont)

I bought some D'Addario Pro Arte classical strings, which you can buy separately (you needs two 'E's, plus a 'B' a 'G' and a 'D'). And I didn't have to do any reaming or filing as the strings all sat OK on the nut, and went into the peg holes (just). I did have to cut a piece of cork to support the tailpiece pillar at the back otherwise it would be probably end up bent. The bridge I had had the slots too close together for frailing (your fingers get tangled up) so I adjusted another one. All in all its not bad and its a pity its not mine!

Old Fretless Banjo

A friend of mine asked me to fix up a tatty old fretless banjo. Here are some pictures (randomly oriented for some reason) taken before I brushed all the spiders away.






Its a bit of a mess with missing and replacement tensioners, a very dodgy tailpiece setup and badly turning pegs, but its sound enough and has a good hide head. Probably not worth a complete overhaul, but certainly worth setting up and playing.









My own fretless is set up with nylon strings for that old lightweight plunky sound, so I ordered some of these only to realise that I would have to adjust the nut, fifth string nut and pegs to handle the extra widths.









I'll set up a single nylon string, and if it sounds good I'll request the necessary alteration permissions.

Tommy Potts - "For Peter O'Loughlin and Willie Clancy"

Off the wall stuff from the Dublin fiddler. It doesn't really add to the material recorded on 'The Liffey Banks' and IMHO confirms that his variations were well practiced rather than spontaneous. However, of all the various attempts over the years to 'jazz up' Irish Traditional Music this is the only one I've heard which rings true. I've had a complete blank with some of the tune names.

01 Ril Gan Ainm - Bunch of Keys
02 Maids Of Mitchellstown - Humours Of Scarriff - Old Bush
03 Blackbird - Broken Pledge
04 Colliers
05 Bride's Favourite
06 Cliffs Of Moher
07 Garrett Barry's - Banish Misfortune
08 Cliffs Of Moher
09 Garrett Barry's - Gander In The Pratie Hole - Banish Misfortune
10 Conversation
11 Lullaby
12 Drunken Sailor
13 Boys Of Ballysadare
14 Trip To Durrow
15 Mullinavat
16 Gan Ainm
17 Queen Of The May
18 Lads Of Laois
19 Sgt. Early's Dream
20 Ballinasloe Fair
21 Martin Wynne's - Jenny's Chickens
22 Slow Air - Ryan's Rant
23 Ryan's Rant - Austin Tierney's
24 The Butterfly
25 Slow Air - Rocky Road To Dublin
26 Repeal Of The Union
27 Gan Ainm
28 Star Of Munster
29 Bunker Hill
30 Farrel O'Gara
31 Maudabawn Chapel
32 Bonny Kate - Jenny's Chickens

Download

Some Wise Words

On Laws
Kahlil Gibran

You delight in laying down laws,
Yet you delight more in breaking them.
Like children playing by the ocean who build sand-towers with constancy and then destroy them with laughter.
But while you build your sand-towers the ocean brings more sand to the shore,
And when you destroy them the ocean laughs with you.
Verily the ocean laughs always with the innocent.


But what of those to whom life is not an ocean, and man-made laws are not sandtowers,
But to whom life is a rock, and the law a chisel with which they would carve it in their own likeness?
What of the cripple who hates dancers?
What of the ox who loves his yoke and deems the elk and deer of the forest stray and vagrant things?
What of the old serpent who cannot shed his skin, and calls all others naked and shameless?
And of him who comes early to the wedding-feast, and when over-fed and tired goes his way saying that all feasts are violation and all feasters lawbreakers?


What shall I say of these save that they too stand in the sunlight, but with their backs to the sun?
They see only their shadows, and their shadows are their laws.
And what is the sun to them but a caster of shadows?
And what is it to acknowledge the laws but to stoop down and trace their shadows upon the earth?
But you who walk facing the sun, what images drawn on the earth can hold you?
You who travel with the wind, what weather-vane shall direct your course?
What man's law shall bind you if you break your yoke but upon no man's prison door?
What laws shall you fear if you dance but stumble against no man's iron chains?
And who is he that shall bring you to judgment if you tear off your garment yet leave it in no man's path?


People of Orphalese, you can muffle the drum, and you can loosen the strings of the lyre, but who shall command the skylark not to sing?

Paddy Taylor - 'The Boy In The Gap'

For Georgi. Another recording which seems to have sunk without trace. There are rumours (from 1998) of a CD re-issue, and the track names (plus typos) are in the iTunes database, but that's it. I can't even find an image of the spooky Rousseau-esque LP cover anywhere which is a pity - I've put a real Rousseau up instead.

This doesn't sound like a vinyl rip. I think I got it during my SoulSeeking days and burned it as a audio CD. This post is a rip of that.

I really don't understand why this and other recordings aren't released in some form - these were the boys that kept the thing going when very few people had any interest at all. There's very little money to be made, true, but this is enthusiast's music and its so easy to make stuff available these days. I'll stop here before I get into a major rant..........

Removed at request of Claddagh Records (see comments)

Lucy Farr - 'Heart and Home'

An extensive write up of Lucy Farr's 'career' can be found here, and there's little more for me to add, except that I always thought it was 'Hearth and Home' (I don't have the original cassette).

'Sean Nos' (Sean Scoile?) Irish fiddling.

Removed at the request of Veteran records (see comments).

Set Dances Of Ireland

I found this on an old compilation cassette, and it now seems to be well out of print.

"Set Dances Of Ireland, Volume I"

Set: The Myserks
Figures 1 - 6, reels
Figure 7, hornpipes

Musicians:

Eamon McGivney - fiddle
Michael Tubridy - flute
Tommy McCarthy - concertina

Set: The Orange & Green

Figure 1, 3 & 6 ~ reels
Figure 2 ~ single jigs
Figure 4 ~ polkas
Figure 5 ~ jigs

Musicians:

Junior Crehan - fiddle
Eamon McGivney - fiddle
Michael Tubridy - flute
Tommy McCarthy - concertina

Dance: The Stack of Barley

Musicians:

Eamon McGivney - fiddle
Michael Tubridy - flute
Tommy McCarthy - concertina


(More info. including Set List here)


This about as traditional as it gets - core instrumentation, core repertoire and no accompaniment. What more do you want?

Download (as a single file @192)

Mystery Oud Album

My daughter was on her honeymoon in Morocco last year, and I asked her to pick up recordings of oud music if she happened across any. She brought a couple back including one with only arabic script on the labels. The artwork is pretty cheap and cheerful, and looks like a CD-R labelled "Super Mégazone" and with a copyright warning in French. The oud in the picture looks Egyptian, and to my inexpert ears the music sounds Egyptian too.

Can any one tell me what the Arabic (or Berber, or whatever) says?

The music is poorly recorded (a cassette dump?), oud with percussion backing and no vocals, and may be belly-dance music. It would seem to be in the same class as uncredited recordings of e.g. "Irish Reels And Jigs", or "Bluegrass Hits" or "Jazz Band Classics" or whatever. The musicianship is good, but the material is just horsed out. I've uploaded it anyway for those that are interested.

Download

Northern Fiddle Session

I taped this at the All-Ireland Fleadh in Buncrana, Donegal, in 1979. Most of my session tapes are complete messes, but this time I wasn't trying to play myself and so could concentrate on recording things properly. The session is mainly Seamus Quinn, Francie Quinn and Fealey Kearney, with Andy Dickson and Dermy Diamond doing a 'turn' now and again. I think Tara Diamond is in there somewhere too, as is Eugene Kelly on bird-whistle!

This isn't what would now be regarded as 'Donegal fiddling' but it is very much a 'Northern' session and has all those big fiddle tunes you don't seem to hear a lot of these days.

Changed times.

This was a C90 which I originally ripped onto 2 CDs and I've kept the two parts here, if only to save me changing all the track names.

Part 1
Part 2

(Re-posted with '/'s replaced by '-'s)

A Job Of Journeywork

Details below from Tom Sawyer in session.org - I heartily concur with his closing comments. The original cassette had a lot of chat by Ciarán Mac Mathúna about the players and tunes which I must have removed so as to get the whole thing onto a CD, which with hindsight is a pity. What amuses me is the fact that not far from where this was going on the whole 60's music / culture explosion was taking place with no effect at all on things here.

Download

Irish Traditional Music of New York and Philadelphia

RTE 124 cassette, with commentary by Ciarán Mac Mathúna between tracks, presumably originally broadcast on his radio show The Job of Journeywork.

Recordings from 1962 & 1966.

Fiddle-player and tune-maker Larry Redican, (sometimes spelt Redigan, Reddican, Reddigan, Rhattigan) died in 1975.
Cassette released in the 1980s I think. No date in the notes.

Artists:

FIDDLES

Larry Redican
Mary Brennan-Grant
Paddy Reynolds
Andy McGann
John Vesey
Denis Murphy
Paul Ryan
Vincent Harrison
Paddy Sullivan
Joe Lamont

FLUTES

Jack Coen
Eddie Meehan
Mick Flynn
Jimmie Smyth

PIPES

Thomas Standeven

CONCERTINA

Charlie Mulvhill

BOX

Sean McGlynn
Joe Madden
Gene Kelly
Charlie Mulvihill

PIANO

Felix Dolan
Geraldine Mulvihill
Thomas Standeven
Bill Greenall

with others as well on the final track.

Highlights include:

several solos by Larry Redican: his own reel The Culfada, to which he gives a verbal introduction; Jenny's Welcome to Charlie, and a nice version of the Harvest Home;

Redican duets with Coen; with McGann, backed by Dolan, and Vesey backed by Standeven;

several solo performances and an interview by Mary Brennan-Grant, friend of Michael Coleman and first teacher of Andy McGann;

a solo by Paul Ryan (friend of Paddy Killoran) & a duet with Vincent Harrison;

Denis Murphy on a couple of tunes with the Mulvihills (can you guess the track?);

solo box by McGlynn & Madden, and a duet of Kelly & Lamont;

the Mulvihills (father and daughter) on a lovely Co. Clare-style concertina/piano duet;

Reynolds, Sullivan and Smyth playing Lad O'Beirne's,

and a Vesey/Standeven duet not featured on Sligo Fiddler.

The RTE archives must be loaded with music of this quality. A pity they don't release much of it--a slow trickle at best. It would be easy enough to put mp3s up on a web site.

Yet the attitude of some archives towards the music seems to be that of of some players of old: don't let others have it.

I don't think releasing old music would hurt living professional traditional musicians one bit. Only musicianers would buy the old stuff anyway and they buy everything, old and new. Besides, this is supposed to be folk music, not just a commercial phenomenon.

RTE and ITMA for example could easily produce an audio collection to rival and surpass the book collections of the early 20th century, with comparable influence. Why not? It's the 21st century.

They should all take a lesson from Captain Francis O'Neill.

The Baile Bhúirne Jig Set

And this is the last. This set is all slides and is usually danced right through without stopping between figures. Once again some terrific music.

Download

The Corca Dhuibhne Set

Some more Begley, Bevan and Cooney from the Piper's Club tapes. Foot-tapping stuff!

Download

Re-posted with all '/'s replaced by '-'s

Music Of Galway

And finally, here is Galway

Music Of Kerry

And here is Kerry. Lots of Denis Murphy here, but the highlight is the chat about bodhran making.

Music Of Clare

Digital rips of old tape rips of two cassettes of material from the RTE archives recorded by Ciaran Mac Mathuna, one of music from Clare and Kerry, the other of Galway and Limerick. No trace of these remains apart from a note in an old Claddagh catalogue. I didn't bother making a copy of the Limerick side, but the other three give good a snapshot of Irish Traditional music in pre-revival times, in particular its social rather than entertainment aspect.




Here is Clare.

The South Galway Reel Set

And finally, from Vol 3, 'Pay The Piper', the South Galway Reel Set (very short - possibly for dancing at bus stops while waiting for the bus home).

Download

The Victoria Set

From Volume 2 - 'Mind The Dresser'. Five figures here, not six as in the panel from the tape (bullet point issues) - add 'Drinagh' to 'The Humours of'. And 'Bonnie' is 'Bonnie Anne'.

Download

The Castle Set

The C90 cassette I recorded 'Round The House' on (see below) had other sets from the series on as well. Here's the Castle Set from Vol. 6 'Face the Hob'.

Download

Round The House - Music For Irish Sets

What are all these Irish reels and jigs for? Dancing to! Many years ago Na Píobairí Uilleann brought out a series of six cassettes in which top-flight players put tunes together for various sets. Impossible to get hold of now, a friend of mine was looking for the first of these which she had lent out and never got back. I managed to put it together from various tape copies I have and here it is - a rip @192 of a cassette copy of a cassette, with lots of hiss and some interesting pre-echo.

Download