Does anyone know anything about the music group called Lunasa? I ran across their stuff on Amazon today and the customer reviews are pretty ‘rave’!
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00001ZSTG/ref=pd_sim_music/107-1623234-7454120
They are amazing, they’ve got a very cool website at http://www.lunasa.ie/flash.htm
They’re great. Their music is pretty progressive and “jazzy.” For instance, they feature a stand-up bass (Trevor Hutchinsen). Their flute/whistle player, Keven Crawford, is great and recently released a great solo album. The fiddler, Sean Smyth is also fantastic and also has great (!) solo album out. I saw them live last year and they put on a really terrific show. Their music is all instrumental and they are curently touring with the uillean piper Cilian Vallely.
I can recomend their first two albums, haven’t given the most recent one a thorough listening yet. They only objection could be that you prefer “pure drop” trad. But if you are even a little openminded, you’ll be blown away by their groove and drive.
Where have you been Avanutria?!?! On MARS? Okay just kidding, but Lunasa is(are) just huge - you should be able to find one or more of their CD’s at any Barnes & Noble or Borders. I’d buy Otherworld (their second CD) first. Then the new one Merry Sisters of Fate next. Their first CD is hard to find and isn’t, IMO, as good as the other two.
Geeze, I can’t believe you haven’t heard Lunasa!
Loren
I’ll recommend the latest one, it’s the first of theirs I got. I concur with the comments above: great stuff, progressive. If you’re offended by anything that’s not the “pure drop”, maybe you oughta pass. Otherwise, highly recommended.
And BTW, if you’re in the SoCal area, they’re playing at CalTech in Feb '02. Come to think of it, Cherish the Ladies is playing in SoCal (Torrance) sometime in Feb as well.
[ This Message was edited by: jomac on 2001-12-20 18:59 ]
You can see them live at the kerrywhistles website under video downloads plus Mike McGoldrick and John McSherry who were the founding members.www.kerrywhistles.com
Phil.
Wow, a very quick and enthusiastic response! Loren, I’ve been at school, which is almost as isolated as Mars! grin Thanks for the info everyone, I am going to pick up Otherworld and then probably the latest one.
Hi Aventuria
I made a reference to Lunasa on the LOTR music thread, prior to this thread starting. I was name-dropping that I had spent a short while chatting to kevin Crawford, after their gig in Limerick, recently. His solo album In Good Companyis excellent and available from you-know-where. Further to Bloomfield’s comment I think that the first 2 Lunasa CD’s are brilliant, but the 3rd (The Merry Sister’s of Fate) is a masterpiece. I wouldn’t call them jazzy, more rockafied traditional.
Steve Power
p.s. I have invented the word ‘rockafied’. It’s my contribution to the language of music and inspired by the writing of J.R.R. Tolkein!
Steve Power
[ This Message was edited by: StevePower on 2001-12-21 05:28 ]
Wanted to add that Lunasa use whistles quite a bit. One of the greatest whistle tracks is Miller of Drohan on their Otherworld CD. Amazing, amazing! Played on three Grinter low F whistles, if I’ve got that right. Absolutely beautiful. They got the tune off a DeDannan CD, which is where I heard it first. Ballroom, I think: beautiful tune. There is quite a bit of whistling on other tracks, too.
And although others may feel differently, I think the first Lunasa CD is just as great! It has my favorite recording of the Kerfunken Jig.
[ This Message was edited by: Bloomfield on 2001-12-21 09:22 ]
Let me add my voice to Lunasa acclaim.
Great CD especially Otherworld.
Several folks have remarked that this is not pure-drop traditional. I would call them progressive traditional. Kind-of-like what will be session traditional in 2020 and 'pure tradition in 2050.
Kevin Crawford’s related ‘solo’ CD is him playing flute and whistle with his favorite traditional fiddle players from around Ireland.
Enjoy Your Music,
Lee Marsh
P.S. BTW. The tune book for Lunasa is now scheduled for release in early spring according to thier web sight. It’s suppossed to have all the tunes found on their CD’s.
[ This Message was edited by: LeeMarsh on 2001-12-21 13:22 ]
Yeah, I’d have to agree with Lee about Lunasa being “Progressive Trad” rather than jazzy, as someone else mentioned. Lunasa play mostly trad tunes. Yes they have someone playing bass, and yes they add a “Bridge” section to some of the trad tunes, but otherwise the tunes are clearly recognizeable and played mostly as you would find them notated in various on-lie trad tune data bases (ornamentation aside).
I really don’t hear any significant jazz influence in their music at all. Not if we’re talking jazz scales/progressions, improv, etc.
Loren
I just ordered Otherworld and Merry Sisters of Fate online. Quality used CDs for $9 each at http://www.djangos.com . Not a bad deal! I’ve gotten stuff from there before, it’s a good outfit.
Lunasa? Hmmm… I know I’ve heard of them somewhere, but I just can’t figure it out.
Seriously though, if you don’t have their self titled album with McGoldrick and McSherry but it now. It’s by far the best (in my humble opinion).
Chris