Newbie intro & poll re: your favourite Celtic music CDs

Whistle
1

Hello all!

Just recently discovered this message board…looks like a wonderfully supportive group here!

I just recently fell in love with Irish session music, began learning whistle tunes, and am planning to take lessons from Karen Light, a Toronto whistle-player. I attended my first official session on Wednesday night! If you’re curious, you can read my take on the experience:

http://www.blatherings.com/archives/002592.html

I’m a freelance writer by trade, play music for fun with a Toronto area folk music group called Urban Tapestry ( http://www.urbantapestry.org/ ).

A QUESTION:

I would like to do a whole lot more listening so here’s two poll questions for you all:

  1. What CDs do you recommend for an Irish session newbie?

  2. What are your current Irish/Celtic music CD favourites? (don’t have to feature whistles)

Thanks so much,

Debbie Ridpath Ohi

2

I don’t buy a lot of CDs but of this years crop I enjoy:

.An tri is a Rian /Claire Keville, John Weir, Eithne ni Dhonaile
.The Thing itself/ Peadar O Loughlin, Maeve Donnelly
.Kilmore Fancy / John and Catherine McEvoy


Happy to meet /PJ Crotty/ Carol Cullinan, James Cullinan
gets played as well

loads of other stuff as well but never mind that.l

3

Are you looking for session tunes, or just anything?

I don’t tend to follow bands, but Solas is the first name that comes to my mind. They’re good without the guitar, but it’s that fantastic rhythm guitar that push them into the next realm of musical brilliance. Their new stuff blows, but their older stuff is outstanding! I don’t know any album titles, but look for the one with “Nil Na La.”

4

Mainly session tune stuff, but I’m also curious about any sort of Celtic music recommendations.

5

Urban Tapestry? :astonished: I love Urban Tapestry!!! You guys rock! :slight_smile:

You are one of my two favorite filk groups…the other is Three Weird Sisters. Your song “The Lady” still haunts me…I can’t listen to that thing without all the hair on the back of my neck standing up.

Be welcome here!

As for Irish trad CD’s, you can’t go far wrong with anything by Altan or Danu. Also the earlier Chieftains recordings are quite good, as are the Woodenflute Obsession compilations availlable from http://www.worldtrad.org .

Again, you are most welcome here! :slight_smile:

–James

6

Being part Texican, I would have to recommend David Wilkie and Cowboy Celtic.

Danu is coming to Eureka Springs on Jan. 22. Are you going?

7

“Journey of the Celts” “Lark in the Clear Aire” “Celtic Seasons of Enchantment” and “Celtic Reverie - Women of Ireland” all by Will Millar, former leader of the Irish Rovers and available through his web site at http://www.celtic-music.com. You can listen to clips on there too. And since you’re in Canada you can probably find these in your favorite store - here in the US his stuff is hard to find so I’ve gotten most of my collection over the Internet. You have to write via snail mail to order - he doesn’t have an on-line ordering system set up.

I admit, I’m not exactly an unbiased reviewer - I have been a fan ever since the Irish Rovers did “The Unicorn” and Will’s always been my favorite. Saw him in concert last month and got to talk with him afterwards - sigh! Anyway, check out the sound clips on his site.

8

Brass,

I would love to but doubt I’ll be in a condition to travel that day.

It’s not been publicized, but Danu is also coming to Little Rock on Jan 21. :smiley: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :sunglasses:

It’s being sponsored by the ACMS.

–James

9

As a Toronto resident, you really shouldn’t miss Celtic Mettle and Celtic Flair by Loretto Reid and Brian Taheny – the latter CD, in particular, has a lot of tunes which are played in Toronto sessions.

Off the top of my head, I’d also recommend Cooley, The Mountain Road, and Molloy Brady Peoples for session tunes to learn, and Lunasa, Old Blind Dogs, and A Crowd of Bold Sharemen for Celtic bands to listen to.

10

Just thought of two more great CDs for tunes – Live at Matt Molloy’s and Live at Mona’s.

11

Some of my recent pure-drop favourites -

Mick O’Brien and Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh - “Kitty Lie Over” http://www.kittylieover.com

Patrick Ourceau and Eamon O’ Leary- “Live at Mona’s”

Tommy Peoples “The Quiet Glen”

Anything by Mary MacNamara

Ronan Browne & Peter O’Loughlin “Touch Me If You Dare”

The Tap Room Trio

12

Since you indicated it was primarily session tunes you wanted to find, you might want to try:

Many of the tunes found in sessions can be found in one or both of these book/CD sets. The links above are to The Whistle Shop that sells them online if you can’t find them locally.

13

Thanks so much for the replies so far, everyone! I’ve checked out sound samples for every one of your suggestions (if available online, that is) and love them all. Looks like I have a lot of listening to do. :slight_smile:

James: Wow, thanks for the kind words about Urban Tapestry.

Lee: Thanks so much for the songbook suggestions. I already have the McCullough book, but didn’t know about the Mel Bay CD book set!

Debbie

14

Though they do not play ‘session tunes’ in a session setting 100% of the time, they do play mighty music on whistles, pipes, guitar, upright bass, flute and fiddle…they are Lunasa…great band, great music. :slight_smile: