THE ROUGH GUIDE TO IRISH MUSIC SUPPLEMENT
Space prohibited inclusion of the
following entries in the first edition of The Rough Guide to Irish Music.
Additionally, this supplement includes some entries that were substantially
adapted before inclusion in the final copy. It is important to stress that
all of the material on these pages is presented in the form in which it was
submitted for editing, so it does not always follow the final format of the
book typographically. However, cross-references to the published version of the
Guide have been inserted where appropriate.
Apart from these individual entries a
number of other cuts were made, including:web addresses from virtually all
individual entries and the Listings section lost the following sections:
<
Musical Instrument Suppliers;
<
Record Labels.
Key: " = CD; ! = LP; Cass = Cassette.
Supplement Index
Compilation albums and series
Singers
Sean-Nós
Joe Collins
Rita Connolly
Tim Dennehy
Martin Donnelly
Sinéad Lohan
David McWilliams
Cathie Ryan,
Deirdre Scanlan
Andy White
Groups
Anúna
Any Old Time
Bakerswell
Bohinta
Blood Or Whiskey
The Bowhouse Quintet
Dúchas
The Fallen Angels
Fisherstreet
Grianán
In Tua Nua/Lesley Dowdall
The Irish Rovers
Maca
The Saw Doctors
Síona
Spud
Tamalin
Toss the Feathers
Tuath
Two Time Polka
Fiddlers
Maeve Donnelly
Máirín Fahy
Rose Murphy
Kevin O’Connor
Caomhín Ó Raghallaigh
Seán Ryan
Harpers
Ursula Burns
Other String Players
Seán Whelan
Uilleann Pipers
Eamonn Dillon
Dan Dowd
Brian McNamara
Pat McNulty
Máire Ní Ghrada
Jimmy O’Brien-Moran
Tomás Ó Ceannabháin
Flute Players and Whistlers
Billy Clifford
Brian Hughes
Vinny Kilduff
Tommy McHaile
Joanie Madden
Accordionists
Pat Crowley
Billy McComiskey
Colin Nea
Multi-instrumentalists
Patrick (Campbell-Lyons)
Other Major Figures
Carl Hession
COMPILATION ALBUMS and SERIES
This section was given a major
overhaul before finally appearing in the introductory section of the Directory.
Though always the best
introduction, the Irish music market has been plagued by a plethora of
compilation albums in recent years, including many of dubious quality. With
certain exceptions noted below, any albums consisting of two or more of the
following words are best avoided: Celtic, Gaelic, cream, soul, spirit, magic,
pride, force, roots, reflections, haunting, ancient and James Galway. You’ll
find recommended collections of singers and instrumentalists in the appropriate
sections of this directory. All recommended releases here are in CD format.
The 78s Era
For a historical and
comprehensive introduction, the Globestyle series cannot be surpassed. Ron
Kavana’s trawl through the Topic label’s extensive archive produced eight
themed collections: Those on uilleann piping, the Irish in London, the music of
Sliabh Luachra and the song tradition are described in the appropriate entries
and, sadly, The Coolin’ (the apostrophe is presumably a typographical
error), covering slow airs and laments, has been deleted. As a grand starting
point Treasure of My Heart introduces the whole series, while I’m Leaving Tipperary celebrates the
great Irish‑American recording era of the 1920s and 1930s. The two
general collections are Happy to Meet, Sorry to Part which focuses on
recordings from the 1960s and 1970s (and features major figures such as Willie
Clancy, John Doherty and Séamus Ennis) and A Living Thing which overlaps
time‑wise, but includes leading lights from subsequent generations, such
as Patrick Street, Cathal McConnell and Four Men and a Dog (plus Kavana
himself!).
A busy man, Ron also compiled the excellent‑value
Farewell to Ireland 4 CD boxed set from Proper Records, a stupendous,
bargain priced introduction to classic recordings from the 78s era which
includes many famous names plus obscure musicians who recorded under such names
as “The 5th Avenue Busman” and “The
Singing Insuranceman”. Others to look out for from this period include
Topic’s Irish Dance Music (which has some real rarities) and Rounder’s From
Galway to Dublin featuring one of fiddler Neillidh Boyle’s few recordings
and the wonderfully‑named Murty Rabbett singing Molly Durkin.
Moving on to the 1950s, two essential recordings are World Library of Folk
and Primitive Music: Ireland (1951, Rounder) compiled by Alan Lomax with
Séamus Ennis in the West of Ireland and Saydisc’s Traditional Dance Music of
Ireland, collated from Peter Kennedy’s Folktrax recordings. The former
mixes music and song, while the latter is purely instrumental and includes a
mixture of Irish and London tapes, the latter including the marvellous flute
player Paddy Taylor.
Vinyl times (but CD reissues)
Serious record companies began
operating in Ireland during the 1950s and 1960s and two of the grandest
compilations come from Claddagh and Gael‑Linn (the latter in conjunction
with the more recent arrival, Hummingbird). The two disc Claddagh’s Choice
is an exemplary archive collection running from a 1966 recording of uilleann
piper Leo Rowsome up to the mid‑1990s and musicians such as the glorious
Clare concertina player, Mary MacNamara. Gael‑Linn and Hummingbird’s Ór,
rightly subtitled “The Golden Age of Traditional Irish Music & Song” runs
right through from Seán Ó Riada and Ceoltóirí Chualann to the Bumblebees, while
not forgetting classic music from piper Paddy Keenan and one of Ireland’s
greatest song interpreters, Frank Harte. Folk Music and Dances of Ireland (now
released by Ossian Publications and issued to accompany Breandán Breathnach’s
book of the same name ‑ see p590) is a marvellous demonstration of the
breadth of traditional music from the plaintive voice of Sean ‘ac Dhonncha to
the magical piping of Pat Mitchell. Belfast’s Outlet label should also not be
forgotten and its many compilations from the 1970s and 1980s includes both Festival
of Irish Traditional Music and The Best of Irish Traditional
Music, both two‑disc sets, featuring the likes of Seán MaGuire, Joe
Burke, Na Filí and Séamus Tansey. One
relative oddity from this era which should not be ignored is the simply magical
The Lark in the Clear Air: Irish Traditional Music Played on Small
Instruments (Ossian), originally recorded in 1974, and featuring sublime
playing of piccolo, whistle, flute, spoons and mouth organ plus a unique jew’s
harp trio!
The 1990s
The compilation industry
really took off in the 1990s with a welter of releases often simultaneously
containing some of the same tracks. Among those recommended are: the Gael‑Linn
compilations Blasta! and Binn Blasta,.drawn from its more recent
releases; the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration Festival live series from
Magnetic Music, featuring some of the best new groups and musicians; World
Music Network’s The Rough Guide to Irish Music and the erroneously‑titled
The Rough Guide to Irish Folk, both drawn largely from the smaller
traditional music labels; Rounder’s Easydisc reissue imprint, especially the
Chicago‑focussed Celtic Winds: Irish Music in America; Trad at
Heart from Dara, featuring Altan, De Dannan and Gerry ‘Banjo’ O’Connor; and
Dónal Lunny’s Sult (Hummingbird), commissioned for the Irish language TV
station TnaG (now TG4) and containing a host of major names (though set your
programmer to skip track five, Mark Knopfler’s execrable rendition of Raglan
Road, guaranteed to send Patrick Kavanagh’s corpse a‑spinning).
Connoisseur Records has also revived the Champions of Ireland series,
featuring All‑Ireland title winners in various instrumental categories
and céilí bands.
Don’t be deterred by the
titles, for Mícheál Ó Domhnaill’s Celtic Christmas series for Windham
Hill, though inspired by seasonal spirit, does include some remarkable and
sensitive musical experiments, sometimes featuring rising stars such as the
harper Laoise Kelly and the fiddler Zoë Conway. Also of great interest is the illustrious bodhrán and assorted
percussion player Tommy Hayes’s compilation, Síol, supporting the cause
of ecological biodiversity, and featuring a number of new recordings, including
the fiddler Martin Hayes and singer Karan Casey. Another worthy, though more
directly musical cause, is the restoration of the Crosskeys Inn, one of
Northern Ireland’s major session pubs, which burned down in 2000. Live in
the Kitchen (available from www.crosskeys.clara.net) features a host of
local musicians, including ex‑members of Déanta, plus songs from Len
Graham.
It had to happen and Bill
Laswell beat the field with the first ever traditional remix album, Emerald
Aether: Shape Shifting (2000, Shanachie), subtitled “Reconstructions of
Irish Music”, containing re‑workings of releases by Solas,. Matt Molloy
and Jerry O’Sullivan.
Live compilations
Lovers of live recordings
should head for Ceol na hÉireann, a collection of rare live cuts
from RTÉ’s gargantuan archive,
including the legendary Castle Céilí band from 1964, early Planxty recordings
of The Raggle Taggle Gtpsy and Tabhair dom do Lámh, Joe Cooley
back for a break from the USA in 1963, a classic Paul Brady rendition of Arthur
McBride and John and Simon Doherty duetting on The Pigeon on the Gate
(1958). Others to hunt down include Sessions from the Hearth, the
brainchild of Kerry guitarist Benny O’Carroll who brought musicians from all
over the country to a fun‑packed evening at Tralee’s National Folk
Theatre. Gael Force, recorded at The Point Theatre, Dublin has virtually
all the big names from Irish music and several special guests. The undoubted
highlights are Sharon Shannon’s version of The Penguin Café Orchestra’s Tune
for a Found Harmonium that teeters on the brink of berserkerdom, and the
dynamic interplay between Dermot Byrne’s accordion and Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh’s
fiddle on Altan’s The Boxty Set. Sharon also pops up on The
Transatlantic Sessions (Iona), along with Paul Brady, Maura O’Connell and
Tommy Hayes on a 2‑volume set recorded for TV and featuring predominantly
Scottish, American and Irish musicians. Saving the best till the very end, the
spirit of youth is captured on Cumar (Cló Iar‑Chonnacta), the name
of an annual week‑long school for young people centred on the arts and
culture of the Gaeltacht regions. The disc collates 19 of the singers and
musicians who sang or played during the school’s concerts and is simply brim‑full
with a stupendous range of talent and should be number one on your shopping
list, if you need reassuring about the tradition’s future.
Controversy
Bringing It All Back Home accompanied the much‑debated
BBC TV series (see p544) and many of its 37 tracks (spread over 2 CDs or 3 LPs)
continue to raise eyebrows. What are we to make of The Everly Brothers singing Rose
Connolly to the accompaniment of Liam O’Flynn’s uilleann pipes or a duet
between Elvis Costello and Mary Coughlan? Well, as much as we want to and
there’s plenty here to tickle the senses. The series was so popular that it
even sparked a tour, live highlights of which are collated on Guinness Tour
‘92 ‑ Bringing It All Back Home (with Mick Hanly, Scullion, Sharon
Shannon and the duo of Stephen Cooney and Séamus Begley who were not involved
in the original project). 1995's even more controversial A River of Sound
(see p544) charted the “changing course of Irish Traditional Music”, but,
whatever your view, it’s worth acquiring simply for the mind‑boggling
duet between Altan’s Ciarán Tourish and Dermot Byrne on Johnny Doherty’s
which doesn’t just raise the rafters as suggest the need for a new roof!
Regional compilations
Donegal fiddle music (see
pp308-312), Irish musicians in London (see pp355-358) and Sliabh Luachra (see
pp346-349) compilations are covered elsewhere.
Most local compilations
emanate from the Western coastline. From the far southwest comes Beauty an
Oíleáin (Claddagh), a lavish collection of music and song from the now‑deserted
Blasket Islands off the Dingle Peninsula, Kerry. This marvellous collection
features former islanders and their descendants, recorded between 1957 and
1991, and offers a tantalising view of the importance of music on the
Blaskets Clare is well‑represented
by the tremendous Farewell to Lissycasey, virtually a county ‘greatest
hits’ compilation, including Willie Clancy, the Tulla CB, Bobby Gardiner and
singer Siney Crotty (with whom the song providing the title was always
associated). Also of note is The Sound of Stone (1993) recorded in
support of The Burren Action Group and featuring a host of Clare‑born or ‑based
musicians including Tommy and Siobhán Peoples, Davy Spillane, Luka Bloom, and
Mary Custy. The Sanctuary Sessions (1994) captures Seán Tyrrell, Siobhán
Peoples, Jo Marsh, PJ King et alia in the raw at Cruise’s in Ennis. Listen
carefully and you can hear a certain well-known personality instructing the
punters to keep quiet. Further up the coast, Galway has Ceol Tigh Neachtain,
a neat compilation of contemporary musicians, including fiddlers Seán Smyth and
Máirín Fahy, flute‑player Brian Lennon, and a border‑hopping guest
spot for Sharon Shannon. The Connemara‑based Cló Iar‑Chonnachta
label naturally has several excellent collections, including Seoda Chonamara
Volumes 1 & 2 featuring
musicians such as the Hernon brothers and Johnny Connolly plus a number of
acclaimed sean‑nós singers, notably Joe Heaney and Seán ‘ac Dhonncha.
Connemara’s idiosyncratic blend of sean‑nós and Country and Western (sung
in Irish) is best heard on Gaelcheol Tire Phléaráca Chonamara, a live
concert featuring the genre’s reputed creator, John Beag. Thanks to the Coleman
Heritage Centre in Gurteen, Sligo has produced several find compilations and
the latest is The Mountain Road, a collection of tunes popular in the
south of the county and featuring a host of flute players and fiddlers. Trad
Tráthnóna is a tremendous set of live recordings from contemporary Donegal
musicians, including Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, her brother Gearoíd (one of the best
guitar accompanists around), and fiddlers Stephen Campbell, Paula Doohan and
Hugh Ó Gallchóir. Finally, also well
worth seeking out are the various annual Raidió na Gaeltachta compilations,
such as Blas, Réalta (the
RnaG song competition) or its 25th anniversary selection, Togha
agus Rogha, all featuring a host of singers and musicians from the
Gaeltacht regions.
Dancing
As most Irish music is really
dance music, it may seem strange to include this section, but some astonishing
collections have been issued geared directly towards dancers. The undeniably
best is Set Dances of Ireland: Music for Listening and Dancing, four‑course delight ‑ popular
dance sets from the south‑west of the country, performed with ultimate
zest by musicians such as Breandán Begley, Johnny O’Leary, Tommy McCarthy and
Michael Tubridy. Accordionist Matt Cunningham has also produced twelve volumes
of the Dance Music of Ireland
all aimed directly at the toe‑twinkling
market while Outlet’s First Steps and Beyond contains a range of
accompaniments for practice at home.
SINGERS
Sean-Nós
Singers
Unfortunately, a shortage of
space precluded this entry in its entirety, though certain key figures
reappeared with their own entry in the Singers section.
The origins and nature of the
form of unaccompanied singing in the Irish language known as sean-nós have been
already covered (see pp23-25). So this entry aims to guide you towards some of
the key figures in she song tradition. Some, such as Joe Heaney (Seosamh Ó
hÉanaí) Áine Uí Cheallaigh and Iarla Ó Lionáird, whose careers have encompassed
other areas, consequently have their own devoted entries in this Singers
section.
A cautionary word is essential
before commencing. Many of the recordings described were, of course, produced
in a studio and lack the essential empathy of an audience so fundamental to
sean-nós singing. Moreover, such recordings should not be understood as the
‘definitive’ rendition of a song, but simply the way it was sung at the very
moment of the recording.
Compilations
As ever, there are a number of
highly recommended compilations available. Two, however, stand out from the
pack. Amhráin ar an Sean-Nós reaps a rich harvest from the RTÉ archives,
covering singers from all the main Gaeltacht areas and includes a rare
recording of Aodh Ó Domhnaill (father of Tríona, Maighréad and Mícheál) and a
call-and-response rendition of Cúnla alternating between Irish (Joe
Heaney) and English (Séamus Ennis). The second is Raidió na Gaeltachta’s Buaiteoirí
Chorn Uí Riada, a double CD featuring all sixteen winners of the
prestigious singing trophy from 1972-1996. However, this is largely a Connemara
compilation, since the only exceptions are Áine Uí Cheallaigh (born Belfast,
but long resident in Ring) and the Donegal singers Lillis Ó Laoire and
Gearóidín Bhreathnach. RnaG’s annual Réalta releases of recordings from
the station’s own competition are also of exceptional quality and include many
singers who would not otherwise be recorded.
Our geographical journey
through the Gaeltachta now follows, commencing in Waterford and moving
clockwise around the country.
Waterford
Some would argue that Nioclás
Tóibin (1928-1994) was not only the greatest singer from the Waterford
Gaeltacht of Na Déise, but one of the most majestic voices Ireland has ever
produced and it would be foolhardy to disagree with either conviction. From
Rinn Ò gCuanach (Ring), Nioclás learned his songs from his parents who, in
turn, had learned from their own forebears and it is almost impossible to
describe the sheer beauty and power of his singing in words. His control of
both voice and breathing was staggering and allowed him to incorporate the
subtlest of variations into his singing which, nonetheless, still focussed on a
song’s essential melodic ingredients. Champion at the Oireachtas major singing
competition (now Corn Uí Riada) for a unique three consecutive years (1961-63),
his repertoire encompassed an astounding three hundred songs or more, including
those from local poets, but also many others from around the country. However,
the one song with which he will ever be associated is Na Connerys, one
of the ‘big’ songs in the tradition, recalling the sufferings of three brothers
transported from Waterford to New South Wales in the first half of the 19th
century as a consequence of disputes over land rights. This song is, naturally,
included on the definitive Rinn na Gael, a simply astounding compilation
of Tóibín’s singing from the radio archives, which also features a quite
extraordinary version of Róisín Dubh, where his voice gives the
impression of being just about to crack under the stress of emotion without
ever quite doing so.
RTÉ has recently issued a
collection of songs Amhrán ó Shliabh gCua from Labhrás Ó Cadhla
(1889-1961) from Scartnadriny which contains recordings dating as far back as
1928. The importance of these thirty-two songs lies in their antiquity, since
Labhrás learned most of them from his mother (b. 1847) and aunt (b. 1823) who,
in turn, learned from their own forebears. Consequently, this majestic recording
forms a remarkable bridge spanning several centuries.
Not herself a native of Co.
Waterford, Ann Mulqueen (b. 1945, Castleconnell, Co, Limerick) moved to
Ring in 1969. A teenaged prodigy, she won the Senior song title at the 1959
Fleadh Cheoil and repeated her success the next two years. At fourteen, she
joined one of Ireland’s most famous céilí bands, the Gallowglass, and embarked
on a successful ballad-singing career for the next decade before settling in
Co. Waterford. For some time she managed a local pub, while also learning Irish
and, subsequently, acquiring a new song repertoire, learned in part from the
Tóibins. Her first album, Kerry’s 25th, appeared in 1981, but
the one to look ouf for is Mo Ghrása Thall na Déise (1992), aptly
subtitled Memorable Songs in the
Munster Tradition which features Anne in excellent voice on songs in both
Irish and English.
" Nioclás Tóibin Rinn na
Gael (1970s-1980s, Cló Iar-Chonnachta). Glorious singing from the most
acclaimed of Irish singers.
Cork
The singers of Cúil Aodha
(Coolea) in the West Cork Gaeltacht of Mhúscraí have been well-known ever since
Seán Ó Riada established the local choir in the 1960s. Known also for the
breadth of their repertoire, their numbers include Eilís Ní Shúilleabháin,
erstwhile winner of the Oireachtas women’s song title, Sean-Nós na mBan.
Nowadays teaching singing at UCC, her marvellous album, Cois Abhann na Séad
(1997) demonstrates the eminence of her singing through such songs as a
gorgeous Bruach Na Carraige Báine and a quirky, macaronic An Hide and
Go Seek. A couple of other songs also follow Ó Riada’s original
arrangements.
Kerry
The pivotal place of music and
song in the Blasket Islands reached an international audience, through three
remarkable autobiographical accounts by islanders, published between 1929 and
1936, of which Muiris Ó Súilleabháin’s Twenty Years a Growing remains
easily the most readable and enjoyable. The last permanent residents of the
wind-battered Blaskets left in 1953 and many settled on the nearby Dingle
peninsula. Its Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht has itself a grand musical tradition,
represented most notably by the Ó Beaglaoich (Begley) family from Baile na
bPoc. The two traditions have intermingled and combined to rivetting effect on
one of the quintessential recordings, Beauty an Oileáin, a compelling
tribute to the enduring fortitude of the islanders. Worth acquiring for the
accompanying booklet alone, compiled by Rionach Uí Ogáin, this is not just an
historical record, but a dazzling testimony to the power of music in the face
of adversity.
" Beauty an Oileáin
(1957-1991, Claddagh) A consummate, yet ultimately tragic recording of a life
from a distant epoch.
Connemara
Sean-nós retains a powerful place
in the cultural life of Connemara in Co. Galway. Indeed, the region has its own
record label, Cló Iar-Chonnachta, whose catalogue boasts many superb recordings
of local singers. Carna (and its surrounding area is the heartland of sean-nós)
has produced many exceptional singers, not least, of course, Joe Heaney. One of
the most celebrated was Joe’s close friend Séan ‘ac Dhonncha (1919-96)
who learned his singing from his parents. Education in Dublin and a subsequent
teaching career of his own did not diminish his passion for music and he
broadened his repertoire by studying the songs of Munster and Donegal, mainly
in the Irish language. During the 1940s he encountered Séamus Ennis when the
latter was collecting music for the Folklore Commission and, as a consequence,
spent much time learning new songs and passing on others from his own
storehouse. For more than twenty years he lived, and worked as a head teacher,
in Ath Eascraigh, East Galway. On his 75th birthday Cló
Iar-Chonnachta issued An Spailpín Fánach, a fine tribute to a talented
man which, though subtitled “Traditional Songs from Connemara”, includes
several songs in English (John Mitchell, Cathal Brugha amongst
others). Most of the album was recorded in 1987, but make sure you buy the CD
version as it has 8 tracks more than the cassette.
Máirtín Tom Sheánín Mac
Donnacha
(b.1955, near Lettermore) is one of the most well-known of contemporary singers
and a regular presenter on RnaG to boot. He was the youngest ever winner of the
Corn Uí Riada in 1983 and was successful again in 1988. A singer of superb
range, Máirtín has recorded two grand albums of which the most intriguing is
his first, Seoltóireacht Gheár - Amhráin Sheáin Cheoinin, consisting
entirely of songs composed by one of Connemara’s most prolific bards, Sheáin
Cheoinin, who specialised in describing maritime adventures and recites two of
his own works on the album.
Women singers are well
represented too, not least by a pair of astonishing recordings from the 1970s.
The first comes from Caitlín Maude (1941-82), from Casla, whose many
talents included acting, poetry, play-writing and fiddling. Her only album, Caitlín
(1975) reveals a pure-voiced singer of astonishing magnitude and
virtuosity, highlighted on Dónal Óg and An Bonnán Buí (the latter
being also the name of the singers’ club she co-founded in Dublin). Why
Claddagh has never reissued Máire Áine Ní Dhonnchadha’s 1970 album Deora
Aille remains an unfathomable mystery for this is one of the classic albums
of Irish song. Máire Áine (1919-1991)
came from Spiddal and often appeared on radio and TV from the 1950s onwards.
The original Deora Aille LP was one of the most elaborately packaged of
all Irish releases, complete with inset gatefold sleeve and lyrics booklet, and
features both a voice as clear as the “water from the rock” whence it derives
its title and her rare full-length version of Úna Bhán, sung with
irresistible beauty. In complete contrast, is the jovial An Faoitín, a
song espousing the cause of the whiting as a fish fit for the tables of the
nobility.
" Séan ‘ac Dhonncha An
Spailpín Fánach (mainly 1987, Cló Iar-Chonnachta) A grand compilation
demonstrating the sheer versatility of Séan’s magisterial voice.
! Máire Áine Ní Dhonnchadha
Deora Aille (1970, Claddagh) Utterly gorgeous singing - come on, Claddagh,
it’s time for a reissue.
The Aran Islands
Descended in part from troops
in Cromwell’s army, the people of the
Aran Islands, off the coast of Galway, have their own colourful song tradition
which can be traced back to the poetry of the 18th and 19th
centuries. Indeed, islanders sometimes use the word ‘casadh’ (a twist or coil,
as in rope) to describe singing. Few recordings have been made, so Songs of
Aran, featuring islanders taped by Sidney Robertson Cowell in 1955, are to
be treasured. Most are sung by Margaret Dirrane or her son Seán (when he could
take time off from farming) and include songs used by the singers to accompany
typical activities, such as An Túirnín Lán, associated with spinning.
Mayo
Singers from the Mayo
Gaeltachta were less well known until Raidió na Gaeltachta began broadcasting
from Castlebar in 1972. Its archives store a host of field recordings from the
Achill Island, Erris and Tourmakeady districts and a selection is available on Glór
Mhaigh Eo (Voice of Mayo), a fine example of the region’s breadth of
singing styles (including some curious Country and Irish adaptations.
Donegal
The county’s sean-nós style is
generally reckoned to be less ornamental than Connemara and singing tends to
focus more on the song’s rhythm. One of the queens of the county’s song
tradition was Róise Bean Mhic Grianna (1879-1964), variously known as
Róise Rua (Redhaired Rose) or Róise na
nAmhran (Rose of the Songs) who, though born on the mainland, lived most of her
life on Arranmore Island. Róise’s
repertoire was fertilized by spells spent first when she was hired out to work
in the area of East Donegal, Derry and Tyrone known as The Lagan and later in
Scotland. She was recorded by Radio Éireann in 1953, singing around fifty
songs, and though then in her seventies, still sang with passion and vigour.
Twenty-five of these appear on Songs of a Donegal Woman and include
popular Donegal songs such as An Spealadóir and Má Théann Tú Chun
Aonaigh.
The inhabitants of outlying
Tory Island constitute Ireland’s most isolated community with a powerful
tradition of music, song and dance. One of the most well-known singers to come
from the island is Eamonn Mac Ruari (b.1928) who now lives in Falcarragh on the
mainland. Eamonn also plays accordion, the island’s favoured instrument, but
his album Toraigh Ó Thuaidh (1989) is entirely devoted to song and
includes a fun-packed An Ghoibóg call and response song with his
daughter Patricia. This also features on Seoda, a formidable compilation
of singers from the county, including two members of the indomitable Ó
Domhnaill clan from Rann na Feirste (Caitlín and Conall).
One of the foremost
contemporary singers from the county is Lillis Ó Laoire from Gortahork, twice
winner of the Corn Uí Riada in the 1990s and now director of The Song Centre in
the Irish World Music Centre at the University of Limerick. Noted for his
collecting of songs, particularly from southwest Donegal and Tory Island,
Lillis sings with a voice of velvet, sometimes producing sudden wonderful
octave leaps in pitch. His only album, Bláth Gach Géag dá dTíg is a
wonderfully warm collection drawn from Donegal’s deep heritage.
" Various Seoda
(1980s-1990s, Cló Iar-Chonnachta) A compilation which demonstrates both the
breadth and depth of the Donegal tradition.
Meath
The small Gaeltacht of Rath
Cairn in Co. Meath was only established in 1935 as part of a government
relocation scheme. Among the new inhabitants was Darach Ó Catháin
(1922-1987) who was born in Lettermore, Connemara in 1922. Darach lived for
many years in Leeds, England, where he worked as a builder, but never lost his
love for the songs he learned in his childhood nor the eloquence of his voice,
by the evidence of his stunning album, Traditional Irish Unaccompanied
Singing. Perhaps the songs of a migrant possess an additional
strength and vitality, animated by estrangement, but, whatever the case, this
stands alongside some of the greatest recordings of sean-nós ever to be made.
Compelling, calm and authoritative, Ó Catháin was one of the undisputed masters
of Irish song.
" Traditional Irish
Unaccompanied Singing (1975, Shanachie) Joyous, redolent singing from the
mighty Darach.
Jo
Collins
One of the freshest albums of
1999 was Jo Collins’s debut Watercolours, a startling blend of mainly
self-penned songs delivered with a silken style and a dash of panache not
usually associated with a newcomer. But then, of course, Jo isn’t a tiro, but
honed her craft on the London pub music scene where she met husband Tom (a
traditional banjoist/mandolin-player). Moving back to Tom’s home base in South
Roscommon, they began to play sessions around the midlands where audience
requests for her own compositions began to out-number the traditional songs.
Born in London, though her Grandfather was from Donegal, Jo’s reputation
increased supporting Frances Black on tour and the critical acclaim accorded
her affectionate songs promises a rosy future.
" Watercolours (1999,
Ainm) One of the best of the new breed of singer-songwriters.
Rita
Connolly
Dubliner Rita Connolly rose to
prominence through her featured role in Granuaile, future husband Shaun
Davey’s 1986 celebration of the Clare pirate queen, composed specifically with
the vocalist in mind. By then, this fifth-born of seven children had been
singing professionally for almost a decade, starting in Dublin’s pubs and clubs
when she was 14. Her first collaboration with Davey had been The Pilgrim
(where she sings with Welsh and Cornish choirs and two of her sisters, Ursula
and Inez), but Granuaile sparked an international tour and increasing
acclaim for Rita’s pure, yet powerful voice. Since then Davey has co-produced
her two solo albums, 1992's self-titled opener and 1995's Valparaiso and
both bear the composer’s considerable stamp. The debut album’s highlights
include tremendous collaborations with The Voice Squad - the bouncy Venezuela
(which also features Máirtín O’Connor and Davy Spillane) - and harmonised Factory
Girl/Same Old Man with Liam Ó Flynn (Rita returned the compliment on
the piper’s Out to the Other Side). It’s a fine album, despite
occasional lapses into jazz ballad and Beatles tendencies and a plodding rock
track Amiens, though the traditional elements had all but vanished by
the time of Valparaiso, a solid, but very much MoR rock performance.
" Rita Connolly (1992,
Tara). Innovative arrangements abound in this bright debut album worth
acquiring simply for Rita’s lush harmonies on Factory Girl.
Tim Dennehy
The rich, warm voice of Tim
Dennehy has been beguiling audiences for the last two decades. Based in Mullach,
Co. Clare, and working as a schoolteacher, Tim has never lost touch with his
Kerry roots. Born in Ballinskelligs to parents who both sang, he was raised in
Cahirciveen and retains a strong affection for the works of the town’s
best-known poet, playwright and songsmith, Sigerson Clifford. Singing usually
unaccompanied in both Irish and English, Tim has released three grand albums.
The first, 1989's atmospheric A Thimbleful of Song, includes musical
Tim’s setting of Clifford’s poem, The Ballad of the Tinker’s Daughter,
while his own superb song, The Ballad of James Moore (the tale of an
unfulfilled dreamer), on 1993's A Winter’s Tear, demonstrates the power
and vision of his own song-writing skills. More recently, 1997 saw the release
of Farewell to Miltown Malbay, featuring Garry Ó Briain, Nollaig Casey
and Tommy Keane and a charming rendition of one of Tim Lyons’ wittiest songs, Heinrich’s
Doolin Disaster, the cautionary tale of a man advised to shoot a goat as a
cheap means of obtaining bodhrán-making material. Tim presents a regular
traditional programme on his local radio station Clare FM.
" A Thimbleful of Song (1989,
Sceilig Records). Lovers of unaccompanied song should head for this one - an
immaculate contribution.
Martin
Donnelly
Probably the only practising
psychotherapist on the Irish music scene, singer-guitarist Martin Donnelly
(from Crumlin, Co. Antrim) is one of the most inspired performers currently
around. Like the poetry of Séamus Heaney, Donnelly’s strength is to write songs
evocative of time and place and no better than Rathlin Island, the
stand-out track on his only album Stone and Light, which catches both a
sense of voyage and a feeling of belonging. His style is redolent of 1970s
American troubadours, such as John Stewart, but a love song like Flute of
Ebony, graced by Maire Breatnach’s fiddle, contains images that are
intrinsically Irish.
" Stone and Light (1995,
Round Tower) A fine debut album from a talented singer-songwriter.
Sinéad
Lohan
Working a weekly residency at
The Lobby Bar, Cork in the early 1990s, Sinéad Lohan was spotted by Declan
Sinnott who at that time was producing Mary Black and leading her backing band.
Struck by Sinéad’s talents, the ex-Moving Hearts guitarist secured her the
support spot on Mary’s forthcoming tour and subsequently produced her 1995
debut album Who Do You Think I Am (and played all the instruments too).
While serving as a fine showcase for Lohan’s voice and song-writing skills, the
net product was almost inevitably a sub-Mary Black album. Nevertheless, its
ensuing popularity saw Sinéad touring the USA and reassessing her directions in
the company of producer Malcolm Burns (noted for his work with offbeat USA
vocalist Lisa Germano). The outcome was No Mermaid (1998) where Burns
captures Sinéad at a significant cusp in her career. The title track
opener, complete with catchy chorus, set out Lohan’s stall from the offset and
is followed by eleven songs largely of existential exploration. Much more rock-laden
than its predecessor, Sinéad can certainly write melodic hooks, but her lyrics
tend to drift dangerously near obscurity though always delivered with
inimitable style. wwwrgmplc.com
" No Mermaid (1998,
Grapevine) A grand voice and great melodies cannot always cover nebulous
imagery.
David
McWilliams
Sadly, David died in 2002.
Belfast-born singer-guitarist
David McWilliams was the nearly man of folk-pop in the late 1960s. If
remembered at all (and he certainly should be!), it’s for his classic pop
single The Days of Pearly Spencer (1967) where he deployed
megaphone-distorted vocals. Though released three times and plugged heavily on
Radio Caroline it was never a hit. He recorded seven self-penned albums between
1966 and 1974 all of which are now collectors’ items. The 1992 CD Best of
the EMI Years draws mainly from his work in the 60s and includes his other
well-known song, Harlem Lady.
" Best of the EMI Years
(1960s/1970s, EMI) A grand compilation which should have merited a reappearance
of McWilliams’ ‘lost’ albums.
Cathie
Ryan
Former Cherish the Ladies
singer and bodhrán player, Cathie Ryan, has been gradually enhancing her own
reputation since the release of her debut self-titled solo album in 1997. The
following year's The Music of What Happens (whose title derives from a
Fionn Mac Cumhaill aphorism), produced by Séamus Egan represents a significant
step forward - even if her choice of songs sometimes veers towards the overtly
cloying and sentimental, such as the self-penned I’m Going Back (which
sounds like a James Taylor reject). Cathie’s bright voice is best-suited to
traditional numbers like Home by Bearna, once often sung by Christie
Moore and here embellished by Win Horan’s fiddle and Gerry O’Beirne’s guitar,
but her rendition of the Seosamh Ó hÉanaí song Coaíneadh Na Dtrí Muíre,
though effortlessly sung, wanders close to Clannad territory.
" The Music of What Happens (1998,
Shanachie). Fine singing and playing, but the songs themselves are of variable
quality.
Deirdre
Scanlan
One-time member of the
acclaimed Nenagh Singers’ Circle, Deirdre Scanlan released her own label debut
CD, Speak Softly in 1999. Largely unaccompanied, apart from Gerry
Simpson’s occasional keyboard and ‘sounds’, and singing in both Irish and
English, her choice of songs featured
some familiar material such as Leaving of Limerick and Siúil a Rúin
and Bruach na Carraige Báine and three of her own compositions,
including the elegant From the Grave,
delivered with the characteristic purity that has seen her win All-Ireland
titles, tour North America with Comhaltas and broadcast regularly on radio and
television. It was no surprise to traditional cognoscenti when she was selected
to replace Karan Casey in Solas and performed with her new band as principal
vocalist in Jean ‘Riverdance’ Butler’s latest extravaganza Dancing on
Dangerous Ground.
" Speak Softly (1999,
own label) Destined to become a collector’s item, this includes some stunning
unaccompanied singing.
Andy White
In 1985 the young singer’s
single Religious Persuasion sent seismic shudders around his native
Belfast and the North and caused ripples across the water. Featuring lines like
Onward Christian soldiers, I hope you don’t mind, being afflicted by
religion of the persuasive kind it boldly took up the cudgels laid down by
punk bands like Stiff Little Fingers. The subsequent 1986 debut album Rave
on Andy White seemed to augur great things as Andy tapped the same
political sap as his contemporary, the Bard of Barking, Billy Bragg. At times
redolent of Like a Rolling Stone era Dylan (thanks to Rod McVey’s
Hammond), the lyrics glistened with bile (...and on the 12th I’ll
never where the sash my father never wore). Subsequent releases have never
matched the emotion nor impact and are best heard via the 1998 Compilation
CD. Though now based in Switzerland, for a while in the 90s, Andy shared a
Dublin flat with Liam Ó Maonlaí of Hothouse Flowers. Tim Finn (Crowded
House) moved in upstairs and the eventual result was the trio’s parson’s egg of
an album Altitude recorded as ALT (the initials of their first
names). Andy has written a book of poetry, The Music of What Happens,
and samples are included in his own latest recording, Speechless (2000)
which largely attempts to recreate his live performances. Www.andywhite.com
" Rave on Andy White (1986,
Cooking Vinyl) Supercharged spleen-venting from the Belfast songsmith.
GROUPS
ANÚNA
The three ancient types of
Irish music are suantraí (lullaby), geantraí (merry song) and goltraí (lament) sometimes known
collectively as An Uaithne which, in transliteration, becomes ANÚNA, the
name Michael McGlynn chose for his unique choral ensemble. McGlynn’s aim
was to use the few fragments of music which have survived from Celtic and
medieval Ireland as a base for exploring the potential of the human voice,
weaving new sound textures through polyphonic arrangements and plainsong.
Sometimes using more than twenty voices and occasionally employing just the
sparsest instrumentation, the outcome is both intensely beautiful, though also
betimes chilling. Anúna has toured to general acclaim, reaching a wider
audience through appearances in Riverdance, but the studio offers
greater scope for experimentation. By the time of the third album, 1995's Omnis,
McGlynn’s arrangements covered traditional songs, such as The Flower of
Magherally and Latin requiems, together with his own compositions which saw
increasing use of a vocal drone as atmospheric setting. 1999's sublime Deep
Dead Blue is the acme of celestial perfection, as voices combine and
intertwine to produce powerful interpretations of pieces as wide-ranging as Dicant
Nunc (from the 12th century), The Green Laurel (from the
17th) and the title track itself, a surprising, though ethereal
version of one of Elvis Costello’s most emotive songs in which Michael himself
solos. www.anuna.ie
" Deep Dead Blue (1999.
Gimell). Past meets present in this stark, yet moving album.
Any Old
Time
I later discovered that Mick Daly is known as ‘Black Dog’
and, since he was also in its first line-up, this partly explains the origins
of the name of Four Men and a Dog
Though the name suggests a
haphazard approach to music, don’t be misled, for the Cork-based trio Any
Old Time produced some of the sweetest and enjoyable sounds of the 1990s.
There was an undeniable simplicity to their music which, as any musician knows,
requires plenty of skill to achieve and AOT had it in abundance. The key to
their sound was the nowadays relatively unusual combination of melodeon, played
by Dave Hennessy, and fiddle, courtesy of Matt Cranitch, assisted by the guitar
and banjo of long-time Lee Valley String Band member Mick Daly who’s also no
mean singer. Their second album, 1995's Crossing takes the Sliabh
Luachra sound as its starting point, but also sees the group spread its wings
to include mazurkas from Newfoundland and a waltz by US guitarist David
Lindley. The best of the Sliabh Luachra tunes are Thadelo’s Barndances,
from the playing of the concertina/accordion man Thade O’Sullivan, while Mick’s
songs include The Crackling Radio, a true gem from the pen of Cork
songwriter Ger Wolfe.
" Crossing (1995, Dara)
A rich sonic tapestry woven by three of Cork’s finest.
Bakerswell
Lovers of The Chieftains
shouldn’t overlook the eponymous album by Bakerswell, led by the band’s
former tin whistler, Seán Potts, nephew of the fiddler, Tommy Potts.
Reminiscent of his erstwhile colleagues’ early landmark albums, Bakerswell’s
light, breezy sound was characterised by sprightly unison playing, no better on
the set of jigs begun by Dolly Keane’s. The pipes of Seán’s son Seán Óg
and fiddles of Kevin Glackin, John Kelly jr. and John McEvoy are well to the
fore while colours and contrasts derive from the harp of Nóirín O’Donoghue,
Mick Hand’s flute and, of course, the senior Potts’s whistle.
Cass Bakerswell (1988,
Claddagh). Colourful, joyous playing from a short-lived but powerful ensemble.
Blood Or Whiskey
If you’re still yearning for
the ribald, raucous sound of the original Pogues then this Kildare septet could
be the band for you. Their eponymous debut album features 18 whole-hearted and
self-penned eardrum bashers and, though singer Barney Murray’s vocal cords can
begin to grate after a while on record (the man must have a spare larynx!),
their unrestrained live performances are guaranteed to send you staggering into
the night. Let’s face it, any band with a guitarist called Dugs Mullooly and which
writes tunes called Wack for a Widdle and Drunken Priest of Dingle can’t
be all bad!
" Blood or Whiskey (1990s,
Sound Records) As Christy Moore once supposedly said of The Pogues,
“Great band, but fuck the gigs”, referring to the enthusiastic audience, and
the same could be true for Blood or Whiskey.
Bohinta
Bohinta have travelled a bumpy
path since their early days. The band’s origins began with an Edinburgh-based
quartet, Sam Harlet, formed by singer, guitarist and uilleann piper, Martin
Furey, and fellow guitarist, mandolin-player, Robin Hurt. By 1992, the pair had
moved to Dublin and became Bohinta, playing residencies at Slattery’s and The
Baggot and being courted by record companies, some of whom wanted Martin to
achieve the impossible feat of becoming his illustrious father, Finbar. Martin
and his sister Áine moved to England the following year and have been based
there ever since, touring and recording and their only album to date, Sessions
(1996) - originally released as Bohinta in Ireland - compiles music
spanning their career to that date. All eleven songs are solely or co-written
by Martin Furey and demonstrate a fine line in melodic construction, if
sometimes wandering a little too close to lyrical pretension of the New Age
variety, while Fort Song resembles a U2 cast-off. The best songs are
delivered by Áine’s sensuous voice and her own solo album (though Martin plays
a significant role), Sweetest Summer Rain (1999) blends her own
compositions with songs from other traditions, such as Silky and Renardine
and a couple of old Sandy Denny favourites. A new and proper Bohinta album is
due for delivery in 2001.
" Sessions (1996, Ardent
Music). Flashes of brilliance, marred by occasional self-indulgence.
The
Bowhouse Quintet
Listing double bass player Paul
O’Driscoll’s live and recording credits would extend this book by several
pages, so let’s focus on the former Deiseal member and prestigious composer’s
most recent conceptual development, The Bowhouse Quintet.
Birmingham-born O’Driscoll has been exploring the boundaries of traditional
music since arriving in Ireland in the early 1990s, but it’s doubtful whether
anyone else could have originated the idea of a string quintet nor, in doing
so, gained the cachet of approval from no less than Tommy Peoples. You can hear
the extraordinary results on Live in Ennis, a recording of the Quintet’s
first real gig. Immaculate ensemble playing by fiddlers Liam Lewis and Calico’s
Tola Custy, Danú’s Jessie Smith on viola, ex-La Lugh member Claire O’Donoghue
on cello and O’Driscoll himself, takes in inspired arrangements of traditional
tunes, often with a baroque touch, and original compositions. The undoubted
highlight is when the Quintet expands to incorporate four more fiddlers
(including Tommy and Siobhán Peoples) to shake dust from the beams on The
Holly Bush and The Miser’s Pocket.
" Live in Ennis (1999,
Lochshore) An original concept that succeeds through the sheer musical
strength of its members.
Dúchas
Singer, guitarist and bouzouki
player Michael Casey (from North Connemara) first hooked up with West
Limerick button accordionist Danny Brouder in 1997. The venue was
Shannon Airport, where Michael and arranged to meet Danny for the first time to
fulfil a three month engagement at a pub in China! On their return, they
recorded their self-titled debut album and continued to play regularly, both in
and around Michael’s home village of Renvyle and further afield. Dúchas means
‘heritage’ and their second album, Solstice, reveals just how broad this
is. Dance tunes are drawn from a variety of sources, including slides from
Danny’s home turf, reels from Charlie Lennon and Connie O’Connell and a
variation of De Dannan’s interpretation of Hey Jude. Casey also returns
to his first instrument, the banjo, and pens six of the album’s eight songs,
including Shane, an unsurprising tribute to the ex-Pogues’ front man
since Michael’s voice clearly bears the MacGowan imprint. Still, there’s
nothing wrong with that and the duo form a lively partnership throughout, aided
by several friends in places. www.connemara.net/duchas
" Solstice (2000,.Hog
Productions) A grand brew from an increasingly popular pairing.
The
Fallen Angels
This now sadly defunct
all-woman a Capella quartet, whose members included at one time Frances
Black, Christy Moore’s sister Eilís and Máire Breatnach, graced festivals and
the air-waves alike with their dulcet harmonies during their twelve year
career. Their extensive repertoire seemed boundless and its range is best heard
on their last CD Happy Ever After which features songs by Neil Young and
even Prince, along with stunning versions of Aililiú Na Gamhna and She
Moved Through the Fair. Joan McDermott now sings with Providence while
other members are active in other musical and theatrical fields.
" Happy Ever After (1998,
Tara) The best of unaccompanied harmony singing, though scant traditional
content for some tastes.
Fisherstreet
Taking their name from the Doolin
home to O’Connor’s famous pub, Fisherstreet produced some of the best
traditional sounds to emanate from County Clare at the turn of the 1990s.
Thankfully too, they were recorded before their demise on the excellent Out
in the Night (1991). Producing a fluent, infectious brand of music,
Fisherstreet’s core was the brothers John (concertina and Uilleann pipes) and
Séamus McMahon (fiddle, flute and concertina) and accordionist Dermot Lernihan.
Additional brio came from Frank Cullen (mandola and mandolin) and Maurice Coyle
(guitar), while the final vital ingredient came from harpist Nóirín O’Donoghue
(also a very proficient pianist). Fine ensemble playing colours the album, but
the undoubted highlights are the three leads’ wondrous unison work on the jig Helvic
Head and a set of reels kicked off by David Adams. Most of the band
continue to be active on the local music scene.
" Out in the Night: Music
from Clare (1991, Mulligan) Effervescent music from some of contemporary
Clare’s finest.
Grianán
The short-lived band Grianán
produced some of the best music around in the early 1990s and, fortunately,
were recorded before their demise. The Clare-based band’s spearheads were the
button accordion of P.J. King, the flute of Kevin Crawford and the fiddle (and
occasional keyboards of Siobhán Peoples while the rhythm battery consisted of
John Mahoney’s bodhrán and Pat Marsh’s bouzouki. Grianán inherited from The
Bothy Band and Planxty, but imbued their music with a Clare flourish and
underlying lack of pretension, as can be heard on their only album The Maid
of Erin (1993). For Peoples completists, the undoubted highlight is Tommy’s
guest appearance duetting with daughter Siobhán on Jug of Punch, though
the band are on fine form throughout and there’s an inspired reading of Gulf
of Mexico (long associated with UK skiffle king Lonnie Donegan), aided by
guest Martin Murray’s mandolin. A stalwart of the Tulla Céilí Band, King went
on to join Murray in Damp in the Attic, Crawford now stars in Lúnasa, Mahoney
and Marsh can be found in Moher (the latter in Calico too) while Siobhán
Peoples continues to play regularly around Clare.
" The Maid of Erin (1993, West Winds) Some day
Siobhán Peoples will record her own solo album, but this is a grand substitute
in the meantime.
In Tua
Nua/Leslie Dowdall
In Tua Nua’s bracing blend of
American West Coast-influenced rock with traditional overtones proved a popular
draw in the 1980s. Formed in Howth, Dublin in 1983, their early line-up included
a young Sinéad O’Connor before settling on singer Leslie Dowdall. The
‘traditional’ elements were provided by Steve Wickham (later of The Waterboys)
on electric violin and Vinnie Kilduff on uilleann pipes and whistles while the
‘rock’ side came from Paul Byrne (drums), Martin Clancy (keyboards), Jack
Dublin (bass) and Ivan O’Shea (guitars). Their first single Coming Thru’ was
also the initial release on U2's Mother label, while a well-received
performance supporting Bob Dylan in 1984 saw them snapped up by Island and the
subsequent release of their milestone Take My Hand single produced by
Steve Cooney, a compellingly ethereal track co-written by O’Connor. However,
Kilduff and Wickham left and the band’s album was shelved by Island, though a
compilation of their singles and some unreleased tracks appeared in the USA and
Europe as Somebody to Love. The Virgin albums Vaudeville (1987)
and The Long Acre (1988) had moments of grace, thanks to Dowdall’s
voice, but lacked the passion of the early days and the band split in 1989,
having recorded a never-to-be-released third album. Leslie Dowdall successfully
battled cancer in the 1990s and has subsequently released two albums of
finely-crafted songs of love and regeneration, No Guilt No Guile (1996)
and Out There (1998).
! Take My Hand (1984,
Island) The only 12" single recommended in this book and still a
magnificent tour de force (and artistically packaged too).
The
Irish Rovers
One of Irish music’s most
long-lasting bands was formed in Toronto back in 1963 when two recently-arrived
emigrants from Belfast, George Millar and Jimmy Ferguson, began working
together as a ballad-singing duo. Augmented by George’s cousin, accordionist
and harmonica player, Joe Millar, the following year, they then worked as a
trio before George’s elder brother, Willie, made it a foursome. The Clancys and
Makem were at the peak of their American popularity, so the Rovers headed for
San Francisco, played a 22-week engagement at The Purple Onion and secured a
record contract. Their debut album, First of the Irish Rovers, appeared
in 1966, but it was the follow-up, The Unicorn, which caused a greater
impact, spawning a million-selling single in its title track. Further albums ensued,
and the quintet (now expanded by the arrival of Wilcil McDowell) maintained its
popularity among Irish-Americans/Canadians even though the ballad boom had
passed its sell-by date. Popular performers on Canadian TV over the next two
decades, they had two further hits, Wasn’t That a Party, written by Tom
Paxton, and the seasonal novelty, Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. Constant
touring and sheer hard work maintained their prominence in a limited niche
market and they celebrated 25 years in the business with their Silver
Anniversary album. Though Will Millar retired in 1995 and Jimmy Ferguson
died two years later, the Rovers recruited new members and soldiered on,
continuing to perform their brand of good time, sing-along sunshine.
" Silver Anniversary
(1989, Artic) Ballads, hits and more, typified by the dum-diddly-I-dum, What
Wid Ye Do?
Maca
Anúna regularly provided the
singers for the European Riverdance tour and four now ex-members (Caron
Hannigan, Peter Harney, Yvonne Woods and Tara O’Beirne) have found a new
dynamic as the vocal quarter Maca. Their debut album Blood & Gold
was recorded while Riverdance toured New Zealand and features the
quartet on a range of unaccompanied or sparsely backed songs from the Irish,
Scottish and English traditions.(using echoes, drums, sea sounds, bells and
harmonica player Brendan Power) Subtle harmonies abound (Peter providing
falsetto on Maid in Love) while Anúna’s characteristic drones are
employed to good effect on Dólas an Maighdine Muire. Excellent singers
they may be (Caron, in particular), but perhaps Maca strive too hard to be
ethereal, though at less than 30 minutes, the album never completely overpowers
the listener.
" Blood & Gold (1998,
Tara). Spare, atmospheric, haunting - cheer up, Maca!
The Saw
Doctors
One of the most successful
acts of the 1990s and still a major draw for their rambunctious stage act, The
Saw Doctors sprang out of nowhere (well, Tuam, County Galway to be exact)
with their single I Useta Lover, the Irish best-seller of 1991. That
record and the subsequent album, If This is Rock and Roll, I Want My Old Job
Back encapsulated all that The Saw Doctors stand for - a timelessly bucolic
and whimsical blend of folk, rock and roll underpinned by Leo Moran’s Duane
Eddy-style big guitar licks, with the traditional element then supplied by the
multi-instrumental talents of now-departed John ‘Turps’ Burke. Several albums
have followed, all featuring strong songs by Moran in partnership with
guitarist/vocalist Davy Carton, but the band have never managed to top
barnstormers like That’s What She Said Last Night or their Galwegian
version of Chuck Berry’s Route 66 the anthemic N17. Still, they
make consistently strong albums, 1998's Songs from Sun Street, being the
latest, and Pearse Doherty (bass) and John Donnelly (drums) complete the
enduring line-up.
" Sing a Powerful Song (1997,
Shamtown Records). Life in smalltown Ireland, admirably summed up by this
superb 17-track retrospective.
Síona
There’s a relaxed, old-time
feel to Síona’s debut album Launching the Boat which belies the
youthfulness of the quartet, but perhaps says much about their heritage. The
band all hail from the Sligo/North Leitrim area and are imbued in its
distinctive sounds and style whose overall warmth is no better portrayed than
in Port Gan Aínm/The Doberman’s Wallet, a couple of grand jigs (Port
Gan Aínm literally means “jig with no name”). Both Damian O’Brien
(fiddle) and June Ní Chormaic (flute) are expressive players. Oliver
Loughlin manages to make you forget that his instrument is actually a piano-accordion
while Kevin Brehony provides exceptionally understated, but always
helpful piano accompaniment. The album’s guests include the notable Sligo
bodhrán-player, Junior Davey and harper Michael Rooney .
" Launching the Boat
(1998, Doorla). Effortless, bouncy music, played with panache by a youthful
quartet.
Spud
Though Horslips still evoke
fond memories, few now remember their contemporaries Spud. Indeed,
glance at any of the reference books and it’s almost as though the quartet
never existed nor has any of their albums been reissued on CD and original
vinyl copies are highly valued. The best of these was their 1975 debut A
Silk Purse, produced by Dónal Lunny who also added a touch of bodhrán and
the then fashionable Moog synthesiser. Spud’s material drew heavily from both
the English and Irish folk traditions, the former including the traditional Blackleg
Miner and Crow on the Cradle (written by Sydney ‘Lord of the
Dance’ Carter). Irish tunes and songs included Brian Boru’s March (very
reminiscent of Horslips) and Newry Highwayman. Spud’s sound was light,
cheery, riff-ridden and entirely string-driven, their line-up consisting of
Dermot O’Connor (guitars), Don Knox (fiddle), Austin Kenny (mandolin, 5-string
banjo, recorders) and Michael Smith aka ‘Smithy’ (bass guitar) with vocals
shared. Two more albums followed (1975's A Happy Handful and, two years
later, Smoking in the Bog, by which time O’Connor had been replaced by
drummer Dave Gaynor and multi-instrumentalist Ken Wilson), but folk-rock’s
popularity was on the decline and Spud finally had their chips soon afterwards.
! A Silk Purse (1975,
Philips). Unjustly forgotten, mainly acoustic innovators.
Tamalin
The vivacious 5-piece, Tamalin,
seemed set to occupy the middle-ground between traditional music and The Corrs
with their 1997 debut album Rhythm & Rhyme, but, in the end, it also
turned out to be their finale. The band consisted of four members of the
renowned Belfast music-making McSherry family (Tina - vocals and flute; John -
pipes and low whistle; Joanne - fiddle; and Paul - acoustic guitar and dobro)
along with friend Kevin Dorris on bouzouki and bodhrán and had been plying the
circuit for some years. An early sighting occurred on the 5th St
Patrick Day Celebration Festival album, released in 1994, when they were
still essentially a traditional band, though Tina’s rock intonations came to
fruition on Rhythm and Rhyme. While Joanne and John were still penning
traditionally inspired instrumentals like Skipping over the Bogs (albeit
in 6/4 time!), the bulk of the album spotlighted Tina’s light, breathy voice,
particularly on the minor success, the sub-Fleetwood Mac In the Morning.
And that, ultimately, was it. Fine musicianship couldn’t mask a general
weakness in material. John McSherry has moved on to pastures new, Paul (who had
earlier played with Grianán) is heavily in demand as a guitarist and Tina is a
member of the women’s a capella group Wild Flowers.
" Rhythm and Rhyme
(1997, Grapevine). A mis-cooked Chinese meal of an album - sometimes sweet, but
all too often sour.
Toss the
Feathers
Formed in Manchester in the
late 1980s, roots-rock band Toss the Feathers merit mention simply for bringing
Dezi Donnelly and Mike McGoldrick into the spotlight. The former parted company
early on, but McGoldrick was still there for their third album, 1995’s The
Next Round, an over-long and curiously lumpen affair. Though McGoldrick
stars throughout, whether on flute, whistle, pipes or mandolin,
vocalist-guitarist Barry James would have been happier in Bad Company and the
true nadir is reached with the extended 14-minute work-out Greenhouse - Jeff
Beck and Cozy Powell host a headbangers’ party for Funkadelic and The Levellers
and nobody goes home happy - atrocious stuff!
" The Next Round (1995,
Magnetic Music). Don’t bother unless you’re a McGoldrick completist.
Tuath
Limerick’s Ó Briain family have
been at the forefront of traditional music and dance for three generations
through their dancing school, Sceoil Rince Uí Ruaire, and their cabaret group,
Planxty O’Rourke, which has toured extensively. In 1999, five of the younger
members combined as Tuath to release Reels & Rondos, whose
title encapsulates the range of their musical interests. Most well-known of
Tuath’s four singing sisters is Orfhlaith Ní Bhriain, one of Ireland’s
most popular piano accompanists whose own track record includes the album Lose
the Head with Sharon Shannon’s flute-playing elder brother, Garry. Aedín
has been singing since early childhood and her career has taken in choirs
as varied as the Galway Baroque Singers and Augsburg University Choir, Germany,
while also winning competitions as diverse as the All-Ireland solo singing
title and German Lieder prizes. Younger sisters Úna (fiddle) and Mairéad
(flute) are both classically-trained too as is the group’s final member, their
brother, guitarist Seán. Reels & Rondos opens with the infectious Céilí
in the Glen, where the sisters’ high harmonies endanger glassware, and
subsequently features songs as varied as an Irish language version of Santa
Lucia, an unaccompanied Once I Loved and a melodious Home Away
from Home. There’s some lively reels and even some dancing too, but the
overwhelming feature is the sisters’ sopranino voices leaving a residual sense
of the powers of vocal training. www.tuath.com
" Reels & Rondos
(1999, own label) Overlapping traditions from the multi-talented Ó Briain clan.
Two Time
Polka
In the tradition of Bringing
it All Back Home (see p544), here’s a Cork-based band with their own
distinctively Irish take on American folk music, aptly incorporated in the
title of their debut album From Pana to Louisiana – ‘Pana’ is Cork slang
for the city’s main thoroughfare, Patrick Street. TTP’s spread includes Cajun
songs, bluegrass and old-time fiddle tunes, touches of Texan and a soupçon of
Greek all played with a panache and joie de vivre that’s hard to beat. The
playing’s tremendous throughout and Ray Barron proves to be a wizard on the
mandolin, especially on the frantic instrumental Tom and Jerry.
" From Pana to Louisiana (1999,
own label) Grand playing and great fun - catch them live if you can.
FIDDLERS
Maeve
Donnelly
One of the best-known
contemporary woman fiddlers, Maeve Donnelly, comes from Abbey, near Loughgrea,
in Co. Galway, an area long associated with traditional music. Her playing bears
all the hallmarks of the local East Galway style, the melancholy touch produced
by a tempo slightly slower than the norm elsewhere and a high degree of
modulation between major and minor keys, most notably found in the playing of
Paddy Fahy . In 1976 Maeve took part in the USA Bicentennial music tour with
harmonica player Eddie Clarke, Maighréad Ní Dhómnaill and Seán Corcoran, resulting in the album Sailing into
Walpole’s Marsh and has regularly featured on other albums. Maeve is a
founder member of The Morning Cloud.
The ex-Macalla and current
Reeltime fiddler from Co. Galway rose to prominence via the latter band’s
starring role in Riverdance and Máirín Fahy has been accumulating the
plaudits as a musician and singer in her own right, not least through a series
of guest appearances with The Chieftains. Her own solo album Máirín is
rather a mixed bag, drifting in parts (especially Midnight in Galway)
into the jazz-rock wilderness, but Máirín is an exceptional fiddler and her
vivacious playing comes to the fore on the Village Reels and, best of
all, Tip of the Iceberg which includes both a stunning version of The
Raheen Reel and a guest spot for Brendan Power on The Mason’s Apron.
Excellent support is provided elsewhere by husband Chris Kelly on guitars,
brother Gerard on uilleann pipes and sister Yvonne on accordion. Of the songs, Flower
of Magherally is the most familiar, but it’s the Famine emigration song Bonny
Irish Maid where Máirín’s lyrical singing really shines.
" Máirín (1999,
Torc/RTÉ) Lively fiddle and polished singing on the traditional tracks.
Rose Murphy, from Bellmount, near
Miltown, Co. Galway, was born in 1900 at a time when every townland in the West
of Ireland seemed to buzz with music. Her parents had originated from Mayo, her
father, John James Conlon playing the fiddle, flute, melodeon and war pipes,
while mother, Maria (née Dwyer) also played the melodeon and was reckoned to be
a grand step dancer. All Rose’s brothers and her sister learned instruments
and/or sang and P.J. (known as Peteen) went on to become one of the most
influential recording artistes after emigrating to the USA. A melodeon player
too, he first recorded in 1910 and some of his sides, including a notable duet
with James Morrison (The Tap Room/The Moving Bogs) can be found
on the Farewell to Ireland boxed set (see p40). Rose’s own first success
came when she won a solo dancing competition at the 1907 Feis and she
acquired notable skills too on the fiddle and melodeon. These she shared
through teaching around Connacht and also appeared in a travelling variety show
before emigrating to England where she lived in Wigan before joining her
brothers in South Yorkshire’s coal-mining area. Here she met and married
another miner, Paddy Murphy, and they settled in Maltby where, naturally, Rose
founded a dancing class which she ran for many years until compelled to retire
by worsening arthritis. However, she continued to write tunes and, in 1976, was
persuaded to record for the then recently established local station, Radio
Sheffield. Two of her compositions, Ladybower’s Reel (named after a
reservoir in the Peak District) and The Lonely Maid, appeared on the
1977 album, Milltown Lass, compiled from these recordings. The record is
aptly subtitled Old Time Irish fiddle and accordion, for Rose’s music is
steeped the past, though nevertheless has a timeless aura. There’s a rousing
accordion rendition of Drowsy Maggie while the lonesome feel of her
fiddling is fully apparent on The Whistler and His Dog.
Cass Milltown Lass
(1977, Ossian Publications). A worthy memento of a colourful character.
Kevin
O'Connor
The fiddler from Watford,
England, is a trained cordon bleu chef, so it’s difficult to avoid using
terms like ‘feast’ to describe his debut album From the Chest. Like many
a second generation youngster in England, Kevin’s tutor was the inspirational
Clare man, Brendan Mulkere, and summers spent on holiday in Ireland expanded
his musical knowledge even further. Back home he joined a céilí band and later
toured Ireland with Geiro (which also included Cían’s Damien Quinn), deciding
to move to Dublin in 1988. He’s been a regular on the traditional scene ever
since and first appeared on record in 1996 accompanying Emer Mayock who repays
the compliment on his own album, which also features Paul Kelly, mandola-player
Dónal Siggins and button accordionist Verena Commins. It’s a flighty affair,
combining original compositions with a brave blend of familiar and less common
tunes. There’s a rare cover of a Horslips track, The Faerie King
(actually, titled King of the Fairies from the album Dancehall
Sweethearts) and tunes from Brittany and The Asturias in Spain too.
" From the Chest (1999,
Malgamú Music) An impressive debut, marred by a surplus of stringed
accompanists on some tracks.
Caomhín
Ó Raghallaigh
It might seem strange to
include a review of a limited edition album recorded by an eighteen year-old
fiddler as part of a charitable fund-raising project required for participation
in the Raleigh International youth expedition schemes, but if you ever have a
chance to beg, buy, borrow or even steal a copy of Turas go Tír na nÓg,
seize it! Recorded on a Sunday evening in the stairwell of the Irish
Traditional Music Archive, this is an astonishing demonstration of Dubliner
Caomhín’s talents, not least because through both tone and technique, as on the
astonishing ten minute long air, Na Geadha Fladhaine, he somehow
contrives to sound like an octogenarian Kerry fiddler! Caomhín has
subsequently appeared on the Cumar album (see p44) and, if he later
transpires to become a major star, remember you read it hear first. If not,
what the heck, he’s still damned good.
" Turas go Tír na nÓg (1999,
own label). Pointless to recommend, as only five hundred copies were issued and
no more are planned, but, if you spot the name advertised, go and see him.
Seán Ryan
A familiar face at
competitions in the 1950s and on television in the following decade, the
fiddler from Nenagh, Co. Tipperary was a prolific composer like his
contemporary and friend, accordionist Paddy O’Brien. Seán was actually a cousin
of Paddy’s father, Dinny, and learned much of his music from the two O’Briens
and his own father. All-Ireland Champion in 1955 and the following year, Seán
is reckoned to have composed more than 250 tunes. He also ran his own
successful band in the 1950s (which for a time included Galway fiddler Paddy
Fahy) and toured the States at the end of the 1960s as the Seán Ryan
Trio. Some of the tunes he acquired there can be heard on his only available CD
release Back Home to the Cliffs of Mohir which also includes his own
well-known reels Trip to Nenagh and Sean Ryan’s. Accompanied by
the other Trio members, his wife Kathleen (piano) and accordionist Pat Lyons,
the overall style reflects the blueprint laid down by RTÉ producers in the
1950s (characterised by the opening plonk-plonk chords), but there is no
denying Seán’s mastery. His rhythm, as on the reel, Kiss Me Kate, was
ever steady, with rolls and triplets crisply co-ordinated. Seán died in 1985
and there is a monument dedicated to his memory in Newtown, Co. Tipperary.
" Back Home to the Cliffs of
Mohir (1970s, Outlet) Includes four new tracks by the redoubtable Ryan,
recovered from the archives.
HARPERS
Ursula
Burns
Daughter of folk/classical
harpist Marie O’Neill, Ursula Burns is a one-off - a hybrid concoction of
delicate harp-playing married to the off-the-wall lyrics of a Tori Amos and the
sweet voice of a Karan Casey. Born in Belfast in 1972, Ursula learned classical
piano, but developed interests in drama and performance, spending a spell with
the Belfast Community Circus School in her teens before taking a degree in
theatre at the University of Ulster. Next she moved to England and toured there
and in Europe for three years with the Horse and Bamboo Theatre Company.
Returning to Ireland, she began writing songs, using an old harp of her
mother’s because she could not afford a piano. The result was her astounding
1997 debut EP, Sinister Nips, a heady brew of her own songs and a cover
of Portishead’s Glory Box. Her subsequent debut album, According to
Ursula Burns maintained the impact, blending stark and sometimes pungent
lyrics (“Irish mothers spoil their sons/Ain’t much good for a girl who likes
fun” from Continental Boys), her own lyrical playing (of a 36-string
Paraguayan harp apparently) and atmospheric backing (including fiddles and
uilleann pipes) . There really is no one quite like Ursula and her album
is probably the most innovative to have emerged from the North in the last ten
years.
" According to Ursula Burns (1998, Freestate/Ruby Road
Records).The voice of an angel and the most improbable use of harp in
contemporary music.
OTHER
STRING PLAYERS
Seán
Whelan
Representative of the new
generation of eclectic Irish musicians, guitarist Seán Whelan has been a
member of the jazz group Hotfoot, toured with singer Seán Keane, Mary Coughlan
and Máire Breatnach, featured on albums by Sonny Condell and the Scottish singer
Lorraine Jordan and worked as a duo
with the Breton accordionist Michel Phillipot.
Ideas for solo album End of Autumn began to germinate when he
moved from Dublin to West Cork and bore fruit on its subsequent release seven
years later. Acknowledging his musical debt to collaborator Paul Kelly, the
album competently blends Whelan’s own mainly West Cork-inspired compositions
with traditional music from other parts of Ireland, plus France and Moldavia,
and a slip jig treatment of Dave Brubeck’s Blue Rondo à La Turk. Kelly
himself features on many of the tracks and their are a couple of mellifluous
contributions from flute-player Emer Mayock.
" End of Autumn (1998,
Malgamú Music) Whelan’s compositions and playing demonstrate new potential for
the Irish guitar.
UILLEANN
PIPERS
Eamonn
Dillon
Nowadays based in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida, Eamonn Dillon grew up in a Belfast musical household where
he and his three brothers and sisters were all taught tin whistle by their father,
Eamonn senior. Eamonn began learning the pipes aged fourteen under the tutelage
of his uncle and later the influence of Seán McAloon, twice winning junior
All-Ireland titles. After moving to Florida, a chance encounter led to a gig in
Toronto where Eamonn met the Newfoundland multi-instrumentalist, Jim Fidler,
resulting in their collaboration on Dillon’s debut solo album, Storm the
Kettle. Setting its stall firmly in the Afro Celt Sound System’s
hinterland, it’s one of those albums listeners either love or hate. There’s no
doubting the skill and subtlety of Eamonn’s playing of pipes, tin and low
whistles nor the equal ability of his younger sister Roisín on fiddle, but
their strengths are swamped by over-percussive backing tracks. For instance,
one yearns to extract his homage to Paddy Keenan’s Bothy Band days, Farewell
to Erin, from the mix just to hear how grand a piper he can be. However,
others may already be adding some of the more danceable cuts to their party
tapes.
" Storm the Kettle
(1999, own label). If you like
fusion music, this one’s for you. Otherwise, wait for a solo album from Eamonn
- he should make one.
Dan Dowd
A colourful character and uilleann piper of
legendary status, Dan Dowd (c1895-1989), sometimes called O’Dowd, was born in Dublin’s Liberties and first
began playing the war pipes, becoming a member of the local James Connolly Pipe
Band. That name alone should indicate Dowd’s political leanings and he was
interned by the British during the War of Independence. Surprisingly, he was
allowed to take his war pipes with him to Mountjoy jail and, when finally
released, was playing them at the head of the procession of fellow
ex-internees. In the 1920s he turned to the uilleann pipes, being first tutored
by William Andrews in pipe-making premises that Dan had helped to obtain. Dowd,
in turn, became an adept pipe- and reed-maker, but his work as a fireman
limited his availability to play for others. Dan was active in Clontarf CCÉ for
many years and helped to found Na Píobairí Uilleann, serving initially as its
treasurer. His skills as a piper were brought to others through his appearance
on The Drones and the Chanters Volume 1 (see p395), recorded when he was
in his late seventies, where he plays a captivating rendition of the air An
Buachaill Caol Dubh. Dan, by the way, was probably not the source for the
famous reel Dowd’s No. 9 which is reckoned to have come from a Sligo
fiddle contemporary of Coleman.
Brian
McNamara
This is a longer version of an
entry which, in a truncated form, appears in the directory in the Families
section under The McNamaras.
Eldest of the famed musical
family from Leitrim (see pp261-262), Brian McNamara (b. 1967) is an extraordinarily
accomplished uilleann piper in his own right. Since taking up the pipes
in 1979, Brian has developed a personal style of playing which radiates both
warmth and creativity. Winning both Junior and Senior titles in the 1980s, he
has subsequently taught and toured extensively, including Japan and the USA in
his travels and becoming an expert on the effects of humidity on cane reeds as
a consequence! He was the motive force behind the McNamaras’ fabulous album, Leitrim’s
Hidden Treasure, producing the record, while also playing and researching
its impressive liner notes, and the same care for detail is both evident and
heartily welcome in his own superb solo album, A Piper’s Dream. This is
quite simply a record that gushes with graceful eloquence, proffering one of
the grandest statements of the piper’s art to have been released in the last
few decades. Thoroughly at one with this most complex of instruments, McNamara
plays with a control of tone and sense of purpose which at times scales heights
impossibly attained without a mastery of technique to match. His playing of
slow airs, especially Ní ar Chnocht ná ar Ísleacht, is exquisite, while
dance tunes, most notably the single jig, Stoney Batter, are rendered at
a measured pace which starkly demonstrates both the force of the melodic line
and his own care for the tradition.
" A Piper’s Dream (2000,
own label). Utterly magnetic piping from a true modern master.
Pat
McNulty
Born in Glasgow to Irish
parents, Pat McNulty’s maternal grandfather and great-grandfather from Co.
Monaghan had both been uilleann pipers, though Pat himself began playing tin
whistle, fiddle and piano before taking up the pipes in the 1950s. In the
following decade he dominated the All-Ireland pipes championship, winning the
title on six occasions. Naturally, he was an original member of the NPU and was
the first person to be recorded by Brendan Breathnach who had set himself the
task of taping all pipers present. Back in Britain, Pat founded a similar, if
smaller group, SOUP (the Society of Uilleann Pipers) and continued to play at
folk clubs and festivals, while also broadcasting on radio and TV. His most
noteworthy appearance, however, was as the first piper to appear in a British
concert hall with a full orchestra when he featured in John Tavener’s A
Celtic Requiem. His own first album appeared in 1976, but the only one
currently available is Autumn Apples where, in part, he uses a full set
of Egan flat pipes from the mid-19th century. McNulty exhibits striking
employment of drones and regulators throughout and the reels Music of the
Forge/Stoney Steps, learned from Séamus Ennis and Leo Rowsome
respectively, are glorious piped dance music. Other pieces include the grand
lament from Co. Limerick, Slan Le Maighe, and several of McNulty’s own,
such as the air Doohamlet Church, celebrating his forbears’ village.
Cass Autumn Apples
(1992, Ossian). Mature as a prime vintage, McNulty’s music makes splendid
savouring.
Máire
Ní Ghrada
To prove that uilleann piping
is not some genetic component of the male chromosome, here is Máire Ní
Ghráda (b. 1959, Cork city) while Emer Mayock has also recently been making
a name for herself piping with the Afro Celt Sound System. After a couple of years
learning the whistle, Máire took up piping, aged twelve, attending Mícheál Ó
Riabaigh’s classes at the Cork Pipers’ Club, and cites Séamus Ennis and
Liam O’Flynn as her major influences. In her late teens she appeared on The
Piper’s Rock (see p396) playing a jig, The Queen of the Rushes, and
a couple of reels with a purity of tone that belied her age. For a time Máire
played as a trio with sisters Nollaig Casey (fiddle) and Máire Ní Chathasaigh
(harp) and has since toured widely and made numerous broadcasts, meeting up
again with Nollaig on Donal Lunny’s innovative music series Sult for the
newly-inaugurated Irish language TV channel, TnaG.
Jimmy
O’Brien-Moran
Inspired by Planxty and, particularly,
the sound of Liam O’Flynn’s pipes, Jimmy O’Brien-Moran (b. 1957, Tramore, Co.
Waterford) was inspired to invest £2 and 10 shillings in a copy of the Séamus
Ennis LP The Pure Drop, having been intrigued by references to him in
Planxty’s sleeve notes. Further LPs augmented his collection before he obtained
his first chanter, subsequently taking lessons and becoming a regular attendee
at the Willie Clancy Summer School. Seán Reid became an especial mentor and
leant Jimmy a set of Colgan pipes dating from the early 19th century
for his appearance on The Piper’s Rock (1977), a loan that was extended
when Seán heard the results. A spell with Scullion followed at the end of the
decade before Jimmy took an extended break from music, working for some years
in the jewellery trade. He returned in the 1990s, playing saxophone in a dance
band, and becoming again actively involved in piping, through playing, teaching
and recording his tremendous album, Seán Reid’s Favourite, in 1996. The
title takes its name from a reel, also known as Gilbert Clancy’s,
recorded by another of Jimmy’s idols, Gilbert’s son, Willie. The Colgan pipes again feature on this
sumptuous recording. Like Ennis, O’Brien-Moran’s style is bright and brisk -
listen to the clear articulation of the reel Ceo na gCnoc for evidence -
while drones are almost constant and regulators used sparingly and effectively.
" Seán Reid’s Favourite (1996,
Piping Pig Productions). Fabulous controlled piping from a man who still claims
to be ‘practising’!
Tomás Ó
Ceannabháin
From the musical clan renowned
for its sean-nós singers, Tomás Ó Ceannabháin (from An Aird Mhór, near Carna,
Connemara) is an acclaimed uilleann piper and flute-player, noted in the latter
case for his interpretations of sean-nós songs. His legato-style piping won him
the All-Ireland Senior title in 1970 and he was also Oireachtas champion in the
same and following years. His first album, Ó Aird go hAird was recorded
with fellow clan member, accordionist Seosamh Ó Ceannabháin, while the solo Fonn
le Fonn/Tune by Tune highlights his own skills, especially on the upbeat
dance tunes which include a jaunty piped Cherish the Ladies, while his
breathy flute playing is put to good use on the familiar slow air Casadh an
tSúgain.
" Fonn le Fonn (1998,
Blue Sun). Ó Ceannabháin’s well-tempered uilleann pipes and flute in all their
versatility.
FLUTE
PLAYERS AND WHISTLERS
Son of the famed John and Julia
Clifford, whistle, piccolo and flute player Billy Clifford was born in London
in the early 1940s, but spent much of his childhood in his parents’ native
Sliabh Luachra. Living there in Lisheen with his grandmother, he first picked
up the whistle under her guidance, gaining more encouragement when his uncle,
the fiddler Denis Murphy, returned from New York. His parents moved back to
Ireland in 1953, settling in Newcastle West, Co. Limerick, where Billy soon
found himself playing in the Star of Munster Céilí Band, run by his father.
However, after leaving school, he returned to England in 1959 where his parents
began playing again in London’s Irish dance halls. By now Billy was playing
piccolo, but soon progressed to flute and began his own separate musical
career, linking up with his parents in the mid-1960s to form one of the most
renowned London-Irish groups of the era, The Star of Munster Trio, which
released a classic album for Topic. Billy went back to Ireland at the end of
the decade, basing himself in Tipperary town, where he joined the Cappagh White
Céilí Band, later marrying its drummer, Catherine Ryan. Winning the All-Ireland
flute title in 1970 cemented Billy’s reputation on home turf and he recorded
his own solo album in 1976/1977. Rather an oddity, this in part features
Billy’s accomplished flute (a keyed wooden Radcliffe) on a number of tunes
acquired from the family repertoire including Bill the Waiver’s (named
after Julia’s illustrious father, Bill Murphy), interspersed with the trio
formed with Catherine and accordionist Matt Hayes to play Tipperary set dances.
Cass Irish Traditional Flute
Solos and Band Music from Kerry and Tipperary (1977, Ossian) Clifford’s
precise, clear flute uses Sliabh Luachra fiddle ornamentation to grand effect.
Just turned 30, Brian Hughes
(from Athy, Co. Kildare) is one of the most talented and versatile tin
whistlers around. Introduced to traditional music by his grandfather, Christy
Bracken, Brian began playing the whistle at primary school and made his TV
debut on a children’s show at the age of eight. A winner of many competitions
in his teens, Brian also learned both flute and pipes (favouring the legato
style) before taking an extended break from music which lasted until he was
invited to play on singer Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh’s 1992 Bláth Buí album.
His own solo album, Meascra/Whistle Stop, has more gems than a
jeweller’s shop as notes flow with a delightful, yet never obtrusive, intricacy.
Brian proves himself a master at the dance music, but real magic is invested in
his slow air playing - the true test of a whistler’s prowess - such as the 19th
century Cork air, Turas go Tír na nÓg.
" Meascra (1997,
Gael-Linn). A wonderful tour de force of whistling.
Though involved in traditional music from
an early age multi-instrumentalist, Vinny Kilduff from Kiltimagh, County Mayo,
is perhaps most familiar nowadays for his respected production work (credits
include albums by Niamh Parsons and Charlie Lennon). An all‑Ireland Champion singer and tin whistle player, he
graduated to the uilleann pipes and, after studying music theory at the Dublin
College of Music spent a couple of years on the European folk circuit before
returning to Dublin in 1981.The following year, he joined General Humbert
(featuring singer Mary Black), appearing on their second and last album, though
greater attention resulted from his performance on U2's October, playing
uilleann pipes on Tomorrow, and, subsequently, touring with the band.
Next, he was an original member of In Tua Nua and toured with The Waterboys’ Fisherman’s
Blues line-up for two years. Other appearances since then include Clannad's
Anam and Lore albums and he also featured in the band’s tours.
His only solo album to date, The Boys from the Blue Hill, is a tin whistler’s treat, where Vinnie
highlights his prowess on a fine pair of Charlie Lennon’s jigs The Kings of
Inishbofin/The Queen of Mayo.
" The Boys from the Blue
Hill (1990, Mulligan). Innovative whistling from a musician who deserves
more of the limelight.
The whistler from Athlone was
All Ireland Champion at the 1966 Fleadh Cheoil in Boyle and subsequently was
honoured by releasing the Outlet label’s first traditional album, the
surprisingly-titled All Ireland Whistling Champion (reissued as Pure
Traditional Irish Music Played on the Tin Whistle). Tom was an innovative
whistler, and capable of coaxing an expressive range of notes from one of the
simplest of instruments, often interpolating extra bars when the mood caught
him. He was as happy playing dance music as airs and the album features a
relaxed and typically chirpy The Lark in the Morning/Bill Hart’s Jig
(where Tom barely seems to takes a breath) and a splendidly lonesome rendition
of the air Roisín Dubh that soars above irritating finger-style guitar.
" All Ireland Whistling
Champion (reissued, 1994, as Pure Traditional Irish Music Played on
the Tin Whistle, Outlet). Magical
moments from an inspired whistler.
Founder-member of Cherish the
Ladies, flute, tin and low whistle player Joanie Madden (b. New York, 1965) has
been a major figure on the USA’s Irish music scene since the 1980s. Her mother
Helen originated from West Clare and her father Joe was raised in East Galway,
playing the accordion in the local style. Young Joan’s first tin whistle lessons
came from another East Galway man, Jack Coen before she moved on to the flute,
subsequently winning All-Ireland titles on both instruments. While her work
with CTL (and on many recordings by others) continues to impress, her only solo
traditional album to date is A Whistle on the Wind which show-cases her
dazzling technical ability on both flute (including a splendid trio performance
with concertina-player John Williams and fiddler Eileen Ivers) and on whistle
(frighteningly fast, but equally magical fingering on John Doherty’s
reel)
" A Whistle on the Wind (1994,
Green Linnet). One of the USA’s finest Irish musicians produces a real dazzler
of an album.
ACCORDIONISTS
Pat Crowley
Heavily in demand as a session player and
accompanist (most notably with Mary Black’s backing band and Christy Moore),
Pat Crowley is equally adept on both accordion and piano/keyboards. A session
at The Spaniard, Kinsale, Co. Cork resulted in a collaboration with fiddler and
classically-trained flute-player, Johnny McCarthy and their eventual album Fool’s
Dream. The unification of two traditions through their own inspired
compositions, both individually and together,
produced one of the albums of the year with a lyrical power that would be
hard to surpass. Guests include Steve Cooney, Colm Murphy, fiddler Bernadette
Walsh and a spell-binding vocal by Mary Black herself on the title track.
" with Johnny McCarthy Fool’s Dream (1998, Dara). Crowley and McCarthy
successfully tread the tightrope in this refreshing album.
Billy McComiskey
Born into a musical household in Brooklyn, Billy
McComiskey began playing the button accordion at the age of six, but it was
not until he heard Bobby Gardiner play in 1960 that he began to take his
learning seriously. In 1970 he won silver medal in the all-Ireland Championship
and by the middle of the decade was playing regularly with Brendan Mulvihill
and guitarist Andy O’Brien as The Irish Tradition. A couple of
the band’s albums followed before he released his own solo record Making the
Rounds in 1981. Notable for the vitality of his own playing, this also
includes a couple of remarkable duets with his own former teacher, the late
Sean McGlynn, the only commercially available recordings of the celebrated
Galway-born accordionist. Since then Billy has been highly in demand as a guest
performer (both live and on record) and teacher and has released two albums as Trian
with Liz Carroll and Daithi Sproule. Also included is Carolan’s Planxty
Davis, featuring single-reed playing from Billy and the sound of the
dancing feet of Danny Golden, one of the USA’s most well-known step dancers.
" Making the Rounds (1981, Green Linnet) Whole-hearted and vivacious playing from McComiskey,
especially the splendid reel Johnny Allen’s.
Colin Nea
Twice All-Ireland Senior
Accordion Champion (1993-94), Colin Nea comes from Castletown Geoghegan
in the Midland county of Westmeath. He began playing at twelve under the
tutelage of Ellen Comerford of the Bridge Céilí Band and developed a
rolling, jaunty playing style in the fashion of Paddy ‘Nenagh’ O’Brien whose
music remained a lasting influence. Joining the Silver Spear Céilí Band in
1988, Colin toured around Ireland and the UK, learning much from the Band’s
flute player, Joe Finn. In 1992 Colin participated in the CCÉ’s North American
tour and, though retiring from competition following his title-winning
exploits, continues to be active musically. His debut album, The Pure Box,
appeared in 1999, and, as might be expected, features a fair few tunes from
O’Brien, perhaps the best being a vibrant rendition of Brendan McCann’s
Visit in cahoots with Joe Finn on uilleann pipes and fiddler Aidan McMahon.
The album captures all of Colin’s céilí band experience, emphasis being
placed firmly on a tune’s rhythm, though incorporating a naturally care-free
swing. Ageing optimists will enjoy his own composition, the reel Life Begins
at 25!
" The Pure Box (1999, Celtic Note) Bright and
spirited box-playing at its best.
MULTI-INSTRUMENTALISTS
This section proved
problematic and was dropped from the published version. All the entries were
distributed elsewhere in the Guide with this exception.
Patrick
(Campbell-) Lyons
One half of Sixties
psychedelic specialists Nirvana (whose tuneful exploits are documented in the
excellent Chemistry boxed set), multi-instrumentalist Pat Lyons
(b. 1943, Lismore, Co. Waterford) has worked mainly as a composer and producer
since the 1980s. His sporadic recordings are well worth seeking out, though his
innovative 1981 concept LP The Electric Plough; released in the USA as The
Hero I Might Have Been, is long out-of-print. More recently Patrick has
revived some of its themes in his CD Ireland in My Dreams, effectively a
45-minute Proustian set of interconnected tone and written poems exploring his
past in Ireland as a means of comprehending the future. Despite playing and
composing everything Pat manages to avoid the pitfalls of introspection with
occasional flashes of brilliance.
" Ireland in My Dreams
(1998, own label). His imagery’s Yeatsian, his concept’s Proustian, but Pat
Lyons is still a true original.
OTHER
MAJOR FIGURES
Carl
Hession
Recognised as one of the best piano
accompanists around for his work with musicians as varied as Frankie Gavin,
Matt Molloy and Joe Derrane and membership of The Moving Cloud, Galway-born
Carl Hession is also a notable composer, arranger and orchestrator. The Hession
family has long been heavily involved in music - his father, Michael, was a
fiddler and piper, aunt Maggie a singer and major contributor to the Amhráin
Mhuighe Seola collection and sister Celine a notable dancer - while the
family home in Salthill was a popular session venue. Carl’s classical piano
training eventually led to formal degree studies at University College Cork and
he has employed his developing compositional skills and love for traditional
music in a variety of recordings. The best of those still available is Ceol
Inné Ceol Inniu/Old Time New Time. Joined by a guest-list that reads
more like an awards ceremony (the accordionists alone include Dermot Byrne,
Jackie Daly and Máirtín O’Connor), the album marries Carl’s own lush original
compositions, such as the Chestnut Lane suite. and traditional
adaptations (e.g. the reels Sarah’s Delight/Paddy Kelly’s) with
four ‘big’ songs from the Amhráin Mhuighe Seola collection, featuring
the eloquent sean-nós singer Seosamh Ó Flatharta (Joe O’Flaherty) from Carna,
Connemara, and discriminating arrangements.
" Ceol Inné Ceol Inniu (1995, Gael-Linn). Experimental by nature, but still firmly grounded
in the tradition.