Hi Folks,
I’ve 2 question’s for you.
Is/has anybody used the tutor “The Master’s Touch” (Séamus Ennis), and if so how did you get on?
I’m looking for a Davy Spillane CD recommendation, the only one I’ve got is “A Place Among the Stones” which I’m not to keen on. I like the the tune “Equinox” which I think he played on the “Bringing it All Back Home” video. Can anybody recommend a CD of that style?
Thanks in advance,
Cheers, Mac
atlantic bridge is a good one, he likes quiet young on the cover i wonder how old he is. or out of the air if u like the electric thing. there are afew more but his early stuff seems to be more tunes rather than slow airs.
He’s a great player…but the only CD I’ve ever wanted to buy of his has been his “Forgotten Days” [2001]…a joint effort with Kevin Glackin.
Really good trad tunes, played well, mainly on fiddle and pipes…as it should be!?
Thanks Folks,
I’ll keep a look out for “Out of the Air” and “Forgotten Days”, sounds as if that would give a bit of variety. I don’t have CD’s of many pipers, 1 each of Liam O’Flynn, Paddy Keenan, Dicky Deegan, Sean Og Potts, Brendan Ring and Jimmy O’Brien Moran. I probably prefer JOBM minute, not to say that I dislike the others. What style would best describe JOBM? I sort of thought it would be tight/stacatto? I’m probably wrong though 
Boyd, hope the weather’s kind this weekend, had intended to go but with one thing and another I won’t make it.
Cheers, Mac
Boyd, sent you a PM
I would describe JOBM’s style as unique and personal. He’s one of my favorite pipers. He can play staccato or legato with equal amounts of comfort, and he combines a lot of sources for his own style. It is a style influenced by great 20th century pipers like Ennis, Clancy, Reck, and Johnny Doran. All of these guys were adept at combining staccato and legato chanter technique in their playing. Oh! and don’t forget his first teachers: Tommy Kearney and Pat Mitchell. Listen to all of these old pipers; Tommy and Pat are still with us (thank God) and if you can arrange to sit down and play with them a bit you’ll come away with some worthwhile tunes, technique, and suggested listening.
BTW Brian McNamara is a fabulous piper and by all accounts a good teacher. His solo album is beautiful and well worth acquiring. He’s slower and perhaps a little tighter than JOBM, but very musical.
Hi Pat,
thanks for the reply, looks like I’ll be adding another CD to my list!!
Cheers, Mac
Hi
JOBM was recorded by the NPU in the mid seventies at a Tionol. A callow youth of seventeen (or thereabouts) he was playing a Leo Rowsome set and recorded some of the fastest piping known to man.
When he became famous and had slowed down his piping he went around buying up all the copies of that infamous tape.
It is thought that there are still some copies in private collections.
Cheers
John Moran
I would say Jimmy O’Brien Moran’s style owes most to Ennis and Clancy, the tunes he had in the early 80s from Tommy Reck were mostly from the old cassette of Tommy that was being circulated. Pat Mitchell was a big influence as was Liam O’Flynn who both gave Jimmy some lessons in the early years of Milltown.
Back to the original question, I have the Ennis book and it looks like something that would be useful if you have some personal tuition but I don’t think it was written as something to use for solo learning. It is probably as good as the Rowsome tutor though which played a big part in my very early days on the pipes.
The choice of Spillane CDs comes down to the Spillane/Glackin duets but to my ear the piping on this CD is nothing special.
Brian MacNamara and I were both in Jimmy O’Brien-Moran’s classes at Milltown in the early 80s when I was about twice Brian’s age. He showed great taste in his piping even then!
Ken
I have the Seamus Ennis book - it’s all good stuff, but I wouldn’t advise going only on that and nothing else (that’s basically what I’m doing, with the odd lesson every few months or more). It crams in the infromation and exercises, resulting in very slow progress through the book, which isn’t great for your morale, and my family getting very annoyed with the exercises based on high g - b being played over and over again with the odd squeak here and there!
I’m sure it’s all good for me though.
Jo.