I've noticed a few people saying how much they like Joe Ryan's playing, and his solitary recording is in my top 5 favourites. But as I was saying in another thread, I don't want to listen to just one recording until it gets stale.
So I'm wondering if anybody has ideas about similar recordings or musicians. Unflashy, honest, old-fashioned-sounding fiddle playing.
Pat O' Connor and Breda Keville fit the bill but I think you mentioned them yourself at some stage.Mike Rafferty plays tunes that are very understandable and might be interesting to play with on your fiddle.
John Kelly, the elder, also of west Clare, was a friend and playing partner of Joe's for a good portion of his life (in addition to being one of the seminal figures of Irish music in the 20th century, period). His playing is absolutely astounding - in an unflashy, honest, old-fashioned-sounding way. His concertina playing is also exuberantly danceable.
Lovely Dango! They played together for a long time. Even to see them walking together with the two fiddles under their arms was a delight. When John Kelly bent an ear in to hear music his reaction wasn't always positive! Two great men. Bernie , in the same vein, Patrick Kelly of Cree plays lovely music on his posthumous recording.
Are there any solo recordings of John Kelly on fiddle? I love the recording John and James Kelly (and also like James's recordings, Melodic Journey's and Capel Street).
I'm not so sure now Strayaway, Tab says Patrick Kelly made a posthumous recording, so maybe Joe Ryan could be persuaded to do one as well. I'll write to him.
Ah, Big Tab, men I wish I were old enough to have known. All three of them are folks I can only know through stories, recordings and video clips. But I think one of the best moments of my life was when a friend of mine called and said, "We were listening to my iPod on shuffle and 'Mary Brennan's Favorite' came on. We couldn't tell if it was John Kelly or you."
Also, Bernie, watch out there - the James and John CD is of John senior's two sons. John Kelly Jr. is also a fine fiddle player in his own right, but Kenny has pointed you in the right direction there. You can also hear a great few recordings of him at a Willie Clancy Week concert on the Comhaltas Archive website, definitely worth hearing; and if I'm not mistaken he's playing fiddle and concertina on one of the old Seoida Ceol (err...spelling?) albums too.
If any of ye are going to the Patrick's Day session at Linnane's in Kilfenora the marra, let's know how it goes. It is usually a cracker, and only a once a yearer, I think anyway
...and would someone organise to record a few tunes with the new gadgets these days f'jayz....it's historic stuff. brilliant. Tell yer man he should record it and sell it at the bar if necessary. Do not hold back.
Yer man is Gerard Linnane Skull. The locals call the pub Lotto's to remember the fact that Gerard won big in the national lottery 20 years ago. He is also the son of the late Kitty Linnane of the Kilfenora Ceili Band. Hope you get a nice tune in tomorrow .
Yes, I have quite a bit of Paddy Canny Larry, and I can see why you would mention him here, but somehow he doesn't quite do it for me. He doesn't make me think "that's how I'd like to play". I wonder why.
Ah, Michael Kelleher...he's great craic, lovely player as well o'course.Michael was at O'Connor's one night there, I remember, it was about this time of year, yer man comes into the session late to take a seat with his whistle to play, clearly with a few on board..."oh...happy new year, michael", says Michael to yer man.
'lotto's'...haha...that's great. was a great night there last two times or so ago...except that you couldn't move in the place, let alone get near the bar! No problem though, where there's a will there's a way. The music was unbelievable.
thanks, tabber, I will surely get some tunes the marra...I have the day off and part of the next...as well as Sunday ! and I am sure to be asked to play the bodhran this time round, I feel it in me bones; and in Australia anyway, it seems to be a chick magnet as well...fiddlers don't get a look in!
Thats why they all give out about the bodhran here . They cant deal with the fact that the drummers do the business when the fiddlers have their eyes closed playing a slow air. Hope you get a tune in before all that action.
well, prof., will ye get yerself to Linnanes the marra and get some recordings then. Others do. you are going to have a mighty week of music around there from now.
I'm not sure what you mean by Joe Ryan's 'solitary recording' unless you're citing his only solo recording (for Cló Iar-Chonnachta).
There's also 'Two Gentlemen of Clare Music' with concertina player Gerdie Commane, the classic 'Crossroads' with Eddie Clarke on harmonica, and the Comhaltas album 'Ceol an Chláir' (which also features John Kelly snr).
tab, I don't know, I keep gettin' the distinct intuition that I have seen you at a well known music establishment in Ennis near a bodhran in great company. Am I right then?
Paddy Galvin was from Quilty. He played with the Laitin Naoifa and the Quilty Ceiliband with Michael Downes, Junior Crehan, JC Talty, Josie Hayes and all of those. He's one of the fiddlers in the Kilrush Fleadh video with the lot of them, playing for the set.
A lot of similarities to Casey's music there.
You're right MacCruiskeen, I spoke too loosely. I have the Ceol an Chlair recording, I've heard the "Two Gentlemen" album and wasn't taken with it, but I'll give it another listen, and I'll try to overcome my prejudice against the harmonica in Irish music and give Crossroads a listen too. If I can find them somewhere. Thanks.
Bernie, You dont appreciate Paddy Canny and you dont wsh to play like him. You use the word "horrible " in relation a recording that is to my mind a gem. Whoever you end up playing like you wont be humble.
Imagine a man in a house in Quilty during the sixties, with a tape recorder, recording himself and his friends. And you complain about the quality of the recording?
Should he have thrown it out so we'd have nothing?
I could have put up a few clips of Thady Casey and people from around there but never mind those old scrapers then.
With the Galvin recording Tab I'm talking about the sound of the fiddle. It's horrible. Peter says there are similarities with Bobby Casey's music, but any similarity must be in the notes played, and certainly not the tone. Casey had a wonderfully rich tone. I expect the horrible sound of the Galvin recording is the fault of the recording rather than the player, but it is still horrible.
With Paddy Canny I said he "doesn't quite do it for me". It's not obligatory for us all to like the same styles or musicians is it?
I for one am thrilled to be able to listen to Paddy Galvin, and I too would love to know the answers to Peter's questions. Seriously, would you honestly prefer not to be able to hear it at all? I guess it's obvious you would. You seem to be another person who's more caught up in production quality than musical quality.
By the way, I have more than one clip of Bobby Casey sounding very similar in tone (and yes, it is the recording quality. Duh.)
To get back to the original question, it just came to me there are some lovely recordings of Joe Ryan and Tommy Reck, in B.
Joe liked playing with the flat pipes, I spent an afternoon playing with him in, of all places, O Connor's in Doolin in 1989. Just himself and myself and Micho Russell, who got distracted by a German woman after the first hour. At the end of it Susan O'Connor stood us a free meal. Joe told me then he entered the Oireachtas competitions a few times with Tommy and Liam O Flynn at a later date.
There was one nice moment maybe ten years ago when I was taking my son to Ennistymon, the Two Gentlemen of Clare was in the CD player in the car (he was learning the concertina and he liked that one at the time). There's a steep bend there and there was a little red Renault coming down the hill. I pulled over so he could pass. It was Joe, just as he passed he heard music from our car 'nice music' I said and drove on.
Made my day.
Bernie, I had the pleasure of playing with Joe & Kathleen Smyth at their session near Ashbourne, only a few times & this short video was taken shortly before Joe headed for that great Session in the sky.
one of the things i enjoy about listening to claire keville's clare fm show is her evident love of joe ryan's fiddling.....he is one of my favorites---i have to confess i often prefer his fiddling to that of bobby casey....there is an open-hearted, winsome sweetness to joe ryan's playing that just kills me.....of course, for my own part i'm also extremely partial to paddy canny.....
I've just realised I know someone who matches my requirements: Rose Murphy, the Milltown Lass. You can hear her on Spotify. Solo fiddle and some concertina. Plus she is an absolute babe, wait til you see the photos on the cover.
Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
I've noticed a few people saying how much they like Joe Ryan's playing, and his solitary recording is in my top 5 favourites. But as I was saying in another thread, I don't want to listen to just one recording until it gets stale.
So I'm wondering if anybody has ideas about similar recordings or musicians. Unflashy, honest, old-fashioned-sounding fiddle playing.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Bernie 29
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Pat O' Connor and Breda Keville fit the bill but I think you mentioned them yourself at some stage.Mike Rafferty plays tunes that are very understandable and might be interesting to play with on your fiddle.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by big_tab
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Rafferty ,of course is a flute player.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by big_tab
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
John Kelly, the elder, also of west Clare, was a friend and playing partner of Joe's for a good portion of his life (in addition to being one of the seminal figures of Irish music in the 20th century, period). His playing is absolutely astounding - in an unflashy, honest, old-fashioned-sounding way. His concertina playing is also exuberantly danceable.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Danjo
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Lovely Dango! They played together for a long time. Even to see them walking together with the two fiddles under their arms was a delight. When John Kelly bent an ear in to hear music his reaction wasn't always positive! Two great men. Bernie , in the same vein, Patrick Kelly of Cree plays lovely music on his posthumous recording.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by big_tab
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Yeah that's right Tab, Breda Keville's CD is also in my top 5, and seeing as she is still alive, I've written to her to tell her to make another one.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Bernie 29
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Good reasoning there, Bernie, wouldn't be much point if she was dead.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by strayaway
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Thanks Danjo,
Are there any solo recordings of John Kelly on fiddle? I love the recording John and James Kelly (and also like James's recordings, Melodic Journey's and Capel Street).
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Bernie 29
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
I'm not so sure now Strayaway, Tab says Patrick Kelly made a posthumous recording, so maybe Joe Ryan could be persuaded to do one as well. I'll write to him.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Bernie 29
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display/1307
This has been released on CD, with 11 extra tracks from the original recording session.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Kenny
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Ah, Big Tab, men I wish I were old enough to have known. All three of them are folks I can only know through stories, recordings and video clips. But I think one of the best moments of my life was when a friend of mine called and said, "We were listening to my iPod on shuffle and 'Mary Brennan's Favorite' came on. We couldn't tell if it was John Kelly or you."
Also, Bernie, watch out there - the James and John CD is of John senior's two sons. John Kelly Jr. is also a fine fiddle player in his own right, but Kenny has pointed you in the right direction there. You can also hear a great few recordings of him at a Willie Clancy Week concert on the Comhaltas Archive website, definitely worth hearing; and if I'm not mistaken he's playing fiddle and concertina on one of the old Seoida Ceol (err...spelling?) albums too.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Danjo
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Thanks Kenny, I've ordered that CD. And thanks for putting me straight about the Kellys Danjo.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Bernie 29
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
If any of ye are going to the Patrick's Day session at Linnane's in Kilfenora the marra, let's know how it goes. It is usually a cracker, and only a once a yearer, I think anyway
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
...and would someone organise to record a few tunes with the new gadgets these days f'jayz....it's historic stuff. brilliant. Tell yer man he should record it and sell it at the bar if necessary. Do not hold back.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Listen to Paddy Canny's few recordings; he was a rural fiddling genius.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Larry Ayers
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Thanks for that Skull. Can visitors to Linnane's expect to see anyone like Joe Ryan there? Although more alive I suppose.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Bernie 29
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
You might catch Michael Kelleher. That should do you.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Prof. Prlwytzkofski
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Yer man is Gerard Linnane Skull. The locals call the pub Lotto's to remember the fact that Gerard won big in the national lottery 20 years ago. He is also the son of the late Kitty Linnane of the Kilfenora Ceili Band. Hope you get a nice tune in tomorrow .
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by big_tab
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
I would say so, b29
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Yes, I have quite a bit of Paddy Canny Larry, and I can see why you would mention him here, but somehow he doesn't quite do it for me. He doesn't make me think "that's how I'd like to play". I wonder why.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Bernie 29
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Ah, Michael Kelleher...he's great craic, lovely player as well o'course.Michael was at O'Connor's one night there, I remember, it was about this time of year, yer man comes into the session late to take a seat with his whistle to play, clearly with a few on board..."oh...happy new year, michael", says Michael to yer man.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Why?
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by big_tab
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
'lotto's'...haha...that's great. was a great night there last two times or so ago...except that you couldn't move in the place, let alone get near the bar! No problem though, where there's a will there's a way. The music was unbelievable.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Are there any solo recordings of Michael Kelleher Peter?
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Bernie 29
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
No.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Prof. Prlwytzkofski
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
thanks, tabber, I will surely get some tunes the marra...I have the day off and part of the next...as well as Sunday ! and I am sure to be asked to play the bodhran this time round, I feel it in me bones; and in Australia anyway, it seems to be a chick magnet as well...fiddlers don't get a look in!
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Thats why they all give out about the bodhran here . They cant deal with the fact that the drummers do the business when the fiddlers have their eyes closed playing a slow air. Hope you get a tune in before all that action.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by big_tab
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
i'll be right, the tabber. Women dance in their dozens to the bodhran...and they never know why. It's great craic.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Fantastisch. Dank P.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Bernie 29
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Paddy Galvin was part of the same circle as Casey, Crehan, Kelly and all of those. Like some others just playing away without getting noticed much.
http://www.box.net/shared/6v7hei87hn
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Prof. Prlwytzkofski
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
well, prof., will ye get yerself to Linnanes the marra and get some recordings then. Others do. you are going to have a mighty week of music around there from now.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Bernie,
I'm not sure what you mean by Joe Ryan's 'solitary recording' unless you're citing his only solo recording (for Cló Iar-Chonnachta).
There's also 'Two Gentlemen of Clare Music' with concertina player Gerdie Commane, the classic 'Crossroads' with Eddie Clarke on harmonica, and the Comhaltas album 'Ceol an Chláir' (which also features John Kelly snr).
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by MacCruiskeen
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
And the Castle Ceiliband.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Prof. Prlwytzkofski
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Prof. that was fine music from Paddy Galvin. Thanks. Was he from West Clare?
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by big_tab
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
tab, I don't know, I keep gettin' the distinct intuition that I have seen you at a well known music establishment in Ennis near a bodhran in great company. Am I right then?
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Paddy Galvin was from Quilty. He played with the Laitin Naoifa and the Quilty Ceiliband with Michael Downes, Junior Crehan, JC Talty, Josie Hayes and all of those. He's one of the fiddlers in the Kilrush Fleadh video with the lot of them, playing for the set.
A lot of similarities to Casey's music there.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Prof. Prlwytzkofski
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
You're right MacCruiskeen, I spoke too loosely. I have the Ceol an Chlair recording, I've heard the "Two Gentlemen" album and wasn't taken with it, but I'll give it another listen, and I'll try to overcome my prejudice against the harmonica in Irish music and give Crossroads a listen too. If I can find them somewhere. Thanks.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Bernie 29
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Thanks for posting the Paddy Galvin Peter, but it's a horrible recording isn't it? That's not going to make me think "I want to play like that".
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Bernie 29
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Bernie, You dont appreciate Paddy Canny and you dont wsh to play like him. You use the word "horrible " in relation a recording that is to my mind a gem. Whoever you end up playing like you wont be humble.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by big_tab
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
bernie likes commercial sounding stuff, maybe not his own doing.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Thanks prof.. Great style to his fiddling.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by big_tab
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
I'd be thrilled to play the fiddle like that.
Imagine a man in a house in Quilty during the sixties, with a tape recorder, recording himself and his friends. And you complain about the quality of the recording?
Should he have thrown it out so we'd have nothing?
I could have put up a few clips of Thady Casey and people from around there but never mind those old scrapers then.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Prof. Prlwytzkofski
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
With the Galvin recording Tab I'm talking about the sound of the fiddle. It's horrible. Peter says there are similarities with Bobby Casey's music, but any similarity must be in the notes played, and certainly not the tone. Casey had a wonderfully rich tone. I expect the horrible sound of the Galvin recording is the fault of the recording rather than the player, but it is still horrible.
With Paddy Canny I said he "doesn't quite do it for me". It's not obligatory for us all to like the same styles or musicians is it?
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Bernie 29
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
I for one am thrilled to be able to listen to Paddy Galvin, and I too would love to know the answers to Peter's questions. Seriously, would you honestly prefer not to be able to hear it at all? I guess it's obvious you would. You seem to be another person who's more caught up in production quality than musical quality.
By the way, I have more than one clip of Bobby Casey sounding very similar in tone (and yes, it is the recording quality. Duh.)
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Nico
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
To get back to the original question, it just came to me there are some lovely recordings of Joe Ryan and Tommy Reck, in B.
Joe liked playing with the flat pipes, I spent an afternoon playing with him in, of all places, O Connor's in Doolin in 1989. Just himself and myself and Micho Russell, who got distracted by a German woman after the first hour. At the end of it Susan O'Connor stood us a free meal. Joe told me then he entered the Oireachtas competitions a few times with Tommy and Liam O Flynn at a later date.
There was one nice moment maybe ten years ago when I was taking my son to Ennistymon, the Two Gentlemen of Clare was in the CD player in the car (he was learning the concertina and he liked that one at the time). There's a steep bend there and there was a little red Renault coming down the hill. I pulled over so he could pass. It was Joe, just as he passed he heard music from our car 'nice music' I said and drove on.
Made my day.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Prof. Prlwytzkofski
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
What a glorious thread. Recordings shared and recommended, anecdotes swapped, grand musicians named. This is trad.
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by The Hurler on the Ditch
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
Bernie, I had the pleasure of playing with Joe & Kathleen Smyth at their session near Ashbourne, only a few times & this short video was taken shortly before Joe headed for that great Session in the sky.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6UPOtL5i4A
Cheers
Dick
# Posted on March 16th 2011 by Ptarmigan
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
one of the things i enjoy about listening to claire keville's clare fm show is her evident love of joe ryan's fiddling.....he is one of my favorites---i have to confess i often prefer his fiddling to that of bobby casey....there is an open-hearted, winsome sweetness to joe ryan's playing that just kills me.....of course, for my own part i'm also extremely partial to paddy canny.....
# Posted on March 17th 2011 by ceemonster
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
I just saw this thread. I see I missed the recording Peter posted. :(
# Posted on March 17th 2011 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Is there anybody else like Joe Ryan?
I've just realised I know someone who matches my requirements: Rose Murphy, the Milltown Lass. You can hear her on Spotify. Solo fiddle and some concertina. Plus she is an absolute babe, wait til you see the photos on the cover.
# Posted on March 25th 2011 by Bernie 29