In music and other aspects of my life I really appreciate things that aren’t too fast paced, and moments of silence. Micho Russell’s playing fits both really well. What I’d like to do, seeing that it’s getting near the season to make a wish list, is find more whistlers similar to him and add an album or two to the ITM collection. Any help would be appreciated. Not so much that a reward is offered, but appreciated just the same. 
I think that you’ll find Micho was in many ways a one off. His big stops and halting rhythms matched his speech patterns quite closely and were pretty much unique to him. The speed he played at was by and large that of his local area, or the wider Clare area, especially among players of his generation. Not a lot of players of that generation were widely recorded though, not commercially anyway.
I thought the chances were pretty slim in finding someone similar, but had to give it a try just in case. His phrasing is interesting and enjoyable, and as you say, was similar to his speech patterns from what I’ve been able to hear so far. I just wasn’t sure if maybe they were a regional manner of speaking/whistling. It looks like one way Micho Russell’s music will be an influence is to find my own voice.
That’s a shame. It appears that the whistle community isn’t immune to the speed demon. It begs the question (for me anyway):
Why wasn’t the slower speed also passed along to the next generation?
I know I’m pretty new to the music and the instrument in comparison to most folks here, but in my limited experience if there’s some space between notes it’s easier to add some variety to the phrasing and some “swing” to the tune.
I am not sure the old speed has gone away altogether, not around here anyway.
What you could do is maybe look out for a CD by Jimmy Hogan, he was more or less of Micho’s generation, maybe slightly younger. He was from a few miles North of where I am writing this and he used to play for housedances during the 1940s. Played with Micho and his brothers and other ‘locals’ and the ‘Kilfenora crowd’. He emigrated to the US just before 1950 and lived in Boston, kept playing there. He died maybe eight or nine years ago but before he did they made a CD of his playing. I bought it at the time for a friend here who knew him well before he emigrated (which is to say I don’t have a copy). You may still be able to find it over there, not sure. OssianUSA had it at the time.
[added:]
see this thread but note comments there wee not made by Cayden, even if the username says so. The database garbled up one of my former lives.
Agree with Mr.Gumby - Micho was unique. Maybe stretching things a bit, but Oisin MacDiarmada has a whistle solo on his “Ar An bFhidil” recording - track 5, and I remember thinking that his whistle style reminded me a bit of Micho. His phrasing has a tendency to stop certain notes, and there is not an over-abundance of ornamentation, both which I would say were characteristics of Micho’s playing. I hear similarities in the use of tonguing as well. I realise possibly not many have heard Oisin’s track, and it’s the only recorded example of his whistle-playing I’m aware of, but I’d be interested to hear if anyone agrees - or disagrees, for that matter.
You may be able to hear some of the track on iTunes - I’d need to check - but it’s a recording by an amazing musician which I’d recommend to anyone with an interest in traditional Irish music.
Sorry folks - doesn’t seem to be up on “iTunes”.
Mr. Gumby - would Joe “Cuneen” maybe have fit the bill. Only heard him once in Miltown, but he’d have been about the same vintage as Micho, I would have thought. Maybe Joe Bane ?
All these guys of that vintage could in one way or another fit the bill. Joe Cunneen would possibly fit into the Miltown/West Clare style more than the North Clare bracket but in a way they’re all interesting to listen to. But you could easily add John Killourhy, Dinny McMahon (who used to sell whistles on the Cliffs of Moher) etc to the list. But you would have to know the way to get to recordings of them. Gussie Russell was a lovely player in his own right as well, when he relaxed.
I’ll see if I can pull up some clips tomorrow. Have been painting one of the rooms today and am knackered now.
During the eighties Eugene Lambe and Dick Grant did a series of videos documenting all the old guys around North Clare (and a few from West Clare as well), lovely stuff, I have all of it here but I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to youtube it.
There are a few people around who have characteristics of the North Clare stuff. Interesting enough Michael Hynes played for a production of John Doorty’s play about Micho (at the time with Tommy and Marion McCarthy). He played the Boy in the Gap in that and while he didn’t play exactly like Micho he nailed a certain character of it on the whistle.
Do you know ‘Timber’ Tony, Kenny? When on the form he can do North Clare readily enough.
Ita Crehan is a lovely old style whistleplayer too. Sean McKiernan is another one although both in their own way are more West than North (Seán is very much influenced by Willie Clancy on the whistle, very lively, lovely)
That’s good to know. Do you think there will be a trend to slow things down a bit, at least with the commercially available albums?
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll be on the lookout for one.
Thanks for the link to that thread. It’s interesting to read these stories you have shared.
Well, there are CDs in all sorts of styles available, not everybody is on the speed-train.
Good to know. 
Nothing against Mary Bergin or those who play similarly, but sometimes I wonder if the woman is human.
would Joe “Cuneen” maybe have fit the bill. Only heard him once in Miltown, but he’d have been about the same vintage as Micho, I would have thought.
I have a clip here of Cunneen playing a couple of reels, with a drummer (possibly Manus Walsh), recorded in Doolin in 1962. Joe Cunneen was from Quilty by the way and his playing would, to my mind, more into the West Clare style in it’s rhythm and it’s use of ornamentation.
I really enjoyed that clip. Thanks for sharing it! It wasn’t far into it that my feet wanted to move.
Micho always said he couldn’t play like anyone else, that he couldn’t even play like his own brothers.
Here’s a clip of Gussie playing at one of the Willie weeks. He always came down, on his little Honda motorbike, and enjoyed the variety of music immensely, listening here, listening there. He was a very shy man though, one time I was playing the pipes somewhere, out in the sun. Gussie sat next to me and filled my ear with talk, stories of the Dorans and musicians he used to know, but only while I was playing, he’d fall silent as soon as I stopped.
He hated being recorded, it made him nervous.
Swallow’s Tail / First house in Connaught - Gussie Russell.
Wonderful stories, as always. We’re really missing out on something over here across the pond.
I love the playing and tone on the Gussie Rusell clip! And can empathize with his dislike for being recorded. I’m still not as relaxed as I’d like to be when the record button is pushed.
The tone is similar to a Paddy Moloney video of him playing The Ballyfin Slide:
http://youtu.be/meEYuPpapWs
The putty has been recently removed from my Waltons D and Generation Bb. It’s really brought the D to life with the nice slightly rough-around-the-edges sound.
The track is greatly appreciated, and will no doubt be played often and enjoyed. The thing that stands out right away is the space used between some of the notes.
I think I have a clip of him lying around somewhere of him playing the Irish washerwoman on flute.