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I’m not familiar with Patrick Sky. Anyone?
I’ve seen Pat’s name on DD’s list a number of times. After doing a search, this is some of what I found:
He lives in North Carolina, sells Irish music and piping related books. Pat’s written his own book “A Manual for the Uilleann Pipes” that was originally published back around 1978 and recently updated. He’s offered advice for bending metal tubing and sold some Practice sets.
Does anyone have Pat’s book ??
(fixed typo, added comment)
[ This Message was edited by: Tony on 2002-09-21 09:00 ]
Pat Sky is one of America’s legendary pipers. He spent a good deal of time in Ireland with Séamus Ennis and plays himself in a similar style.
He recorded Ennis and relesed “Forty Years of Irish Piping” album of Ennis playing and reciting some of his aural gems such as “Don Niperi Septo” in 1974. He also recorded Willie Clancy.
I should mention here that Pat is an American folk singer of note also and inspired many with his songs and guitar style.
Check out Pat in action at the East Coast Tionól:
http://www.concentric.net/~pdarcy/page5/page5h.shtml#nyt
Check out Pat’s books at:
http://www.concentric.net/~pdarcy/extra/pat_sky.html
Check out his discography at:
http://www.wirz.de/music/skyfrm.htm
Is this the same Patrick Sky who wrote the song Mahogany Row, and sang and or wrote the Ballad of Ira Hayes? If it is he’s brilliant and people who don’t know him should go look up his old records. I’d love to know the full story of how he switched from popular folk singer to uilleann piper. My father who loves his music thought he had died because there didn’t seem to be any albums after the first few.
Great Songs,
Patrick Dunn
I had a Patrick Sky chanter back in the early '80s. I liked it just fine but it was kind of shaped like a cigar…cylindrical. I got a vintage set about that time and passed it on to someone else.
I recently read an interview, or something, about the history of Pat’s conversion from folk to Irish and if I recall, he heard Liam O’Flynn at a local pub in Rhode Island, where he use to live, and fell in love with the instrument.
Search the web for the story. I can’t remember where I saw it.
I have had his book for years and use it occasionally, among others, to get a consensus on reed designs, etc.
The tracing of Liam’s chanter reed, posted on David Dayes site, was contributed by Pat.
[ This Message was edited by: Lorenzo on 2002-09-24 21:59 ]
I don’t know the whole story but Pat Sky made contact with Tommy Reck, and helped Tommy get his pipes (Tim Kenna & Coyne sets) playing once more in order to record one of the best (in my opinon) solo piping recordings, “The stone in the field” in 1977. Like Johnny Doran’s “Bunch of keys”, remastered & to be released on CD in October, it’s said that Tommy wasn’t in the best of health when playing on the “Stone in the field” which makes the piping even more amazing. Also a chance to hear a Kenna played by a great piper.
On 2002-09-23 14:09, Patrick D’Arcy wrote:
Pat Sky is one of America’s legendary pipers
He recorded Ennis and relesed “Forty Years of Irish Piping” album of Ennis
Opinions vary a bit depending on your ourlook Pat. The suggestion above that he recorded ‘40 years of Irish piping’.. well, he did record Ennis, resulting in what is probably the worst release in the Ennis catalogue and he did compile the 40 years one, but the actual recordings on that were mostly given to him by Breandan Breathnach and others. That’s how the story is told overhere anyway.
He deserves a full ‘thank you’ for giving us the 40 years collection, the Stone in the Filed [allthough I remember Tommy saying never getting anything out of any of his recording projects], the re-issue of Ryan’s Mammoth collection, the O Farrell tutor and Pocket companion. There are however also sides to his achievements that arouse a lot of people into outbursts of deeply felt. criticism.
[ This Message was edited by: Peter Laban on 2002-09-25 07:40 ]
I found Stone In The Field stunning, and it’s really sad to think he didn’t see anything from it. Is anyone aware of non-published recordings of Mr. Reck? I’m also wondering whether there’s any connection between him and the O’Briens. I heard John O’Brien’s playing at the Chicago tionól and was reminded of it when listening to Tommy’s album.
Tommy Reck was recorded in 1948-50 by Bill Stapleton who ran a studio in Moore street in Dublin. Stapleton recorded a lot of good players and singers including Felix Doran. He returned to the States after a while and was never heard off, not by the musicians anyway. He did issue several 78 rpms on the Copley label from his recordings including four sides by the two mentioned above. Tommy never knew the record even existed, let alone receiving any payment other than the 20 pound studio fee on the day. After a tionol in 1989 myself Tommie, Geoff Woof went to a friends house, we had Tommy playing for us all night, in the morning we were going over my friends 78 collection and were listening to the Reck Copley 78 as Tommy got up, he was amazed and delighted with it, and righfully so for it’s a lovely recording. He then came up with stories of his recording experiences.
Duing the late 50s Tommy recorded a number of 78 s for Gael Linn, they are great too, they were re-issued with the rest of the Gael lin stuff at one point but I don’t think they are available now. He also contributed to Sean O Riada’s radio programmes ‘Our Musical Heritage’ a triple album was released with the music from this series, again I don’t think it’s still available although I occasionally see the tapes in shops sometimes. He contributed to the Drones and the Chanters.
Ofcourse there’s his famous bit he did with the Dubliners and an EP recorded in the Abbey tavern where he played, no solo piping there though.
As for unpublished material, there’s a famous tape Sean Reid recorded in 1950, the one everybody has. I have some stuff from the 50s from various sources, there’s lovely duet material of himself playing with Joe Ryan and I have several hours I recorded myself in 1989, I have little doubt there’s a lot more in circulation.
Tommy was friendly with the O Briens [and particularly too with the Mulligan family], in fact when Tommy came ‘out of retirement’ after his wife’s death in 1989 his first public appearances were in concert together with Mick O Brien. Some music that was I can tell you.
[ This Message was edited by: Peter Laban on 2002-09-25 11:04 ]
Thank you much, Peter, I will definitely try to track those down in the coming years. We’ve just gotten a sizeable donation of Irish recordings here at the University of Wisconsin–it’s probably too much to hope for the rarer items you mentioned, but considering that The Stone In The Field and Drops Of Brandy have already turned up, I suppose anything is possible. Thanks again for all the background on Mr. Reck and his recordings. I’m listening to him as we speak–what a sound.
BC