Okay. Now, although I have only frequented this board for about 3 months, I have checked it almost daily and I have yet to understand something: The favorite whistle players and bands in general. So, I decided to throw out the question.
Here are my favorites:
Michael McGoldrick- Anything he is listed on!!!
Anything with the name of Lunasa on it.
Kevin Crawford
Grey Larsen
Now, I realise that these two guys are at the top of the game, but many of you always list Mary Bergen. I really wish I had a recording of Mary, because I know that if you guys are always ranting on her, then she must be absolutely tops!
Okay, your turn…
Eric T
Jacksonville FL USA
[ This Message was edited by: Tradman on 2002-09-27 08:30 ]
It’s sort of a weird question – I mean, I constantly listen to Irish-y music, but don’t spend much time listening to whistle stuff, just because there doesn’t seem to be that much of it out there. I seem to spend most of my time listening to flute playing instead.
At any rate, my favorite whistler is Loretto Reid. She and her husband have four albums out, but unfortunately (from the listening to great whistling perspective) she spends more time playing flute, concertina, and accordion as she does playing whistle. When she does play whistle, it is absolutely amazing.
As for bands without a particular emphasis on whistling, I’m a big fan of Lunasa, Dervish, Old Blind Dogs, and A Crowd of Bold Sharemen.
This thread comes up frequently but it’s always one of my faves anyway, so why not again? I love Eoin Duignan playing the low whistle on his 2 CDs (he also plays the pipes, but I love what he does on the low whistles). I think Custy’s carries his music.
I don’t remember who the player is even, but I have a CD called “A real Irish Christmas” and the first track is a guy playing a set simply titled after the reel ‘Christmas Eve’. He plays three parts to the set, and I don’t know what the other two are, but this guys playing is more musical in my opinion, and every bit as technical and quick as our own dear Mary Bergin.
Probably my all time favorite whistle track at present…
I am also enjoying Joanie Madden’ Whistle on the Wind and I really enjoy Avanutria’s rendition of Tom’s Air on a low D Copeland with the Whirlpool accompaniment.
“Whistling women and crowing hens never come to no good end”
[ This Message was edited by: Kim in Tulsa on 2002-09-27 12:17 ]
There are so many. Aside from people already mentioned, Micho Russell and Cathal McConnell are two favourites of mine. I don’t quite know why it doesn’t ever seem to qualify but Cathal’s little instruction CD is one of the nicest, most unpretentious whistle recordings in existence IMO—definitely in my top ten. Then there’s the band Flook—two whistlers for the price of one here.
Dear Brian: The ol Weekender is so frustrated. I have pointed this out at least 10 times but will again:
That track on the Irish Christmas record is Paul McGrattan playing Christmas Eve-The Old Bush-The Scholar. i have the whole record, The Frost I s All Over, too, from which it comes. It is the best play-along record because all of the flute tracks can be played with whistle and you can download all the notes from Norbeck’s Index to do so.
I have cited it several times as the tune that made me want to be a better whistler.
Mary Bergin probably is a better whistler but McGrattan’s record has a fuller, more relaxed nature. I only listen to MB if I want to hear technique and it does not move me, nor teach me about Irish music, the way geezer compilations or other artists do.
[ This Message was edited by: The Weekenders on 2002-09-27 14:26 ]
We were talking about Dermot Hyde on the pipeline thread and he,s up there with the best in my opinion.Wombat,you mentioned the band Flook and I,m pretty certain Dermot and Tom have played together with Flook bodhran player(dont know his name) in Mallin Head. Mike
Pre-Molloy Chieftains, particularly Sean Potts and Micheal Tubrity. Ah hell, I like all of em Martin Fay, Derek bell, Sean Keane, Kevin Conneff, and Paddy Maloney.
On 2002-09-27 15:08, mike.r wrote:
We were talking about Dermot Hyde on the pipeline thread and he,s up there with the best in my opinion.Wombat,you mentioned the band Flook and I,m pretty certain Dermot and Tom have played together with Flook bodhran player(dont know his name) in Mallin Head. Mike
We were and still are Mike. And right, he’s definitely up there. That would be John Joe Kelly you’re talking about on bodhran. What a mighty band Mallin Head must have been. Any recorded evidence folks? For those who don’t know Flook, the whistle players are Brian Finnegan and Sarah Allen. Brian seems to have more of a reputation as a virtuoso but the empathetic interplay between all four members is what really makes this band for me.
Mike