I was wondering if anyone knew any good pure drop CDs that are pitched in D? Preferably with only 1 - 2 melody musicians, and has a fiddle somewhere in it. I’ve been looking for good CDs to learn tunes off from / play along with but a lot of them (eg. Ronan Browne/Peadar O’Loughlin’s Touch me if you Dare, Frankie Gavin’s Up and Away, etc) are in Eb and flat pipe keys. Which is fine and very nice to listen to but I sometimes like to play along on my D flute. Any recommendations?
Here are a few that come to mind:
- Frank Claudy’s “The Thrush in the Straw” is just flute and bodhran (with some excellent whistle as well).
https://www.qconline.com/cdstore/world.cfm
- Josie McDermott’s “Darby’s Farewell” is a classic flute album (with some whistle and lilting as well) with a D flute and very little accompaniment.
http://celticgrooves.homestead.com/CG_McDermott_Josie.html
- John Creaven’s solo CD “The Story so Far” is lovely, mostly solo flute with tastefully subtle accompaniment on a few tracks by Dennis Cahill.
Hi Brad, thanks for the recommendations. I have John Creaven’s CD though, and I distinctively remember that all but one of the tracks were played with a Eb flute. Its kind of irritating that so many lovely CDs are in Eb or B or C or Bb keys. Especially so when you wanna play along and you only have a D. I was also hoping for CDs where flutes aren’t already in the spotlight. It just happens that I’m currently going through a phrase where I prefer to listen to other instruments (fiddle players especially) or duets.
I don’t know about the key. I haven’t checked it out yet, but I can recommend “In Knocknagree” with Noel Hill on concertina and Tony MacMahon on the button box. Its a live recording with some great tunes. There’s a bunch of dancers on the recording and the foot stopming and hollering is great. (sometimes a little much though). Overall a great pure drop CD.
All the Mike and Mary Rafferty CDs are excellent for learning tunes and playing along, and Mike mostly uses a D flute…the first CD (The Dangerous Reel) is especially full of wonderful tunes, but all the CDs are great. There are some duets with Willie Kelly (one of my favorite fiddle players) on the most recent one, The Road From Ballinakill.
Sorry I didn’t even realize that John Creaven’s CD is mostly in Eb…I’ve only just listened to it and not tried to play along.
The CD I enjoy playing along with the most is the one from Mike McHale, The Schoolmaster, it has some good flute and whistle tracks (all in D flute/whistle!), backed by a guitar. I love Mike McHale’s style.
There’s no fiddle on this one, just solo melodeon, but the tunes are played nice and slow. It’s a great recording to learn tunes from. All in D (played on a Castagnari Max/Melodeon in the key of D).
http://celticgrooves.homestead.com/CG_OFatharta_Micheal.html
-Brett
Hi.
I am listening to a CD called Whistling for the Moon, which has several d whistles on it (though he varies the keys throughout.) He has some beautiful tunes on, including (in D I am pretty sure, not having had a chance to look at it tonight) “the lonesome boat man” - which I aint good enough to play along with yet, but hope to be some time soon! Mainly slow songs, but really lovely tracks. His name is Phil Brown (I think). The lonesome boat man is an exceptional track, plaintive, and evocative - to be listened to with the lights off.
Hope you enjoy it!
Callybeg
Bretton - What’s the track listing for the Darby CD?
- Jigs: Winnie Hayes’/Whelan’s
- Reels: The Durrow Reel/Martin Sheamuis’ Reel/The Tulla
- Barndances: PJ Hayes/Gan Ainm
- Jigs: Lark in the morning/The hole in the boat
- Reels: The beautiful sycamore*/Bucks of Oranmore
- Hornpipes: The Tuam Greaney hornpipe/The Cameron Highlander
- Jigs: Three Little Drummers/Seamus Connolly’s jig
- Reels: George White’s/Swinging on the gate
- Hornpipe: Johnny Cope
- Reels: The Salamanca/Joe Mhaire Mhicilin
- Jigs: Geese in the bog/Grouse on the bog
- Reels: Bunker Hill/The Silver Spear
- Waltz: An August Wedding*
- Reels: Drowsy Maggie/Toss the feathers/The Killavil Reel
-Brett
Paddys Keenan and Glackin: Doublin’.
Andy McGann & Paul Brady: Masters of Irish Music (i think thats what it is called)
What an album!