It’s annoying when live stuff is better than the one on cds, cause you’ll have less chance to listen to it…
Sooo Brad, do you have the whole recording of that live of the stony steps album? Any chance to get it all? 
I know that second tune. It’s called “The Gravel Runs”.
I think he’s played it a few times and committed it to memory.
Kirk
Have a listen to this wild performance that Matt Molloy gave at the Willie Clancy Week in 1983:
https://idisk.me.com//bhurley/Public/molloy.mp3
I think I was actually at that concert. If its the flute recital I was at they had lots of great players, but when Molloy started playing it was as if a whole new sound system was deployed. The tone was just brilliant.
Awesome! 
I bet that was absolutely earth-shattering. Would have loved to have been a fly on the pub wall after that one. Thanks, Brad!
Meanwhile, I feel compelled to point out that it sure sounds like he’s playing an Eb flute here, which he often did.
So while the “pop” (I call it the “burble” but I think we’re talking about the same effect) is, as Brad says, primarily about 1) closing off the notes (ala pipers), 2) cutting into them (especially with the left hand; I use L1 & L3 b/c my L2 is kinda stoopid) and 3) breathing (flute players have an advantage here b/c lungs are generally easier to operate than a bag!), I also think it might be enhanced by the Eb flute. At least that’s my experience – higher pitch flutes respond faster and “burble” better.
Thanks again, Brad; that was great.
Cathy,
Could you please explain in a little more detail what you mean by “closing off the notes a la pipers”.
Thanks!
Jason
The chanter can be played with the end stopped using the leg. So if all the fingers are down there is no sound. . This “closed” playing gives control over note length and separation, and allows a finger staccato by lifting and putting down the fingers quickly, and gives a sound that some, but not all fluters emulate.
Hugh
That´s what I said before. Perhaps I should have explained it… 
Oh, goody. Two sensible people answered already. But hey, here’s my long version … Please bear in mind this is only my experience, but so far it seems to be working OK and no one’s complaining about my playing (at least not to my face), so …
Basically, on the pipe chanter you close as many fingers as you can (really “tight” pipers pretty much close off every note, which is why they are gods) and actually stop the airflow BETWEEN EACH NOTE. The fingers are pipers’ primary means of articulating (separating) the notes (unless you’re Paddy Keenan or someone who does amazing things with managing bag and bellows too). Since the chanter often sits on your knee, you’re effectively stopping the reed, and thus all sound, for a micromillisecond. This, combined with the fact that the bottom fingers are down more often in piping, creates a staccato effect which shortens the notes and creates spaces between them, which, like Brad says, is one of the contributors to “pop.”
(FWIW, I’ve found it helpful to think of the flute or pipe chanter as a tube with little jets of air that shoot up under my fingers when I open them and then think about closing off the jets WITH AS LITTLE PRESSURE AS POSSIBLE; the ultimate goal being to just let my fingers sort of bubble along on top of the jets in this fashion.)
On the flute, I’ve found the easiest way to achieve this is a combination of closing the bottom hand a little for efficiency (like pipers do – on the pipes you open as few fingers as necessary to sound a note, which translates to keeping the bottom hand fingers down much more) and “tube stop” (this is fun to experiment with – how many fingers do you absolutely HAVE to have up to sound a reasonably in-tune note?) and deploying LOTS of top-hand cuts.
re: the cuts. If you watch Matt’s top hand very carefully (the Bucks video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS7NxJDp4zQ is good for this) you’ll notice he subtly “vents” or cuts certain notes with either the index or ring finger – B, D, & sometimes A with the index (I think Kevin C. might cut A with his middle finger), E & F with the ring – of his top hand. Those near-constant cuts, when flowing along at speed, are the basis of what I call the burble.
You’ll also notice that Mr. Molloy’s right index finger stays down through the D part and other tricky passages as well as on the “A” note. He doesn’t need to be waving that F finger around any more than necessary, so he doesn’t. This combination of better fingering efficiency and the staccato/“space” effect (not to mention the funky overtones!) created by more complete “tube stoppage”, plus his amazing phrasing, pulsing, and breath control = perfect pop.
Anyway, in my experience, top-hand cut work is key. To learn cuts, John Skelton suggests taking a simple tune like “Frere Jacques” in D which has all the standard D scale notes in it, and separating each note with a cut. I went farther with it and started trying to cut with my top hand wherever possible on everything I played, just to get used to the idea.
If you try this and your process goes like mine, eventually you’ll find that you really can use your top hand for most everything (you’ll also discover why a lot of people use piper’s grip, to free up that index finger), and that good cuts on E, B, A, D and F with the top hand are very useful. Then, once you get going closer to speed, you’ll find these wee little cuts – “ghost notes” almost – create a sort of bubbling or popping sound. The importance of a light grip becomes extremely apparent at this point!
This is only how I’ve been going about it, but it seems to be working pretty well. I’m not to Matt Molloy’s or Liam Kelly’s or Dave Sheridan’s – or alas, even your average 12-year-old Sligo/Roscommon kid’s – burbleage level yet and probably never will be, but sometimes, if I’m playing nice and light (especially on an Eb) at speed I can pleasantly surprise myself.
But of course, I could be totally wrong. 
Matt Molloy…
1988…?
http://www.webalice.it/kiriam27/Reels.mp3
I find very exciting listening these mp3 files about live performances by Mr Molloy apart from his official recordings.
May be we should create a new threat with this kind of stuff, listening to it should be a “must” for the supporters of this religion called “Matt molloy”, like me.
Thank you for posting this very interesting material.
just grab 'em as ya find 'em
If you are not hosting them on the net then you can not count on them being there next time.
Molloy’s 2nd reel =
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2215
I’ll add a bit more to this later when I find the time.
Hey Cat! great description there. Might I point out that though I haven’t heard you play in a year, you were popping even then (yes I heard it) and can’t wait to hear ya in October..
I too learned the Frere Jacque method from the Skelton, fond memories! The East Galway style also has these articulations. You can hear it in the old Eddie Moloney recordings and the Raff does it too, constantly, just part of the whole package. It comes out sounding different than Matt Molloy but this technique is in there. I would guess that if we had any recordings of Barrell Rafferty on either instrument it would be there. Dinny Delaney’s piping had this sound too.
I’ve been working on constantly lightening the way I’m propping up the flute (ie no “gripping”!) which makes an enormous difference. I think your point about closing the little jets of air with minimal pressure is a key point. Also I’ve been experimenting with letting go any ‘hand squeeze’ from note to note, to get the idea of releasing pressure while playing. I had to slow way down first to feel how to release the squeeze between notes, and then work on high speeds which gets the fingers to lightly fly through the notes (using 2 extremes). Now it’s started to work its way into a regular habit. When you do this, the flute reacts more responsively and the notes pop out. Just my 2cents in case it helps anyone else!
I can’t be bothered to read the whole thread but has anybody suggested weasels yet?
Haven’t read the entire thread in detail neither, but what Matt regularly does is sneaking in cuts, stops (as mentioned) and taps/bounces (!) to create the bouncy-snappy-pipey tone. Kevin Crawfords does this also, as many others do. Bounces are perhaps the most difficult ornament to master on the flute, but if they work, they sound very snappy and pipey.