always interested to see what Alan Doherty’s up to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KONfPKActbs
and the ‘cleaner’ studio work-up
Brilliant? The question remains. Actually I’m stunned.
It’s so awful that I didn’t want to comment but here I go.
If I played traditional music as well as he does (which of course i dont)
I’d never bother with something like this. The song in the first place
has a melody line that would only pass for drum music. The rendition
is something akin to an Ian Anderson wannabe playing schlock rock Muzak.
Its classic “I’m bored with trad so i’ll noodle on this rock song.”
Agreed. Sadly.
[shakes head]
Mind you, how much money was involved? 'Cos I can imagine doing something like that - well, almost anything 
- if I was paid enough.
I think it is brilliant. AD is steeped in the tradition. He is a master of the instrument.
This isn’t pure drop, but for what it is, it is beautifully done and very effective.
I prefer the less polished take because the flute is more present in the mix.
Musicians should stretch their appreciation of the tradition and allow it room to expand.
Revere the old guys and treasure the kids who show us new ways to do things.
It’s the clip I usually post here, and have done so several times, when someone asks 'what other music do you play on the Irish flute?’ It’s a bit contrary and fun.
It’s hardly new though or something your man is ‘up to’ at the moment. It’s part of The book/CD ‘The brilliant Irish flute : The Inish Turk Beg Sessions’, a project set up by ‘chief islander’ business man and secret millionaire Nadim Sadek and is the only realised part of the ‘Brilliant series’, a planned series of music sessions in the plush surroundings of celtic tiger Ireland private island Inis Turk Beg. I put up a thread for the book five years ago, when out of the blue I received it on my birthday, see here.
The island has long since been up for sale, the tiger gone bust.
The term ‘brilliant’ imparts different meanings on either side of the pond. Over here it’s further from ‘pretty good’, and closer to ‘genius’.
So, maybe call the US pressing ‘The Pretty Good Irish Flute’?
Brilliant it’s not. Bumbling is what comes to mind.
This is the kind of stuff you’d hear a high school
garage play and is certainly not up to the level of
his traditional playing.
Again there’s nothing new here. Musicians should
have the good sense to know what not to interfere
with as it’s been said.
The choice of that song (and there’s so many like it
these days unfortunately but that nothing new either)
and the rendition is amateurish at best. If he’s bent on
continuing in that direction, the choice of a boehm
system flute might help render things more in tune to
start with. There’s plenty of musicians that have stretched
out from where they’ve started with marvelous results.
Mark O’ Connor or Bela Fleck’s music for instance.
From the viewpoint of that standard Mr. Doherty
has a lot of catching up to do.
Very little is brilliant. This stuff is OK with me. Wouldn’t want to listen to it repeatedly.
Sorry, Pokey…but not everyone is on the game (and on the Net) frequently enough to get it.
If it’s old hat to you, it’s likely new beret to someone else.
So doffing 
to your good sense for having gotten it “first,” but scowling 
at the grand-standing for having done so.
Evidently, it hit a chord with others enough to draw new (renewed?) response and discussion, which I’m happy to see.
Face it…some of us are just slower than others. 
