Hi! Just got Martin Hayes 1997 CD titled “The Lonesome Touch”. This is my first Martin Hayes CD I must admit that I was not very used to his style of playing at first, hearing mostly robust Donegal fiddling previously. He fiddles with the most alternating sound dynamics I’ve ever heard anyone playing trad do, and usually playing without many many trebles that Donegal players sometimes do.
The whole CD has a minimalistic feel to it. Guitar accompaniments by Dennis Cahill are restrained and kept to a minimum. You don’t hear the continuous strumming guitar players are fond of using. Instead a note here, two notes there, or very quiet picking, with lots of space in between so it almost seems like a solo effort by Hayes.
Most of the tunes don’t go at blazing speeds but are played in an extremely catchy manner, and like Tony said, fun to listen to after a while. Additionally, he taps his feet while playing and you can hear that picked up, giving added intimacy in the recording (unintentionally). On the whole I like this recording and I’m quite sure I will like it more after giving it a few more listens.
Off topic: If there was a “Fiddler Award for Funkiest Hair” it would definitely go to Martin Hayes.
How refreshing to read a post relating to music.I couldnt agree with you more Eldarion,good taste and subtlety certainly prevail here.Peggy’s Waltz is lovely to play on a C or F whistle. Mike
Strange that you posted you review, I was playing that CD last night. I really like this recording of Martin’s and I don’t play fiddle and don’t understand fiddlers, not to say that I don’t love the fiddlers that I play with.
I was fortunate enough to catch Martin at the Arc in Ann Arbor, Michigan just after he released “The Lonesome Touch,” and his performance was just mind blowing.
And all I going to say is that I come back to this CD over and over and …
What have I been telling you guys??? I don’t have that particular recording, but I have the “Martin Hayes,” and “Under the Moon.” Both are fabulous. I’ll have to look into getting “Lonesome Touch” next.
One of the things I love about listening to his music is how clearly he articulates ornamentation. It fit’s exactly where he puts it, it gives the tunes great rhythmic interest and variation. It’s great for getting your ideas together on how to use ornamentation and work the rhythmic possibilities. I use his rendition of Paddy Fahy’s Jig (from “Martin Hayes”) to experiment endlessly with how to vary it.
Lately, I’ve been working on Kitty, Come Down to Limerick, a slip jig, from Under the Moon. Alternating f sharps and naturals, f naturals sliding down to e. Tricky, but fun.
Tony
Hi Tony! I know you recommended Martin Hayes’ self titled debut and “Under the Moon” but I couldn’t find those in my local CD shop. I also saw his “Live” Seattle CD there. Does anyone know if its as good?
If you haven’t heard Martin Hayes you can preview the whole album Live in Seattle at the Green Linnet web site. This CD was released after The Lonesome Touch and is, as far as I know, the most recent album. Martin Hayes playing on his pre-Cahill recordings is excellent but the interaction between the two lifts the music to a new order.
Mike