Hello all!
What albums, Cd’s, recordings (whatever) would you suggest to a beginning piper to help train their ear?
What are your top 5 suggestions?
Thanks,
Matthew
Can’t offer specific albums, but artists might include:
Mick O’Brien
John McSherry
Brian MacNamara
Paddy Keenan
Paddy Moloney
Seamus Ennis
Johnny Doran
etc. etc. etc.
…the list is endless. Do you have a particular style you’re trying to emulate? Sometimes that can be helpful in terms of listening to similar pipers.
- John Coltrane–“A Love Supreme”
- The Zombies–“Odyssey and Oracle”
- Seamus Ennis–“The Return from Fingal”
- Pablo Casals–“Early Recordings”
- Soundtrack–Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"
Here’s some good old stuff that you can still buy:
The Drones and the Chanters - Claddagh Records
The Drones and the Chanters: Vol 2 - Claddagh Records
The King of Pipers: Leo Rowsome - Claddagh Records
Leo Rowsome: Cliassic of Irish Piping - Topic Records
Séamus Ennis: The Return from Fingal - RTÉ Records
The Pipering of Willie Clancy: Vol I - Claddagh Records
The Pipering of Willie Clancy: Vol II - Claddagh Records
Johnny Doran: The Master Pipers - Na Píobairí Uilleann
Seamus Ennis: The Return From Fingal
Paddy Keenan & Paddy Glackin: Doublin’
Pablo Casals: Bach Cello Suites
Robbie Hannan: Traditional Ass-Kickin’ Music Played on the Uilleann Pipes
The Stooges: Fun House
Tommy Keane & Jacqueline McCarthy: The Wind Among the Reeds
Mick O’Brien and Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh: Kitty Lie Over
Gay McKeon: Irish Piping Tradition
Paddy Keenan
Planxty: After the break
Listen the old classic masters.
And I add:
Joe McKenna
Finbar Furey
Michael Cooney
John McSherry
For the beginner, in this particular order:
- Brian McNamara
- Brian McNamara
- Brian McNamara
- Brian McNamara
- Brian McNamara
What? No Brian McNamara? What is WRONG with you… 
A) Get rid of your concert-pitch-foghorn
B) Get hold of a real set - B or Bb
C) Buy “Kitty lie over”
Morten
Sorry, I meant to put Brian McNamara in first place.
first of all, i must say i totaly agree with morten(but the set should be in C nat.)
once again, i can’t give specific albums, but here are some good pipers:
Mick O’Brien
Paddy Keenan
Killiann Vallely
Pat Sky
and last, but most defenaly not least, David Power (this guy is increadable)
first of all, i must say i totaly agree with morten(but the set should be in C nat.)
once again, i can’t give specific albums, but here are some good pipers:
Mick O’Brien
Paddy Keenan
Killiann Vallely
Pat Sky
and last, but most defenaly not least, David Power (this guy is increadable)
hope you like 'em
Both recordings by Ronan Browne & Peadar O Loughlin:
The South West Wind
Touch Me If You Dare
PD.
For fecksake JOBM anyone?
I would have said JOBM but his CD isn’t easy to come by… Is it available anywhere these days? It is in my personal top 5.
Just found it for sale at Copperplate Distribution:
http://www.copperplateconsultants.com/order.html
Info about the CD:
http://www.copperplateconsultants.com/moran.html
Patrick.
Ummm…if you never want to play with anyone other than pipers, that is. 
- I second “Doublin,” and the Ronan Browne recordings, as well as the Mick O’Brien recordings, and Gay McKeon and the brown Paddy Keenan album
and I’ll add: - Johnny Doran
- Planxty “Well Below the Valley”
Justine
I got my copy from Claddagh, and I think it is also available from NPU. That and Seamus Ennis’ Return from Fingal would be in my Top 5 commercially available essential listening for beginners. Willie Clancy is essential listening but the stuff he has commercially available is not always done when he’s in top form I think.