After having a whistle for 3 months, I thought it about time I learnt a Reel (yes, I know I should have done this ages ago). I picked ‘Rolling in the Ryegrass’, as it seemed a good introductory one.
Now I appreciate Reels can be played at different speeds with varying percussion, which can make them sound different. However, I recently heard Micho Russell’s version here:
…and to be honest, it just blew me away! So much so, that I want to just work around this tempo/feel. I also think it would work well for the accordion players that I meet up with.
Since this version is full of bounce/swing, I’d like to know if it’s actually played as a Reel. It almost feels like a quick ‘Strathspey’ or something. Apologies re. the lack of knowledge regarding beats/rhythms. Could someone help me on this one?
It’s easy to get distracted or mislead by modern musicians “re-interpreting” the music, or doing fusion stuff, but if you want to know the music as it should really be played you can’t get any better start than from Micho Russell. Anything after that is just dithering.
I mean that this is the correct speed and rhythm. Ornaments can be added or removed depending on your type of intrument, but there is an underlying “feel” to ITM played well, and MR has it in spades. MR’s style is deceptively simple, but if you can learn to get that feel to the music you can add as many other stylings or ornamentation to it later and always be confident that you have it right. Because he has an uncomplicated way of playing, I think he is a good source to learn from.
I very much agree that he is a good source to learn from. As to uncomplicated, I am not so sure - I agree more with your statement calling his playing’s simplicity deceptive. Correct speed and rhythm, I entirely disagree with - I think that there is no correct speed and rhythm, there are various correct speeds and rhythms, and I am not referring to any of the stuff you are referring to as modern or fusion by the way.
Even amongst very traditional players, there are many different surpassingly and equally good (pace Peter - this is changeable also depending on ones regional and personal perspective) ways and styles of playing traditional Irish music - I know exactly what you mean about Micho and I agree with the sentiment, but telling beginners that this is “the correct” way or that the way Micho plays is the way “it should be played” is, to my mind a little bit restrictive and likely to mislead - there is much both before and after him that is certainly not “dithering,” and (pace again Peter) we don’t all want to play Clare music (at least not all the time).
Hi Peter - only lightheartedly, what with you being the local Clare representative and all, I thought I ought to give a nod while declaring Clare music not to be the be all and end all, if you see what I mean.
Mr. Laban, are there recordings of you and Micho playing together available on the net or elsewhere? I would dearly love to hear that! Any info you could provide would be very much appreciated. Cheers,
Mr. Laban, are there recordings of you and Micho playing together available on the net or elsewhere? I would dearly love to hear that! Any info you could provide would be very much appreciated. Cheers,
to Peter Laban- I don’t understand that tiny picture, but it makes me feel like I owe you an apology. I’m very sorry if my question was inappropriate or offended you in any way
No. You don’t owe me anything, I am not easily offended and even if I were, there was nothing offending there. I just wouldn’t post a tape like that on the web, for a number of reasons.
I don’t understand that tiny picture, but it makes me feel like I owe you an apology. I’m very sorry if my question was inappropriate or offended you in any way 
cheers,