Wow. I love the pulse in his playing. You can hear the similarity in his style to that of his brother Micheál.
Coincidentally (or not), the last tune he plays is "Rainbow's End," which I posted about here two weeks ago: http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/17562
after I learned it in a workshop with Micheál.
If you like his playing you should also locate some of the other comhaltas style fiddle players. A very ubiquitous style of playing!! The same arrogant ornamentation, goofy bowing, raise of the fiddle when excited, smiling at themselves when they manage a variation!
It *was* a bit too, er, busy for my taste. I guess I'd never heard "comhaltas style" before. Is that really how they're taught to play? It took me a bit to pick out the melody, that's for sure. My taste generally runs to less ornamentation rather than more.
I barely even recognized Maids of Mt. Cisco, though. Don't know if that's because it was filled with variations or if he was just playing a different version of the tune. Has anyone else heard it played like that?
I had never heard the A section of Maids played that way before, but Mac's interpretation/variation/experimentation with it didn't detract from my enjoyment of his marvelous playing one iota.
I realize everyone is entitled to an opinion, but "Comhaltas Style" "Indiscernible" and "too busy?" - Oh my, people...
You should listen to the whole programme, which features loads of great musicians. It was recorded in the memorial concert for Féilim Ó Raghallaigh, who was Micheal and Mac Dara's brother, I believe.
I agree that MacDara's playing is heavily ornamented but I think it is very tasty and does not detract from a sense of feeling within the tune. His variation, rhythm and pulse (nice word that someone mentioned) all add up to bring across his expression within the tunes. Definitely echoes of John Carty there.
I don't see how people cannot see this. I'm usually in the "less is more" boat but as long as someone vibes or feelings are brought across by the musician, its good enough for me no matter how its done (unless you're smoking dope or something...)
I thought it was excellent. Top class playing. Its all about individual expression. Its about quality of playing not, to my mind , the quantity of ornaments. But there placement, and inspiration, while retaining the drive and lift of the tune. This, I think,. he does admirably.
Personal style is something he has in buckets. Show me another player who plays like that....
Well, I'll definitely have to give it a few more listens. It was just a bit overwhelming on the first go-around. He's obviously a very good musician with his own very distinctive style. But, like other folks on this board who find other very good players not to their taste(K. Burke and M. Hayes come to mind) I reserve the right to prefer a different style
im sorry there rorywillie and soft black stars i have to disagree with you there.
First of all the tunes are certainly not indiscernable. The other comments here are true there are a lot of touches of john carty and others in his playing. That is what irish fiddle music is like. If you are looking for clean precise boring old comhaltas playing than listen to i dunno, take your pick of recent comhaltas fiddle winners. If you dont like the type of irsh style mac dara does with his ornamentation which is tastefully done then you probably wouldnt like john carty, frankie gavin, and you definately would not like the GENIUS of tommy potts!!
Mac daras playing is certainly not comhaltas playing. CCE playing is distinguished by its lack of melodic ornamentation, its 'safe' bowing, slow playing ( and i dont mean nice slow) a somewhat syncapated rythm all the time, and its tendencey to play sh*te tunes. Mac dara is none of these as you can hear!
richard white please explain goofy bowing. Your favouriye fiddle players must make an intersting list.No need to throw insults about a fella who looks like he enjoys what he's doing. As regards the touches of others in his playing as far as I know he's always played that way so John Carty and Martin Hayes would not be the names that spring to mind. Very personal style would be my thoughts.His bow hand is one of the best around.
Oh my god - seriously - if anyone cant tell that that was the maids of mount cisco then they need far more help musically than this website. Over ornamented my foot.
"If you like his playing you should also locate some of the other comhaltas style fiddle players. A very ubiquitous style of playing!! The same arrogant ornamentation, goofy bowing, raise of the fiddle when excited, smiling at themselves when they manage a variation" - Richard white
With the above comment I expect to see someone ala Eileen Ivers. You just dont have a single clue do you?
Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_254_1_mac_darra_o_raghallaigh/
This is some really excellent playing (with very nice settings of each of the tunes). Has he done any recordings?
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by mcdevincabe
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
Wow. I love the pulse in his playing. You can hear the similarity in his style to that of his brother Micheál.
Coincidentally (or not), the last tune he plays is "Rainbow's End," which I posted about here two weeks ago: http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/17562
after I learned it in a workshop with Micheál.
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by boxist
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
I'm not sure about recordings of Mac Dara directly, although, he plays with the Naomh Pádraig Céilí Band too.
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by Reverend
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
Top class!
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by 52Paddy
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
That is wonderful ! Thanks so much for posting it.
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by wolfbird
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
very nice
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by hakanozel
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
Wow, that was amazing! What a powerful bowing style. That's definitely a new take on "Maids of Mount Cisco", at least to me.
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by soft black stars
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
If you like his playing you should also locate some of the other comhaltas style fiddle players. A very ubiquitous style of playing!! The same arrogant ornamentation, goofy bowing, raise of the fiddle when excited, smiling at themselves when they manage a variation!
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by richard white
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
The tunes are indiscernible. Such great tunes...why muddy the melody? I prefer playing that's cleaner more distinctful, sorry!
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by Threewood
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
It *was* a bit too, er, busy for my taste. I guess I'd never heard "comhaltas style" before. Is that really how they're taught to play? It took me a bit to pick out the melody, that's for sure. My taste generally runs to less ornamentation rather than more.
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by soft black stars
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
Nice playing - rhythmic driving style.
Not very Comhaltas, to be honest, or ubiquitous. Ornamentation reminded me a bit of John Carty at times, though.
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by Conán McDonnell
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
Crikey, I don't know what kind of music you like if you want to slag that fella's playing.
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by ...
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
Conan, I heard John Carty in some of that, too. Along with a flourish of Martin Hayes once or twice.
Brilliant stuff. Clearly flying by the seat of his pants, and having fun with the tunes.
LOL at: "The tunes are indiscernible." What?!
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by Will Harmon
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
Now, Co. Meath is coming into the spotlight.
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by slainte
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
Clearly he needs to practice more. </slagging>
I barely even recognized Maids of Mt. Cisco, though. Don't know if that's because it was filled with variations or if he was just playing a different version of the tune. Has anyone else heard it played like that?
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by kennedy
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
I had never heard the A section of Maids played that way before, but Mac's interpretation/variation/experimentation with it didn't detract from my enjoyment of his marvelous playing one iota.
I realize everyone is entitled to an opinion, but "Comhaltas Style" "Indiscernible" and "too busy?" - Oh my, people...
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by Jusa Nutter Eejit
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
Rath Cairn, Co. Meath, came into the spotlight in a major way with a Gael Linn Lp in the 1970's!
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by richard white
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
Listen to Mac Dara play Jenny's Welcoming to Charlie: http://dynamic.rte.ie/quickaxs/209-rte-ceilihouse-2008-01-19.smil (starts around 37:50)
I've been sick of hearing fiddlers playing P. Glackin's version of it. But Mac Dara's interpretation is very exciting.
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by slainte
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
I mean "Jenny's Welcome to Charlie," of course.
You should listen to the whole programme, which features loads of great musicians. It was recorded in the memorial concert for Féilim Ó Raghallaigh, who was Micheal and Mac Dara's brother, I believe.
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by slainte
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
Brilliant playing, love listening to Macdara.
To Richard White/rorywillie: If you know so well, then maybe you should upload a video of yourselves playing to show us how it should be done?
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by tnoumarap
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
Whew. That was so good I feel a little winded.
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
Lovely playing. Spiky and pulsy, turning the tune inside-out without contrivance. Real pleasure to listen to. Thanks for posting.
# Posted on May 10th 2008 by mutatis mutandis
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
I agree that MacDara's playing is heavily ornamented but I think it is very tasty and does not detract from a sense of feeling within the tune. His variation, rhythm and pulse (nice word that someone mentioned) all add up to bring across his expression within the tunes. Definitely echoes of John Carty there.
I don't see how people cannot see this. I'm usually in the "less is more" boat but as long as someone vibes or feelings are brought across by the musician, its good enough for me no matter how its done (unless you're smoking dope or something...)
# Posted on May 10th 2008 by 52Paddy
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
"I don't understand.."
"some vibes..."
# Posted on May 10th 2008 by 52Paddy
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
I thought it was excellent. Top class playing. Its all about individual expression. Its about quality of playing not, to my mind , the quantity of ornaments. But there placement, and inspiration, while retaining the drive and lift of the tune. This, I think,. he does admirably.
Personal style is something he has in buckets. Show me another player who plays like that....
# Posted on May 11th 2008 by piobagusfidil
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
Well, I'll definitely have to give it a few more listens. It was just a bit overwhelming on the first go-around. He's obviously a very good musician with his own very distinctive style. But, like other folks on this board who find other very good players not to their taste(K. Burke and M. Hayes come to mind) I reserve the right to prefer a different style
And dude, I totally don't smoke dope...
# Posted on May 12th 2008 by soft black stars
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
im sorry there rorywillie and soft black stars i have to disagree with you there.
First of all the tunes are certainly not indiscernable. The other comments here are true there are a lot of touches of john carty and others in his playing. That is what irish fiddle music is like. If you are looking for clean precise boring old comhaltas playing than listen to i dunno, take your pick of recent comhaltas fiddle winners. If you dont like the type of irsh style mac dara does with his ornamentation which is tastefully done then you probably wouldnt like john carty, frankie gavin, and you definately would not like the GENIUS of tommy potts!!
Mac daras playing is certainly not comhaltas playing. CCE playing is distinguished by its lack of melodic ornamentation, its 'safe' bowing, slow playing ( and i dont mean nice slow) a somewhat syncapated rythm all the time, and its tendencey to play sh*te tunes. Mac dara is none of these as you can hear!
# Posted on May 17th 2008 by fiddleruairi
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
richard white please explain goofy bowing. Your favouriye fiddle players must make an intersting list.No need to throw insults about a fella who looks like he enjoys what he's doing. As regards the touches of others in his playing as far as I know he's always played that way so John Carty and Martin Hayes would not be the names that spring to mind. Very personal style would be my thoughts.His bow hand is one of the best around.
# Posted on May 19th 2008 by Metal Head
Re: Mac Dara Ó Raghallaigh
Oh my god - seriously - if anyone cant tell that that was the maids of mount cisco then they need far more help musically than this website. Over ornamented my foot.
"If you like his playing you should also locate some of the other comhaltas style fiddle players. A very ubiquitous style of playing!! The same arrogant ornamentation, goofy bowing, raise of the fiddle when excited, smiling at themselves when they manage a variation" - Richard white
With the above comment I expect to see someone ala Eileen Ivers. You just dont have a single clue do you?
# Posted on August 14th 2008 by bb