Hi folks. I just had to send this up, I found a great track. Surfing on
ebay I found someone selling Brendan Taffe’s cd.. (?!) which said
on it “guest artists… Brad Hurley …” - and via a link ended up here:
http://www.brendantaaffe.com/free_mp3_downloads.html
There is a terrific rendition of the Drunken Gauger which I am betting
is Brad, it sounds great.
Brad that you? Cotter?
Thanks, Lesl! Please remind me, how much did I promise I’d pay you to post that? 
Actually I’m not all that happy with my rendition of The Drunken Gauger on that recording…there are a few things I would have done differently to have a tighter duet with the fiddle; chalk it up to nerves in the recording studio.
That’s my Bb Wilkes, by the way.
I had my last blast on the Cotter flute at a session this past Saturday before turning it over to its new owner…I picked up my new Bryan Byrne 6-key this weekend. It’s fantastic; it has an incredible presence and clarity that I’ve never quite encountered in another flute.
oops! “I am not affiliated with Brad&Brendan nor paid for the
above announcement”
Bb Wilkes, by the way.
Which I just discovered attempting to play along .. though I
did think it sounded low to start with. Its very nice down there.
One of the most interesting points of the recording is comparing
the settings between the fiddle and the flute. They compliment
each other well. I ought have said from the start, Brendan
sounds great too.
New flute eh. sheesh! what will you do with 6 keys.. (only joking)
Best, Lesl
Lovely clip.
Enjoy that new flute! I love my keyless Byrne.
Carol
Dang it… I new it! Bryan’s flutes are just unbelievable… but I can’t part with my flutes, and I don’t have enough money for one of Bryan’s. Hmm, maybe I could sell my sister.
Seriously, I played Brian’s flute in a session with him in Montpelier and I simply could not believe it. It was the easiest flute I’ve ever played and the sound was just so perfect - that gorgeous, focused, rich Rudall sound that I hear in my dreams.
Chris
Not that I’m interested :roll:
but what’s the cost and how long does one get to stand in line for a keyed Byrne? 
Doc
I’m not sure if Bryan is accepting orders for keyed flutes just now; I believe he stopped taking orders for a while, so you’d have to contact him to see if he’s opened up his waiting list again.
I paid about $2500 US for my 6-key, but he may be charging more now.
The wait is long, but worth it. Bryan’s a very meticulous craftsman, an artist really, and he never lets a flute out of the shop until he feels it’s perfect. The workmanship is incredibly clean. I can’t remember exactly when I ordered this flute but I think it was around 5 or 6 years ago. I would have happily waited twice as long for a flute like this.
If you want a keyed flute from Bryan, my advice would be to order a flute from him and buy a different flute to play in the meantime so you don’t get impatient – that’s what I did. My Cotter flute served me very well while I was waiting for the Byrne, and I was able to sell the Cotter for the same price I paid for it.
Bryan’s flutes are special; I’ve played about 10 of them over the years (and I owned one of his narrow-bore keyless flutes), and they all have a particular quality of tone that sets them apart from most of the other flutes out there. I’m still getting to know my new flute, and it isn’t broken in yet, but I can tell it’s an extraordinary instrument. I expect this will be the D flute that I play for the rest of my life. It’s got everything I want in terms of tone, depth, power, and clarity, plus I feel like it’s going to make me grow as a flute player. I like flutes that make you meet them halfway.
Brad,
Your playing is really, really lovely. It seems very fiddle influenced, which is a very good thing. Beautiful indeed.
Chris