Saw a photo of Jimmy Noonan here http://www.massfolkarts.org/object_detail.asp?objectid=8300213
and thought the flute looks like it could be a boxwood R&R. Would anyone know the serial number?
A couple of reels here: http://frontrow.bc.edu/program/gaelicroots/
Jimmy is teaching a class at the Boston CCE Music School. You might be able to reach him directly through them.
He’s also part of the Music Department at Boston College. You can find contact info here (as “James”.
Or I could ask him next week in class…
Best wishes.
Steve
Thanks Steve, I’ve sent off an e-mail asking about the flute. I’ll put it in the register if I get a reply. Prehaps have it already if it was bought at an auction these past few years? The flute sounds very good. I didn’t know Jimmy played a Rudall. I wonder if he used it on his CD’s and if it is his main flute.
Hi Steampacket,
When I have seen him play in a session and once in Rhode Island with Paddy Keenan he played a boxwood Rudall Rose with all pewters I think. I believe he played it on Maple Leaf as well except for the Eb track where he plays a Bryan Byrne.
here is a photo:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/beowulf/192077733/
all the best,
Patrick
Thanks Patrick, I’ve been informed that Jimmy has two boxwood R&R flutes, an early R&R with pewter keys and a younger R&R with pewter Eb and C# & C keys.
So do I understand correctly that the keys themselves are made from pewter, not silver or nickel-copper? Or is it just the pad seats that are pewter, and the shafts are Ni? I would think pewter was way too soft to make the key shaft, and that it would be difficult to fuse the very low-melting pewter and high-melting/wetting Ni (plugs are captured rather than being fused/soldered to the key shafts).
Hello Chas,
The part that sits into the (bushed) hole are pewter plug as on foot joint keys, the shafts are silver or nickel.
See Terry Mcgee’s site for a good picture on his unusual Rudall page or you might be able to make them out on the photo I linked above.
Have a look at some Potters as well.
Ps,
The Monzani is still my favourite.
All the best,
Patrick.
Thanks, Pat – I was referring to Steampacket’s post saying “an early R&R with pewter keys and a younger R&R with pewter Eb and C# & C keys”. An interpretation I hadn’t come up with was pewter plugs on all keys. Seems that would be awfully noisy.
“Thanks, Pat – I was referring to Steampacket’s post saying “an early R&R with pewter keys and a younger R&R with pewter Eb and C# & C keys”. An interpretation I hadn’t come up with was pewter plugs on all keys. Seems that would be awfully noisy.” Chas.
That’s possible Chas, but as long as Jimmy’s playing Irish traditional tunes I doubt he has any need to worry about clacking keys. Maybe the G-sharp if he’s playing a tune in A with a fiddler. By “pewter keys” I meant that one of Jimmy’s boxwood flutes has eight silver key shafts holding pewter plugs, as Patrick explained.
I personally love the noisy slap of the bottom keys on my Blackman flute.
Like for this tune:
https://thesession.org/tunes/581
But then again I play a Hohner one row melodeon now and again.
I think the issue I’ve heard from more experienced folk is they can be hard to get a good seal after all these years.
I think you can see a possible leather covering on Jimmys flute’s keys like you sometimes see on pewter Eb.
Many thanks Steampacket for posting the link on your o.p.
Loved the flute playing on the video. I hadn’t heard of Jimmy Noonan before. What a smashing player!
I’ll look out for his two recordings.
Yes great isn’t he Kevin. Another great documentary here about An Godfather. Not a flute player, but nonetheless another major musician I wasn’t aware of before: Brian Rooney and the London Irish traditional music scene
Ah yes a new documentary that I have already seen.
I hope Bryan Rooney gets back to full health soon. He is another one of my favourites.
A great documentary showing many greats from the London seen. Paul Gallagher, another mighty flute player, is seen but sadly not really heard which is a real shame.
Another great fiddle player on the London scene is Eilish Byrne.Although she has won many major accolades and awards e.t.c I think she is maybe, to some degree at least, something of a ‘hidden gem’.One of the greats IMHO. I think the world should really hear much more of her. Here are two youtube clips of Eilish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPfYmpKvjMs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4fe7yKuaSM
“Another great fiddle player on the London scene is Eilish Byrne.Although she has won many major accolades and awards e.t.c I think she is maybe, to some degree at least, something of a ‘hidden gem’.One of the greats IMHO. I think the world should really hear much more of her. Here are two youtube clips of Eilish” goruswrex
Great stuff. Haven’t heard Eilish before, a fine musician
Dave Harper (banjo/flute) has an old boxwood Rudall also, not sure of the number.
[Thread revival. - Mod]
I suspect no one’s gotten this tidbit of detail, eh?
hmmm
fwiw…there are two.
just sayin