How many times do I have to listen to Matt Molloy play The Mason’s Apron on the “Irish Evening” CD before my jaw stops going slack, allowing drool to run out of my mouth. It’s embarrassing. It was my first Irish Trad album when it first came out, so I’ve heard it countless times, but I keep having the same reaction. Is there hope that I will overcome this? I just got the video of it and, even though they cut out a chunk of it, it is still impressive. Wow.
Griff
Yes. By listening to Catherine McEvoy 
I hope I never become so blasé about Irish flute as to turn my nose at Matt Molloy’s Mason’s Apron but I echo Eldarion that other flute players will impress you as much though maybe for different reasons (and I’m not calling you a flute-snob, Eldarion, son of Elessar).
Matt Molloy is a third generation flute player from Irish flute Mesopotamia, the Co. Sligo/Co. Roscommon area. So it’s no shock that he’s good but his virtuosity will always be unique. But once you explore other players who, while very technically skilled, don’t take the highly technical approach of Molloy and his wannabes you’ll enjoy a whole other variety of virtuosity.
Check out Molloy’s Moving Cloud on the Heathery Breeze CD too for more jaw-dropping. I’m kind of dissembling and rebuilding my flute tastes player-by-player. I’ve absorbed my fair share of Matt Molloy and have had a healthy helping of Conal Ó Gráda and am digging into Jean-Michel Veillon.
Also check out these free recordings of some of the elder statesmen of Irish flute.
Cheers,
Aaron
I put Matt’s version of The Gold Ring in the same jaw-dropping category. The tune is not overly difficult but I have never heard anyone elso manage to put so much music into the tune. This might sound like and odd description but I’m sure you all know what I mean.
Conal O Grada’s version of Colonel Frazer is the other tune that just makes me shake my head and grin when I hear it. I don’t think anyone could put more air down a flute if they tried. 
Actually, it’s only when you start thinking about it that all the wonderful recordings you’ve heard come to mind. I might do a High Fidelity style top ten list over the holidays - you’ve been warned!
Cheers
Graham
I’m also alot into Matt Molloy’s fluting. He is just the greatest for me. I haven’t heard the Irish evening cd, but a version of The Masons Apron is included on the Shadows on Stone cd which is just amazing. Also a set with The Crib of Perches/Carmel Malloney Mulhaires which has that jaw dropping quality to it. Also The Sirius reel and alot more, acctually, the whole cd is a bit like that 
.
Wow! There’s an interesting topic: i.e. jaw-droppers, seminal moments, etc … thanks for this discush, as I somehow missed a lot of Mr. Molloy’s stuff. Mostly, I think because 
I didn’t listen to solo Irish flute (in fact, kind of couldn’t stand the stuff) at all until Liam Kelly hit me up side the head about 5 years ago with his bravura round on “The Milliner’s Daughter” (the Dervish “Live in Palma” CD).
In fact, that one still gets me every time I hear it. 
Anyway, although I still prefer playing Irflute over listening to it, I’m working on it – so thanks again for expanding the ol’ learning horizons!
Anyway, although I still prefer playing Irflute over listening to it,
I wonder how many people feel that way?
I’ve only been playing flute (if you can call it that, at this point) for a few months, but I enjoy playing flute much more than listening to it. I’d rather listen to whistle playing any day (or pipes)!
This is probably why it took me so long to give the flute a serious try…
When listening, flute seems too mellow (kind of like the one ballad on a rock album) for my tastes, but when playing it’s an entirely different experience.
-Brett
Hmm, I’m the opposite, I’d much rather listen to flute playing than high pitched whistle playing, particularly because the flute is more complex sounding and capable of much more in terms of dynamics and tonal shading. Listening to soprano whistle for more than 5 or 6 tunes in a row really starts to grate on my nerves. Playing whistle doesn’t bother me that way however, although I much prefer playing the flute, except for the fact that I still suck as a player 
Loren
Agh! I STILL can’t figure out this quote thing. Anyway, if I could I would paste Loren’s “I suck …” line in and say something like “I’m SO SURE, Loren!” So this version will have to suffice in its own pathetic way…
I’m SO SURE, Loren!
But that’s a good question, Brett. I wonder how many people do prefer listening as much. I know I would much, much rather play, if nothing else because listening always makes me want to play!
And I’m afraid I don’t care much for listening to whistles, either. In fact, I like that less than flute. (Odd, since I really played whistle exclusively for quite a while, there … ) I agree with Loren – to me, the flute has more dimension or something. Either way, even as brilliant as Laurence Nugent is, I can only take so much of him doing solo anything – however, I can listen to Danu and Solas and Nomos and Dervish and Planxty and Bothy and … etc. all day. I guess I just like the whole ensemble thing.
Maybe I’m just woefully unsophisticated or immature or something.
But speaking of ensembles … hey, Brett! Do you play with Bette and Sarah and Bing and Louise and those guys? Or Min & Steve? Nice folks. Get them together and get their bums down to our session in Lville! Yer welcome any ol’ time!
cat.
There’s nothing wrong with being in awe of that piece of fluting - cause it is what it is - awe-inspiring. Matt’s a great guy and he wouldn’t want anyone to feel embarrassed by his playing.
Listening to great flute playing is an absolute joy.
Actually in my snoblish opinion, I don’t find very many flute player’s recordings worth listening to. A good half of them are living Under The Shadow Of Molloy, or persuing some meaninglessly flashy diddly, both of which don’t do it for me. Some others are okay but I feel cannot be compared in musicality to the recordings of a good many fiddlers.
Its just weird, but I think compared to recorded piping, fiddling and concertina playing, nice recorded flute playing is the hardest to find. The records of flute players often seem to pale in comparison to that of fiddlers or pipers somehow (and I’m not speaking of recording quality here). With a few notable exceptions of course. But considering the huge no. of flute players in the Irtrad scene, its quite dismal. At the same time, I think the pipers, fiddlers etc usually bring out phrasing, variations, lift and rhythm better than your average recorded flute player. Hence my preference for listening to them. Also I think there are a greater variety of “living” styles in the recordings of fiddlers, pipers, concertina players.
I agree with you, Eld. For whatever reason, it’s damned hard to find a flute recording worth listening to. I love listening to “rougher” or “pure-drop” pipes or fiddle, for example, but it’s really hard to listen to a lot of flute playing. My own included, I don’t doubt.
But seriously, aside from that Flute Geezers stuff, which is brilliant, and a lot of Molloy’s stuff, and some Harry Bradley stuff . . . wow, I just don’t like a lot of people’s playing. And sometimes I hate the other good people, just because they don’t sound right to me . . .
I think flute playing is like Dr. Who. I think people tend to revert to the first GOOD Irish flute player they ever heard, and then compare everyone to that. My first was Molloy, so Molloy’s my gold standard. The first Dr. Who I ever saw was Tom Baker, so whenever I think of the Ideal Doctor, it’s Tom Baker. Same thing. 
Speaking of whom (Baker), did you know he was on the short list to replace Rex Harrison as Dumbledore? He lost out to that weird guy who played Rumpole of the Bailey. I think Baker would have made a much better Dumbledore . . . but then, he is the gold-standard Doctor Who.
Stuart
While there are those who may emulate, say Molloy, I find quite a few great players who seem to be just expressing themselves and have their own sound, both young and old. From Rafferty, Coen, Havlin, Bingham, Bonamy, Veillon, Byrne, Tubridy, Wilkinson, Hamilton, Vallely, Madden, Carty, Hernon, Hynes, Cotter, MacEvoy, Tansey, etc. etc. I guess I’m fortunate to be able to appreciate what other fluters have offer. Lucky me.
Nothing wrong with listening to great fidldin’ or pipin’ either. But the flute isn’t nearly as popular of an instrument although it’s growing. The Flute obsession Cd’s (1 and 2) hopefully exemplify this.
If you don’t like what’s out there for flute music, you can always make your own contribution to change it. There’s nothing stopping you.
Not one to court controversy , but, it would be very interesting to hear peoples views on which players just don’t quite do it for them. This might sound a bit negative, but it’s fascinating to know other peoples likes and dislikes.
For my part, I’m not overly keen on some of the recordings of the “flute geezers”. I can appreciate the playing, and the tradition, but I just don’t like the sound, which is usually attributable to questionable tuning. It’s the same when I listen to the Highland pipers of years ago, they’ve got music, phrasing, they’re steeped in tradition but the tuning is woeful (to our 21st century ears, anyway)
I’m with you on the Tom Baker question - did you ever have a scarf??
Cheers
Graham
flute is a marvelous instrument when well played. it can be very expressive. personally I don’t find anything wrong in imitating
Matt Molloy, and his best followers don’t sound at all as a badly
made copy of him.they have their own musical personalities.
if you are not a stuffy conservative, please buy “Bavan”, the latest
recording by Conor Byrne & Meabh O’Hare.A great recording with
some wonderful expressive flute playing.
Since I started playing Irish Trad. music my tastes for listening have changed (matured?) a lot.
I started off on the whistle, but never cared much for listening to it. Actually I started to have the same problem when playing it - just too high pitched. I find I enjoy lower pitched instruments more (including Low Whistles).
The flute came as a revelation to me after trying different instruments for 20 years. It’s quite a beast to wrestle with but the sound and expression possibilities are just enormous.
Over the last months I have been listening to a good deal of solo flute playing recordings. Listening to Matt Molloy is just exciting because he’s not only a master of the instrument (is that really only ONE flute in The Mason’s Apron?!??) but also a master of The Music and he puts a great deal of music into the tunes.
Harry Bradley’s ‘Horse Shoe Bends’ CD also had me on the floor trying to find out where my jaw dropped
Then there’s my hero Mike McG - very different style again, but just amazing what buttery smooth tone he gets out of the flute. Saw him play live 3 times now - which had me charged up for days after…
I believe there’s a lot to be learned from listening to different players (and different instruments). The Wooden Flute Obsession CD’s were a great help. Most I had never heard before. Some stay interesting to listen to and others I just ‘Skip’
cheers,
Jeroen
No, Graham; what are you, some kind of freak?
The proper question would have been, “Did you ever want a scarf but were never able to find one that looked authentic?”
I have a bunch of episodes on VHS, and just recently . . . started getting them on DVD! Ah, the decadence!
Stuart
You know, this really is an interesting topic. I’m thinking back to the first time I heard Jack Coen on “Warming Up” and thought “ICK! TUNING!” But over time, I’ve really gotten fond of that recording; in fact, much more fond of it than the recordings of some of the current virtuosos. I guess to me it’s a truer reflection of where the music really came from. (Not to mention a more accurate version of ITM flutes as they often originally sounded, with all the workarounds a player had to figure out before today’s perfect calibration, etc.) I’ve also grown to love that “In The Smoke” recording for the same reason.
And today, that’s still what I like – the feeling of hearing & experiencing it live, with a group, preferably in a fairly simple setting of good musicians having a great time with the music. No pyrotechnics necessary, just doing what’s right for the tune.
But often, just a flute by itself seems kind of monochromatic after a while.
[Which is why a truly great solo player is – well, truly great.]
And like some of you guys, I can listen to solo pipes – and definitely solo fiddle – for quite a while. But bottom line, even tho’ I’ve played flute all my life it’s never really done it for me as a solo instrument. I just like it best in an ensemble – where it adds another delightful color to a wonderful palette.
Okay. What was my point here? 
Oh. I guess it means I’m into groups. But meanwhile, I must get me some Harry Bradley. And of course, Mr. McGratten (gotta love those Murray flutes!). And Conal O’G. And okay, some Matt Molloy. I guess basically, I gotta get all the stuff poor John’s been suggesting I listen to all along …
:roll:
Now who’s the freak. I’m all for remembering the classic TV of my childhood but getting it on DVD…
Having said that, I do own a Trumpton video. Does that mean anything to you on your side of the water?
Graham
apparently the playing of Sylvain Barou has remained a pretty good secret.
On disc 2 of the Wooden Flute Obsession…and he’s got a website with other sound bytes very, very much worth hearing.
This kid is pretty incredible