Didn’t mean to offend any ears above; but I actually have a good ear for the flute!
I love the sound of Paul McGrattan, a friend of Hammy Hamilton’s; and John Wynne, and of course, Catherine McEvoy.
Did anyone mention Frankie Kennedy? He was a very nice fellow indeed, gorgeous playing of course on the early Altan albums on Wilkes flutes.
Didn’t mean to offend any ears above
Offence for what? 
love the sound of Paul McGrattan, a friend of Hammy Hamilton’s; and John Wynne, and of course, Catherine McEvoy.
Did anyone mention Frankie Kennedy? He was a very nice fellow indeed, gorgeous playing of course on the early Altan albums on Wilkes flutes.
Desi Wilkinson, Frankie Gavin, Fintan Vallely, John McKenna, Tom Morrison, Marcas O Murchu, Michael Tubridy, Michael Clarkson, Breandan O’Hare, Michael Hynes, Paul McGlinchey, Eamonn Cotter, Packie Duignan, Paddy Carty, Roger Sherlock, Conor Byrne, Claire Mann. This are all great musicians that I like very much (some a bit more that others of course), and there are many others missing (and I didn’t list any of the musicians already mentioned in this thread), and many that I don’t know yet (shame on me!), so feel free to suggest them 
My personal favourite is now Tom McElvogue, who I have had the pleasure of playing with on many times in the past (unfortunately not for a good few years now though).
In the past, I have had other favourites: Matt Molloy, Kevin Crawford, Tommy Guihan for example.
I also like Dave Sheridan’s latest album.
Paul
The fellow up here has a nice album 
And he made me remember the great Tommy Guihan and Patsy Hanly…
I need to say that even the use of finger vibrato is not exempt. I query its overuse.
No, please don’t. The enthusiasm of your gently expressed opinions are a pleasure to read.
And both you and Akiba agree that Molloy sounds different on different flutes.
That Akiba may have corrected your explanation for the difference only means that your comment initiated a useful development in the topic.
Talasiga,
Why did you bring back such an old thread? Has your question about the use of vibrato in airs been nagging at you for these last 8 years? And I’m not clear how the vibrato question relates to the original thread…Why not start a new thread? Was this a setup? 
a setup for what?
a question as to what things are liked or not in flute playing goes toward a whole lot of things that inform our decision of what is a “favourite style of playing” which is the topic here.
the merit of post content does not deteriorate by effluxion of time and there is nothing wrong with awakening a topic so that it becomes a repository of other thoughts within the ambit of its title.
what exactly is it you are nervous about?
I agree with your first statement - there’s a gentrification of ITM playing that is, well, not dangerous, really.. just unfortunate. There are lots of great players to listen to, and their approaches are all very different. It’s always good to hear what else is out there, and decide what style or sound you really gravitate towards.
Still, why would you deliberately avoid listening to a player who both influenced you and whom you like to listen to? Most players are or were strongly influenced by either their immediate region (the players they grew up listening to), or one or two sole individuals they learned from. That sharpened their focus and made their learning linear; it gave it a sense of purpose. Developing their own style through innovative departures from that original style led them (and us) to their own, unique sound (s) later on. I personally find that, when I start listening to and trying to learn from players I don’t care for much, but whose technical abilities I’m led to believe I must learn, I start to lose interest in the music as a whole. Sometimes it’s really okay to just listen to the players you love and leave it at that.
Exposure to all styles and choices is fine - it makes a technically well-rounded player out of you. I do think those of us who were not fortunate enough to have been raised in a specific traditional style need to hear more players than the usual short list of ‘celebrity’ players, but those players are still among the best. Should anyone be so fortunate as to sound exactly like MM, then they’d also possess all the tools needed to progress in their own way, in their own style, anyway.
And, for what it’s worth, I do think that playing different flutes influences the way you play to some degree, especially early on. I just think MM was a bad example of this.
“effluxion of time”—fancy phrase. 
Liking someone’s playing does’t mean that his influence will be good for you. I want to play in the northern breathy pushing sound, and listening to Molloy makes me play more like pipes, and I don’t like this (we are flute players wt the hell!).
I think it was Garry Shannon (whose style I don’t enjoy much) that on an interview said something similar about not listening to MM…
Not sure what you mean by ‘good for you,’ but, your point is taken; if you want to play in a style other than the one you first learned (because you like another more), then, yes, you’d have to listen to and learn from whomever you like more, and stay away from playing you don’t actually like as much.
I don’t think it’s an either/or thing, necessarily, as plenty of styles can cross over into the more-pulsing style, if that’s where you want it to go, or yet others still. My feeling at this point is that one should stick to their own nature and inclinations; when I go through phases of trying to emulate players whom I appreciate for their style(s), pulse, or feel, but don’t internally “get”, I find my own center deteriorates. I do learn new things with these forays, but it’s only when I relax and go with my personal instincts that my playing is at its best, and - hopefully - I can now borrow a trick or two from those detours, without changing too much.
As an aside, I never thought of Malloy’s playing as sounding much like pipes, outside of some of his crans - I find his playing quite flutey (if there is such a word), and, when he’s not blurring past the sound barrier, it is reliably tasteful at that. Agree with you about Shannon; like many others, his virtuosity takes him far afield from traditional playing, into something more akin to fusion jazz. Not a crime, but not my thing, either.
when I go through phases of trying to emulate players whom I appreciate for their style(s), pulse, or feel, but don’t internally “get”, I find my own center deteriorates.
never thought of Malloy’s playing as sounding much like pipes, outside of some of his crans - I find his playing quite flutey
Put together this two quotes. None of us is Matt Molloy. You can try to emulate him, but he’s so good that to get the feel he gives when playing is (almost?) impossible. What usually comes out when people try to emulate him is not that feel he has, but only what’s “around”. I agree that he doesn’t sound like pipes but like a great flute player, but what is “around” his playing does indeed, and this is what I believe most people get when playing emulating him. I’m sure I’m one of them, that’s why I’m now avoiding him…
That’s fine, but you can’t put those two quotes together (well, you can, but you’re manipulating my meanings for each quite a bit). The first quote was a personal comment about my playing and background, not advice for others. Of course, none of us is MM, nor anyone else we admire. Emulation isn’t the same thing as becoming a clone of someone or something; it’s the desire to do what they do, as much as possible, and as well, as much as possible. Become better, if possible. I was merely saying that when I emulate someone who plays in a style that doesn’t feel right to me, doesn’t seem natural or come organically to me, I lose my center. My playing goes south for awhile, until I circle back to what I’m good at. Maybe that’s a good thing, to travel into shaky territory every once and awhile, and probably the curve back is all the stronger for it. But I’ve found, in my experiences, first on guitar, and much later on flute, that some things fit, and other things don’t, regardless of what I think I should play like. Rather, it’s what works best with my temperament and physical strengths and weaknesses. Again, personal comment, but possibly I’m not alone in this…
My second comment was strictly my opinion of Malloy’s playing. I see where he borrows from pipers, but beyond that, he seems remarkably traditional to me; his phrasings and lift are quite flute friendly. I never really tried to sound like Malloy, although I like his playing well enough (with The Bothy Band, in particular). He rolls a bit more than I like; perhaps that’s what you mean?
from
https://forums.chiffandfipple.com/t/how-to-make-a-thread-bookmark/61/1
this is really good stuff here ceili whistle man !
Not bad, not bad at all… (i.e. absolutely gobsmackingly crazily good!!! Enjoy)
nice link, i’m a big fan of mm, i especially like the sound he gets when he played that particular flute (boosey pp w/ wilkes hj??), post-r&r days and pre-olwellian days i believe. i like it more than the other flutes he played. that’s how i hear him in my mind and how i remember his sound anyway…it’s like there’s some magical energy he’s tapping into on that flute.
Hey that was sneaky!
And I agree with rama
Is that an Eb flute he’s got there? Sounds like one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr-qOnu1M-4
Here’s another great fluter, John Skelton, playing “Boys of the Lough” on an Eflat Olwell. I prefer John’s playing of these two tracks.