OK, if you can’t narrow it down to 3, then try 5. If you can’t do that, go ahead and make a list!
I’d like to try to keep it as solo flute albums, or close to it (a few musicians that flute is the majority). But, if you don’t have any that aren’t multi-instrumental, just put down what you like anyway.
Besides the WFO’s:
Mike Rafferty - Speed 78
Lawrence Nugent - Two for Two
Colm O’Donnell - Farewell to Evening Dances
Kevin Henry - One’s Own Place
While there are a lot of great solo flute albums, sometimes the best flute albums are duet or group albums. Personally, I think having more than one musician opens up the space for more interesting things that don’t come across on a solo album.
I’m sure that the usual classics will come up, but here are a couple albums that people don’t always mention.
There are just so many good albums. I think there was a previous thread that was pretty much asking the same question.
And I’d love to get ahold of something by Fintan Vallely, but couldn’t find anything last I looked.
Man, I’ll have to think about this, tough to pick just 3, or even 5…
Loren
You don’t have to, just a suggestion for those who have fewer.
marcas o’murchu- o bheal … ( sheme that he didn’t record anything else)
harry bradley - bad turns and… ( AND SECOND ALBUM ALSO)
fintan vallely- traditoinal irish flute music ( i only have that one of him)
catherine mcevoy album
frenkie kennedy and m. mooney- ceol aduaidh
nort wind album, and so on …
marin
and hammy hamilton- moneymusk of course!
marin
Chris Norman – The man with the wooden flute. IIRC, you like waltzes, Barry, and this one and The Flower of Port Williams have some of the best waltzes done on flute that I know of
Garry Shannon – Loozin’ Air. The opening cut on WFO 1 is the opening cut on this, and it only gets better
Catherine McEvoy – Traditional music in the Sligo/Roscommon style
Harry Bradley – As carelessly I did stray
Mike and Mary Rafferty – I really couldn’t pick
Jack and Charlie Coen – The Branch Line
These last few are not only great fluting and great music in general, but I find them very good to study and learn from.
Heck with it: Off the top of my head, “solo” flute CD’s I listen to the most are:
Emer Mayock - Merry Bits of Timber
Emer Mayock - Playground
McGoldrick - Morning Rory
McGoldrick - Fused (and Wired)
Kevin Crawford - D flute
WFO 1
Colm O’Donnell - Farewell to Evening Dances
John Skelton - One at at time
Seamus Egan - When Juniper Sleeps
Nugent - Two for Two
Okay, I’m stopping at 10, and if I thought about it, the list would probably change.
Sadly, I don’t have nearly enough “pure drop” in my collection, as I haven’t been in a position to buy many CD’s over the last few years. I wish I had more of the slower, relaxed pace playing in my collection, as that’s actually what I enjoy most, when it’s well done.
Loren
Seems like most of my favorites are on Loren’s list:
Kevin Crawford- D Flute and In Good Company
McGoldrick- Wired
Colm O’Doinnell- Farewell to Evening Dances
McGoldrick and McSherry- At First Light.
1st recordings by Harry Bradley, Conal O’Grada and Matt Molloy. If you allow 5, Kevin Henry and Seamus Tansey. Non-Irish, 1st by Jean-Michel Veillon.
Paddy Carty - Traditional Music of Ireland (The banjo one). Do I get brownie points for mentioning it first? 
Kevin Crawford - In Good Company
Catherine McEvoy - the Sligo/Roscommon album
Matt Molloy - Heathery Breeze
I just acquired Speed 78 about a week ago but have not had the time to devote to it yet 
2nd CD “TURAS CEOIL” due this month or thereabouts. Publishers http://www.cic.ie/ , same as the 1st.
Kevin Krell
Kevin Crawford “‘D’ flute album”
John Wynne “With Every Breath”
“Old Geezers”
Matt Molloy - Tears on Stone (Probably my all time favourite)
Matt Molloy - Heathery Breeze
Kevin Crawford - In good company
Seamus Egan - When Juniper Sleeps (quite un-trad)
And of course the WFO cd’s if they count
what an excellent topic. as i keep mentioning, i don’t know much about itm. i would very much like to hear a cd of irish flute music. specifically, one of very slow, haunting airs. other instruments and even singers would be ok too. you all mentioned the names of albums but you didn’t mention what kind of music was on the albums. does anyone have any favorites? thanks.
mutepointe, one very good idea would be to look up all the cd’s posted here on amazon (most of them are available, but some of the cd’s mentioned might be very rare). You’ll find sound samples and reviews there.
Cheers
I should have also listed Brian Finnegan’s - When the Party’s Over.
I don’t own any of Molloy’s solo stuff, unfortunately. And if I had any of Hammy’s stuff, I lost it in one of my moves. Hmph.
Loren
The Coen brothers: ‘The Branch Line’
Mike Rafferty : ‘Speed 78’
Josie McDermott’s album
and I’m quite partial to anything by Paul McGrattan (‘Keelwest’ is a good 'un).