Any opinions as to the choicest recordings of Willie Clancy teaming up with a fiddler?
Go raibh maith agaibh,
BC
Michael Gorman is on a couple of recordings. One was in Topics catalogue (it was a 10" lp when I saw it last, so I don’t know how available it is. I have a recording that was made by an American (Pat Sky?) of a session with Pipes, Fiddle Flute and Banjo the tape was entitled “A Clare Session” (I have no idea of any label, mine is just a copy from a friend) I think.
Cheers
Alan
Peter Kennedy has some stuff of him playing a few tunes with Bobby Casey, recorded in 1952. Is interesting enough, the only other commercially available is the one with Michael Gorman, hard enough to find in itself and not all that great. The Session tape is shite, not worth the bother, Jimmy Ward’s banjo drowning out the rest of them after a few tunes.
There are a few private recordings in ciculation with a few fiddlers and there’s a few tracks of him playing the whistle with Paddy Killoran, an old film was on tv of himself and Tom Mulligan and another fiddler. That’s about all I know of.
Thank you, gentlemen, much appreciated, and I’m a little surprised to find out there aren’t more such recordings. I did track down the album with Bobby Casey (The West Wind, Folktrax 173); what do you think of it? Just curious…I hope to order it soon.
Thanks again,
BC
Read all about Peter Kennedy and the way he operates in a recent exchange on the Irtrad list. The duets are interesting enough, there are only a few on the tape though. I think they were both far more interesting to listen to playing on their own.
I have access to a collection of tapes made by a locla man, it’s currently being indexed, there is material there of Willie and local players like Junior Crehan and others.
The pipes are generally heard best on their own, sometimes a duet is more than the sum of it’s components and only then it’s worthwhile. It is not often the case though.
Willie’s playing is most enjoyable when he is on his own and lets his imagination go with the tune.
Yes, the Kennedy thing is quite a can of worms, not to mention the trad/copyright conundrum. Thanks for the review–I look forward to hearing the tape. Though very much appreciating the solo sound, I also love that moment when musicians/singers in duet break through to that sort of telepathic plane, and the sound that results.
BC