If you strip away all the politics about the venue, there's quite a nice description of this musician's genius. an extract is as follows:-
"As for the concert, Hayes and Cahill were – typically – brilliant. If anything, the venue seems a bit too clean for a music genre long synonymous with smoke-stained ceilings and beer-soaked carpets. But the great fiddle player and his masterfully understated guitar accompanist are no strangers to the world’s concert halls and their sound is pristine enough for any of them, including this.
Among the pieces they played was a tune called The Fiddler’s Key, which Hayes explained was written by a female friend who had noticed that most of his music was in the minor keys – usually associated with sadness – and especially G-minor. The Clareman is not the only virtuoso to have a fondness for this scale. A man called Mozart used it a lot too, when evoking tragedy.
Even so, Hayes’s music is not all sad, by any means. It’s true that if you closed your eyes during some of the more melancholy tunes – say The Night Before Larry Was Stretched – you could be in Miltown Malbay on a drizzly evening in November, with a sea fog rolling in across the treeless fields, past the deserted holiday homes and the closed doors of pubs that have just gone out of business."
There's no doubt but that Martin and Denis can captivate any audience and, having spoken to one or two who attended on the night, could even hold the attention of young people and non-musicians for some pieces of 10 minutes or more in length. In my book anyway I'd place Martin along with Tommy Peoples into that special category as a "traditional institution" of this generation.
I'd agree that he's an institution. I can respect his music, even though I don't care for it much. But as the man himself said at this year's Masters of Tradition 2009 Sydney Festival: "One of the greatest strengths of this music is the shear lack of consensus"
I heard an interview with him recently on Clare FM in which he talked about his support for Obama in the recent campaign, donating money, doing a fund raising gig and going door to door distributing leaflets. Fine Man!
Leoj, that's the first I've heard of "his support for Obama" - he's gone up even further in my estimation. I'd also agree with Michael that on a personal level I mightn't like everything he does (but then this applies to most performers I've heard) but it doesn't take away from his uniqueness. I have to ashamedly admit that I haven't yet been to any of his concerts yet but it's something I hope to rectify in the not too distant future!
According to it, Dennis Cahill and himself are playing this Friday 10th, somewhere near Miltown, plus with it being Willie Clancy week, he's teaching there as well.
If I were in and around Clare this Friday, I'd do my best to get to see him - fine, fine fiddle player.
You can hear Tommy Potts and Paddy Canny in his playing.
Few ITM fiddlers use dynamics as a tool the way he does.
I haven't heard much of Brendan Larrissey - would he be another?
Martin was playing with the Tulla ceili band at this year's Miltown and I've never seen a muso look like he was enjoying himself so much!
I'll have whatever he's having, thanks ...
Martin Hayes - A Traditional Institution !
Martin Hayes - A Traditional Institution !
Have just come across this piece today in the Irish Times at http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2009/0708/1224250237243.html.
If you strip away all the politics about the venue, there's quite a nice description of this musician's genius. an extract is as follows:-
"As for the concert, Hayes and Cahill were – typically – brilliant. If anything, the venue seems a bit too clean for a music genre long synonymous with smoke-stained ceilings and beer-soaked carpets. But the great fiddle player and his masterfully understated guitar accompanist are no strangers to the world’s concert halls and their sound is pristine enough for any of them, including this.
Among the pieces they played was a tune called The Fiddler’s Key, which Hayes explained was written by a female friend who had noticed that most of his music was in the minor keys – usually associated with sadness – and especially G-minor. The Clareman is not the only virtuoso to have a fondness for this scale. A man called Mozart used it a lot too, when evoking tragedy.
Even so, Hayes’s music is not all sad, by any means. It’s true that if you closed your eyes during some of the more melancholy tunes – say The Night Before Larry Was Stretched – you could be in Miltown Malbay on a drizzly evening in November, with a sea fog rolling in across the treeless fields, past the deserted holiday homes and the closed doors of pubs that have just gone out of business."
There's no doubt but that Martin and Denis can captivate any audience and, having spoken to one or two who attended on the night, could even hold the attention of young people and non-musicians for some pieces of 10 minutes or more in length. In my book anyway I'd place Martin along with Tommy Peoples into that special category as a "traditional institution" of this generation.
# Posted on July 8th 2009 by Bannerman
Re: Martin Hayes - A Traditional Institution !
I'd agree that he's an institution. I can respect his music, even though I don't care for it much. But as the man himself said at this year's Masters of Tradition 2009 Sydney Festival: "One of the greatest strengths of this music is the shear lack of consensus"
# Posted on July 8th 2009 by llig leahcim
Re: Martin Hayes - A Traditional Institution !
I heard an interview with him recently on Clare FM in which he talked about his support for Obama in the recent campaign, donating money, doing a fund raising gig and going door to door distributing leaflets. Fine Man!
# Posted on July 8th 2009 by leoj
Re: Martin Hayes - A Traditional Institution !
Leoj, that's the first I've heard of "his support for Obama" - he's gone up even further in my estimation. I'd also agree with Michael that on a personal level I mightn't like everything he does (but then this applies to most performers I've heard) but it doesn't take away from his uniqueness. I have to ashamedly admit that I haven't yet been to any of his concerts yet but it's something I hope to rectify in the not too distant future!
# Posted on July 8th 2009 by Bannerman
Re: Martin Hayes - A Traditional Institution !
Bannerman
Check out the "Wednesday Session 1st July" about 1:00 through the interview with Martin Hayes begins:
http://www.clare.fm/music/ClareFM%20trad%20archive
According to it, Dennis Cahill and himself are playing this Friday 10th, somewhere near Miltown, plus with it being Willie Clancy week, he's teaching there as well.
If I were in and around Clare this Friday, I'd do my best to get to see him - fine, fine fiddle player.
# Posted on July 8th 2009 by Ciarán.
Re: Martin Hayes - A Traditional Institution !
The following week, Jul 12-17 Martin will be back on this side of the pond, teaching at Swannanoa in Ashville, NC. Really looking forward to it.
# Posted on July 8th 2009 by RogueFiddler
Re: Martin Hayes - A Traditional Institution !
You can hear Tommy Potts and Paddy Canny in his playing.
Few ITM fiddlers use dynamics as a tool the way he does.
I haven't heard much of Brendan Larrissey - would he be another?
# Posted on July 9th 2009 by Hup
Re: Martin Hayes - A Traditional Institution !
Martin was playing with the Tulla ceili band at this year's Miltown and I've never seen a muso look like he was enjoying himself so much!
I'll have whatever he's having, thanks ...
# Posted on July 21st 2009 by dogbox