There isnt only one and they arent all fiddle players either, Tommy People's, Oisin MacDirmada, Declan Folan, Jo Marsh, Kevin Griffin, Michael Queally - much too many to list
Eileen Eivers, Martin Hayes, Lynard Skynard, Guns 'n' Roses, Lunassa (mcgoldrick and Sean Smyth) could go on and on.....
I agree with bb, every cd i own has influenced me in some way!
Eileen Eivers??? I own that and it certainly didnt influence me! (like lynard skynard tho! & creedance Clearwater revival, told you I was a hippie in a former life )
I guess that depends on which eileen eivers cd you own, i like her early stuff with lots of improvisation (although i've noticed that alot of other people don't!)
Can't get past lynard skynard guitar solos for inspiration - especially "Free Bird" can go to town with some of that stuff! Must admit my favourite irish band is probably still "four men and a dog" great live and fantastic fiddle playing (the banjo player and the fiddle player play both banjo and fiddle amazingly!)
:0)
Omigod, Glauber, there you go again. *blush* Thanks for the compliment, though. I have to again say I probably learn more from everyone else here than anybody ever learns from me, though.
As bb says, I don't have only one influence, and in my case, influence changes depending on what I'm trying to figure out at the time, no such thing as "biggest" at the moment. Of course my biggest influence (whether I like it or not) is Dirk, since we play together regularly. We've even started making the same mistakes and hitting the same ornaments at the same time wthout planning to. That's a little scary. But of course the people you play with regularly are going to have a huge influence on how you play, which is why you should be pretty fussy about your teachers and session mates until you're good enough to pull against the tide -- or at least, in the latter case, of being aware of not picking up bad habits.
Shannon and Matt Heaton, Mike Dugger, George Keith, Jessica Ziegler, Kevin Glackin, John Carr, Michelle Huber and others have all attempted to make me a better player directly. God bless them for doing right by me, and it's my own musical limitations that keep me from doing right by them by *being* a better player, for which I feel guilty often. I regularly listen to Kevin Burke, Paddy Glackin, Verena Commins and Julie Langan, Tim Edey, Oisín Mac Diarmada, Pat O'Connor, Liz Carroll, Paddy Keenan, Kieran O'Hare, and lots more.
I have enough of her CDs to know that I dont like them, maybe you should check out either Oisin MacDirmada or Declan Folan -Oisin plays with the new band Teada.....thats the kind of playing I like. Not big on the whole jmebe (?) and jazzy kind of thing. Though saying that - people tell me I have the most awful taste in music. One of my favourite things in the world is go dancing at a club that plays 80's music!!! ;) - so you probably shouldnt listen to anything I say that has anything to do with music Four men & a dog - cant deny they are really good - bit too country for me.....I like Lunasa though - & Grada!
Oh yeah - verena and Julie's cd is one of my all time favourites. And if you mean Tim Edey from England - he is a fantastic musician, but I didnt think his album did him justice at all, cause he really is one of those freaks who is just brilliant and only 21
I quite like Eileen Iver's Wild Blue album, though. It's worth knowing that she is heavily influenced by a lot of different musical beats and such -- nothing wrong with that so long as it's what you're expecting. She's a damn fine player, that's for sure.
bb, yes, Tim from England -- he's a lovely player, isn't he? I especially love the tracks with Mike McGoldrick on them. And yes, I LOVE that first set that starts with the Fly Fishing Reel on Fonnchaoi -- I've got the dots up here because I loved it so much.
There is nothing wrong with that - though the music she was playing in the eighties was just incredible & she was a brilliant trad musician, its sorta sad to see it go by the wayside. Was it john Whelan she used to play with.....twas magic back then Dont get me wrong - if you get your hands on a Declan folan cd you'll see I quite like funky types of playing - yet he manages to still make it sound like trad....
Have you met him?? He is from Kent & he was at a session that I was at and knows a good friend of mine, lovely person as well as great musician + plus he knows half the muso's in galway - how did you get to here of him?
Oh, she's still a brilliant trad musician, bb, when she wants to be, but she's off into other climes professionally these days. I'm not a huge fan of reggae and such, myself, so I don't listen to the newer stuff much. But I have to really respect her abilities as a musician period, whether trad or world beat -- she can certainly blow me out of the water on her very worst days easily.
Heh, this is getting pretty funny, bb -- as to Tim Edey, I have an article on him that's been hanging fire for quite some time, as I have written for The Celtic Cafe for a while. Tim's going to donate a track from his CD for the benefit CD that we're putting together for Kirk Lynch. I haven't met him personally, but would love to -- what an amazing player the boy is, and he seems a very good person indeed.
Dont get me wrong Eileen is an exeptional musician - just not the style I like therefore would not listen to. Though, having said that - I used to love her when I first started playing - I love the beatles too )
When are you gona start playing some beatles tunes?
I dont' really like four men and a dogs songs that much, really just like there rockin tune sets,
Must have a listen to Tim, it appears you guys think hes not a bad player...... hee hee.
I must say, i only left this discussion for about 10 minutes and your right, bb, it does make difficult reading, quite funny tho! One of my mates was playing at Lorient festival about a year (or two) ago and went to see Eileen Eivers play, he loved her stuff to.... until that gig, - said it was all rocky, couldnt hear what the fiddle was doing and was basically shite! So, not having seen her in concert, i'm just comparing her with recordings ive got.
Do like track one on the wild blue album though!
Jamie
for me, it tends to be whoever i'm listening to a lot of. these days, it's wendy macisaac, nollaig casey, and that fiddler in lunasa. (hey, i haven't had any coffee yet. i don't have to remember names.)
and that version of 'rights of man' on eileen ivers's 'wild blue' cd is just amazing.
Lovely indeed, bb -- but then I can't believe how plain NICE a lot of the folks who are contributing are. Liz Carroll, Kieran O'Hare, Liz Knowles, Tim Edey, John Doyle, Connie Dover, Roger Landes, Mike Dugger, (those last three having been in Scartaglen with Kirk Lynch), Tim Britton, Martin Egan, EJ Jones, Michael Eskin, and others -- all of them have been positively eager to help another player in trouble (Kirk has cancer of the eye), it's been very touching to see.
It'll be a global release, and it'll be distributed by the Web and by mail. Dirk and I are meeting with the CPA on Monday to set up the financial end. Once that's done, we can move a lot faster -- the musicians are all champing at the bit, and here we are trying to get the back end moving. Aargh. *grin*
I'll be sure to announce the whole thing here as soon as we're ready for orders. I've been so impressed with how much heart the ITM world-wide community has for one of its own.
And now, we return you to your regularly scheduled discussion.
Jamie, youre one to talk - we are always discussing the same things at the same time ;) But yes - Ive too much time on my hands...if I cant play music in the daytime - may aswell talk about it...
I was a student of Patrick Ourceau's for a few years. I have all my tapes from our lessons and they're very precious to me. So I guess I'd say that he's had the biggest influence on me, practically-speaking.
Kevin Burke is my favorite fiddle player ever, though.
hey, just writting to try and stick up for the northern traditions !
Altan, Tommy Peoples Johnny Doherty, matt mc grannaghan , the fiddler from Danú, mairead & triona ní dhomhnail, Liz Doherty and just seen steeve Cooney down town this morning so im gunna include him too !
some of you must like them and oh yeah, the glackins !
There are way too many people to really name for me, like E-Bess said practically I guess my main Influence would be Tony DeMarco, he whipped my bowing into shape early on. But If I could sound like any player in the world with the swish of a magic wand I think it would have to be Paddy Cronin. I have to say that I've let myself become more influenced by older more traditional musicians than newer musicians (ie I'll take James Morrison over Liz Carroll, hands down). That doesn't mean that I don't go "Eileen" every once in a while, but that's more for a duo or trio on stage than anywhere else.
I think it's too early for me to say *who* I'm influenced by. But I've listened to alot of Kevin Burke, James Kelly, Liz Carroll (early stuff),Michael Coleman and Peter Knight (who sounds like he was a Michael Coleman man), Altan, Johnny Doherty, Paddy Glackin. Matt Cranitch must be influencing me since I use his tutor. I went through a Martin Hayes phase a few years back
In the past couple of years I mostly listen to things like Milestone at the Garden and Paddy in the Smoke. I really the "old" sound. Now I've got the Paddy Canny/PJ Hayes cd and the Michael Gorman set. My tastes keep shifting, but I think it's safe to say I'm headed (hopefully) towards an older style. There are so many more fiddlers to explore, though!
Those of you who have been able to get lessons from people like Patrick Ourceau and Tony DeMarco, ect. are soooo lucky. I got to play with Kevin Burke for about 5 minutes once at a house party, and Julie Henigan turned up at our session once a few years back. I need to move to the East Coast or something!
There are a lot of big names who influence me, but my biggest influences are local guys. Guys who have been able to travel all over the world in search of Irish music. One of these guys has passed on, but the rest are still alive and playing. They are:
Earl Hearn, old time fiddler from way back.
Phil Reid of Banish Misfortune
Brett Heitzkie of Falderal
Matthew Hill, who I play with in Calliope House. Matthew has played for step dancers, Contras, Ceilies, most all of his life.
And last but not least, Kendall Rogers, a key board and whistle player who is known in a number of Contra Dance camps all over the USA.
These guys have taken the time to teach me what I know today.
Influences... Let's see... From the very beginning: "Let the Sun Shine In", "Stairway to Heaven", Mozart's "Requiem", Pachelbel's "Canon", Simon and Garfunkel, "Les Miserables" (the musical), "Annie" (the movie), "Pirates of Penzance" (the movie), all twenty-five of the classic 3 chord folk songs everybody's ex-hippie Daddy teaches them on the guitar, Milli Vanilli (and several other equally embarassing icons from the '80's), the Beastie Boys, Ani Difranco, Ben Harper, Nick Drake, everyone I've ever played with or learned from, rain, mountains, and huge crashing waves.
In a sense relevant to Irish music, though, I guess I'd like to capture a Martin Hayes or Patrick Ourceau kind of vibe sometime down the road. With a Beastie Boys backbeat and Simon and Garfunkel harmonies. And of course I'll use the chords from Pachelbel's Canon to accompany everything.
Don't forget that you can sing the old Burger King jingle to Pachelbel's Canon in D. Seriously, you really can. Try it. "Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don't upset us..."
My Influences? Of course, Zina, who teaches me most of the tunes I'm playing, and who I practice with every week. But, of course there are all the teachers who Iv'e had lessons from and the recordings:
Shannon and Matt Heaton, Mike Dugger, Eoin O'Riabhaigh from Scoiltrad, Tim Britton, and Kirk Lynch - who made my uilleann pipes. The recordings are: Kieran O'Hare, Altan, The Chieftains, The Bothy Band, Jerry O'Sullivan, and Seamus Ennis.
Then there's the locals: Eric Olson who takes us beginning Colorado pipers under his wing, and the local highland piper Ben Holmes, who taught me how to care for the instrument.
Before all that, there was jazz - and Fred Hess was our band leader. JS Bach is also important to me.
You know, lately I've been listening to a lot of John Doyl'es guitar playing - in various bands. I must say I enjoy the recent popularity of acompanying rhythm guitar in Irish Trad.
Whenever I am playing flute, including for Irish traditional music, there is always a part of me thinking of "Prez"--Lester Young. His approach to melody and general musical ambiance seems to apply to any type music.
Also "Moon Ray", George Shearing. And...
Someday when I am a more skilled player I want to do Mercer's "Skylark" thru a nice Irish mist....
Thinking about this, I realise that my influences are more numerous than I had would have thought. Some influenced the way I play, some for the kind of tunes I like, some for attitudes and how to listen to music. I won't say much about who did what in that regard. Here they are. It's a bit long.
My early influences were the background music we had in the house: rakes of ceili band albums and some Clancy Brothers, and all those scratchy tapes and out-of-tune pianos at dancing lessons and competitions.
The epiphany was hearing O Riada Sa Gaiety at a friend's place (he was big into Beethoven but he had some Sean O Riada albums). I had never heard anything like it. This quickly got me to the Chieftains, Planxty, etc. More importantly it got me into solo albums: Pat Mitchell, Leo Rowsome, Tommy Potts, Willie Clancy, Seamus Ennis, Tommy Reck, and so on. Later on, Sean Keane, Robbie Hannan, Jimmy O'Brien-Moran, Micho Russell, Ronan Browne, Peadar O'Loughlin.
It wasn't long before I found the Sydney sessions. The sound and tunes made by the "Jimmys" will never leave me. The Jimmys were: Jimmy Mularchy, Jimmy Philburn, Jimmy Conners, Jimmy McBride, Declan Affley, Mick Hand, John Joe Noonan, and Kevin Doyle.
From the early 80s, there has been a constant stream of musos coming thorugh Sydney. The ones that had a great influence: Eilish O'Connor, Maire O'Keeffe, Enda O Cathain, Marcus Hernon, John Hoban, Josephine Marsh, Micheal O Cathain, Paraic MacDonnachadh, John Carty, Brendan Mulkere.
These days, I find myself listening mostly to singers' CDs: the great Sean 'AcDonncha (I had the great honour of meeting Sean and spending some days staying with him and Brid), Diarmuid O Suilleabhain, Peadar O Ceannabhain, Sarah & Rita Keane, Joe Heaney, Nan Tom Teaimin, and so on.
As a piper, I had great help and encouragment from Declan Affley, Ian MacKenzie, and Geoff Wooff.
Finally, I don't think there's ever a session, a concert, a little musical ocassion where I don't pick up something, get an idea, have something finally make sense. So there it is. We all owe much to many.
It's interesting that Irish Traditional music influenced Amercian music, including bluegrass, country, and jazz. And the best of those genres come full circle to influence modern Irish Trad. It's the great circle of influence, which has come together over many decades.
Playing old time traditional American music is what got me to dive off the deep end into ITM. Repeating the words of,,,somebody,,, "I like! I love it! I want some more of it!"
Almost sounds like the Lion King. Circle of life kind of thing.
You know I think what is fascinating about this discussion is the light it throws on the musical exposure we had as children. Now I remember that I often heard recordings from Harry Lauder (a Wee Dorch and Doris)--could this music hall version of the celtic tradition have subtly brought me to my present messing about with everything Celtic?
Influences
Influences
What muscian has had the biggest influence on your playing and style of music?
# Posted on June 13th 2002 by jo
Re: Influences
There isnt only one and they arent all fiddle players either, Tommy People's, Oisin MacDirmada, Declan Folan, Jo Marsh, Kevin Griffin, Michael Queally - much too many to list
# Posted on June 13th 2002 by shoddy fiddle player
Re: Influences
Jean Pierre Rampal, Matt Molloy, Mark Knopfler, Zina Lee and Will Harmon.
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by glauber
Re: Influences
Eileen Eivers, Martin Hayes, Lynard Skynard, Guns 'n' Roses, Lunassa (mcgoldrick and Sean Smyth) could go on and on.....
I agree with bb, every cd i own has influenced me in some way!
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by jamiedj
Re: Influences
Eileen Eivers??? I own that and it certainly didnt influence me!
(like lynard skynard tho! & creedance Clearwater revival, told you I was a hippie in a former life 
)
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by shoddy fiddle player
Re: Influences
I guess that depends on which eileen eivers cd you own, i like her early stuff with lots of improvisation (although i've noticed that alot of other people don't!)
Can't get past lynard skynard guitar solos for inspiration - especially "Free Bird" can go to town with some of that stuff! Must admit my favourite irish band is probably still "four men and a dog" great live and fantastic fiddle playing (the banjo player and the fiddle player play both banjo and fiddle amazingly!)
:0)
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by jamiedj
Re: Influences
Omigod, Glauber, there you go again. *blush* Thanks for the compliment, though. I have to again say I probably learn more from everyone else here than anybody ever learns from me, though.
As bb says, I don't have only one influence, and in my case, influence changes depending on what I'm trying to figure out at the time, no such thing as "biggest" at the moment. Of course my biggest influence (whether I like it or not) is Dirk, since we play together regularly. We've even started making the same mistakes and hitting the same ornaments at the same time wthout planning to. That's a little scary.
But of course the people you play with regularly are going to have a huge influence on how you play, which is why you should be pretty fussy about your teachers and session mates until you're good enough to pull against the tide -- or at least, in the latter case, of being aware of not picking up bad habits.
Shannon and Matt Heaton, Mike Dugger, George Keith, Jessica Ziegler, Kevin Glackin, John Carr, Michelle Huber and others have all attempted to make me a better player directly. God bless them for doing right by me, and it's my own musical limitations that keep me from doing right by them by *being* a better player, for which I feel guilty often. I regularly listen to Kevin Burke, Paddy Glackin, Verena Commins and Julie Langan, Tim Edey, Oisín Mac Diarmada, Pat O'Connor, Liz Carroll, Paddy Keenan, Kieran O'Hare, and lots more.
Zina
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Influences
I have enough of her CDs to know that I dont like them, maybe you should check out either Oisin MacDirmada or Declan Folan -Oisin plays with the new band Teada.....thats the kind of playing I like. Not big on the whole jmebe (?) and jazzy kind of thing. Though saying that - people tell me I have the most awful taste in music. One of my favourite things in the world is go dancing at a club that plays 80's music!!! ;) - so you probably shouldnt listen to anything I say that has anything to do with music
Four men & a dog - cant deny they are really good - bit too country for me.....I like Lunasa though - & Grada!
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by shoddy fiddle player
Re: Influences
Oh yeah - verena and Julie's cd is one of my all time favourites. And if you mean Tim Edey from England - he is a fantastic musician, but I didnt think his album did him justice at all, cause he really is one of those freaks who is just brilliant and only 21
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by shoddy fiddle player
Re: Influences
I quite like Eileen Iver's Wild Blue album, though. It's worth knowing that she is heavily influenced by a lot of different musical beats and such -- nothing wrong with that so long as it's what you're expecting. She's a damn fine player, that's for sure.
Zina
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by Zina Lee
bb, yes, Tim from England -- he's a lovely player, isn't he? I especially love the tracks with Mike McGoldrick on them. And yes, I LOVE that first set that starts with the Fly Fishing Reel on Fonnchaoi -- I've got the dots up here because I loved it so much.
Zina
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Influences
There is nothing wrong with that - though the music she was playing in the eighties was just incredible & she was a brilliant trad musician, its sorta sad to see it go by the wayside. Was it john Whelan she used to play with.....twas magic back then
Dont get me wrong - if you get your hands on a Declan folan cd you'll see I quite like funky types of playing - yet he manages to still make it sound like trad....
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by shoddy fiddle player
Re: Influences
Have you met him?? He is from Kent & he was at a session that I was at and knows a good friend of mine, lovely person as well as great musician + plus he knows half the muso's in galway - how did you get to here of him?
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by shoddy fiddle player
Re: Influences
we are logged on at the same time so we keep answering each others questions in the wrong order
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by shoddy fiddle player
Re: Influences
Oh, she's still a brilliant trad musician, bb, when she wants to be, but she's off into other climes professionally these days. I'm not a huge fan of reggae and such, myself, so I don't listen to the newer stuff much. But I have to really respect her abilities as a musician period, whether trad or world beat -- she can certainly blow me out of the water on her very worst days easily.
Zina
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by Zina Lee
Heh, this is getting pretty funny, bb -- as to Tim Edey, I have an article on him that's been hanging fire for quite some time, as I have written for The Celtic Cafe for a while. Tim's going to donate a track from his CD for the benefit CD that we're putting together for Kirk Lynch. I haven't met him personally, but would love to -- what an amazing player the boy is, and he seems a very good person indeed.
Zina
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Influences
Thats lovely of him isnt it
Dont get me wrong Eileen is an exeptional musician - just not the style I like therefore would not listen to. Though, having said that - I used to love her when I first started playing - I love the beatles too
)
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by shoddy fiddle player
Re: Influences
When are you gona start playing some beatles tunes?
I dont' really like four men and a dogs songs that much, really just like there rockin tune sets,
Must have a listen to Tim, it appears you guys think hes not a bad player...... hee hee.
I must say, i only left this discussion for about 10 minutes and your right, bb, it does make difficult reading, quite funny tho! One of my mates was playing at Lorient festival about a year (or two) ago and went to see Eileen Eivers play, he loved her stuff to.... until that gig, - said it was all rocky, couldnt hear what the fiddle was doing and was basically shite! So, not having seen her in concert, i'm just comparing her with recordings ive got.
Do like track one on the wild blue album though!
Jamie
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by jamiedj
Re: Influences
for me, it tends to be whoever i'm listening to a lot of. these days, it's wendy macisaac, nollaig casey, and that fiddler in lunasa. (hey, i haven't had any coffee yet. i don't have to remember names.)
and that version of 'rights of man' on eileen ivers's 'wild blue' cd is just amazing.
sarah
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by eleyne
Re: Influences
Lovely indeed, bb -- but then I can't believe how plain NICE a lot of the folks who are contributing are. Liz Carroll, Kieran O'Hare, Liz Knowles, Tim Edey, John Doyle, Connie Dover, Roger Landes, Mike Dugger, (those last three having been in Scartaglen with Kirk Lynch), Tim Britton, Martin Egan, EJ Jones, Michael Eskin, and others -- all of them have been positively eager to help another player in trouble (Kirk has cancer of the eye), it's been very touching to see.
Zina
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by Zina Lee
Aack. *grin* Jamie, track one on Wild Blue is the BEST.
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Influences
will you be releasing the album overseas?
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by shoddy fiddle player
Re: Influences
i'm sooooo very confused.........?
But I'd like a copy too!!!!
Jamie
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by jamiedj
Re: Influences
It'll be a global release, and it'll be distributed by the Web and by mail. Dirk and I are meeting with the CPA on Monday to set up the financial end. Once that's done, we can move a lot faster -- the musicians are all champing at the bit, and here we are trying to get the back end moving. Aargh. *grin*
Zina
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Influences
I'm in for a copy - sounds really good;)
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by shoddy fiddle player
Re: Influences
"bb" somehow, i think you have too much time on your hands at work, every discussion i flit through, there you are! Much like myself methinks!
:0)
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by jamiedj
Re: Influences
here we go again! I'm totally confused - but actually its not too far off what I feel in a real session (pints etc!) ;)
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by shoddy fiddle player
Re: Influences
I'll be sure to announce the whole thing here as soon as we're ready for orders. I've been so impressed with how much heart the ITM world-wide community has for one of its own.
And now, we return you to your regularly scheduled discussion.
Zina
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Influences
Was there a regular discussion?, i can't remember what i'm talking about anymore, i think i'll go back and check the screen listing and reviews.......
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by jamiedj
Re: Influences
Jamie, youre one to talk - we are always discussing the same things at the same time ;) But yes - Ive too much time on my hands...if I cant play music in the daytime - may aswell talk about it...
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by shoddy fiddle player
Re: Influences
I LIKE it.... as a friend of mine used to say, (in a scottish accent) music, music, music, *pause* and DRINK!
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by jamiedj
Re: Influences
I was a student of Patrick Ourceau's for a few years. I have all my tapes from our lessons and they're very precious to me. So I guess I'd say that he's had the biggest influence on me, practically-speaking.
Kevin Burke is my favorite fiddle player ever, though.
xo,
E. Bess
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by E. Bess
Re: Influences
hey, just writting to try and stick up for the northern traditions !
Altan, Tommy Peoples Johnny Doherty, matt mc grannaghan , the fiddler from Danú, mairead & triona ní dhomhnail, Liz Doherty and just seen steeve Cooney down town this morning so im gunna include him too !
some of you must like them and oh yeah, the glackins !
máirtín
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by martin t
Re: Influences
There are way too many people to really name for me, like E-Bess said practically I guess my main Influence would be Tony DeMarco, he whipped my bowing into shape early on. But If I could sound like any player in the world with the swish of a magic wand I think it would have to be Paddy Cronin. I have to say that I've let myself become more influenced by older more traditional musicians than newer musicians (ie I'll take James Morrison over Liz Carroll, hands down). That doesn't mean that I don't go "Eileen" every once in a while, but that's more for a duo or trio on stage than anywhere else.
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by Brad Maloney
Re: Influences
Influences?
Mostly Murphy's Stout, these days.
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by Bloomfield
Re: Influences
I think it's too early for me to say *who* I'm influenced by. But I've listened to alot of Kevin Burke, James Kelly, Liz Carroll (early stuff),Michael Coleman and Peter Knight (who sounds like he was a Michael Coleman man), Altan, Johnny Doherty, Paddy Glackin. Matt Cranitch must be influencing me since I use his tutor. I went through a Martin Hayes phase a few years back
In the past couple of years I mostly listen to things like Milestone at the Garden and Paddy in the Smoke. I really the "old" sound. Now I've got the Paddy Canny/PJ Hayes cd and the Michael Gorman set. My tastes keep shifting, but I think it's safe to say I'm headed (hopefully) towards an older style. There are so many more fiddlers to explore, though!
Those of you who have been able to get lessons from people like Patrick Ourceau and Tony DeMarco, ect. are soooo lucky. I got to play with Kevin Burke for about 5 minutes once at a house party, and Julie Henigan turned up at our session once a few years back. I need to move to the East Coast or something!
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by soft black stars
Re: Influences
Without a doubt...B.B King
The most gracious and accomplished musician I have ever had the pleasure to listen to.
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by Mcbear365
Re: Influences
There are a lot of big names who influence me, but my biggest influences are local guys. Guys who have been able to travel all over the world in search of Irish music. One of these guys has passed on, but the rest are still alive and playing. They are:
Earl Hearn, old time fiddler from way back.
Phil Reid of Banish Misfortune
Brett Heitzkie of Falderal
Matthew Hill, who I play with in Calliope House. Matthew has played for step dancers, Contras, Ceilies, most all of his life.
And last but not least, Kendall Rogers, a key board and whistle player who is known in a number of Contra Dance camps all over the USA.
These guys have taken the time to teach me what I know today.
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by flyinfiddler
Re: Influences
Influences... Let's see... From the very beginning: "Let the Sun Shine In", "Stairway to Heaven", Mozart's "Requiem", Pachelbel's "Canon", Simon and Garfunkel, "Les Miserables" (the musical), "Annie" (the movie), "Pirates of Penzance" (the movie), all twenty-five of the classic 3 chord folk songs everybody's ex-hippie Daddy teaches them on the guitar, Milli Vanilli (and several other equally embarassing icons from the '80's), the Beastie Boys, Ani Difranco, Ben Harper, Nick Drake, everyone I've ever played with or learned from, rain, mountains, and huge crashing waves.
In a sense relevant to Irish music, though, I guess I'd like to capture a Martin Hayes or Patrick Ourceau kind of vibe sometime down the road. With a Beastie Boys backbeat and Simon and Garfunkel harmonies. And of course I'll use the chords from Pachelbel's Canon to accompany everything.
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by Kerri Brown
Re: Influences
Don't forget that you can sing the old Burger King jingle to Pachelbel's Canon in D. Seriously, you really can. Try it. "Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don't upset us..."
Zina
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Influences
My Influences? Of course, Zina, who teaches me most of the tunes I'm playing, and who I practice with every week. But, of course there are all the teachers who Iv'e had lessons from and the recordings:
Shannon and Matt Heaton, Mike Dugger, Eoin O'Riabhaigh from Scoiltrad, Tim Britton, and Kirk Lynch - who made my uilleann pipes. The recordings are: Kieran O'Hare, Altan, The Chieftains, The Bothy Band, Jerry O'Sullivan, and Seamus Ennis.
Then there's the locals: Eric Olson who takes us beginning Colorado pipers under his wing, and the local highland piper Ben Holmes, who taught me how to care for the instrument.
Before all that, there was jazz - and Fred Hess was our band leader. JS Bach is also important to me.
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by dirk
I forgot to mention my son Jonathan, who taught me how to sing "America the Beautiful" to the tune of "Gilligan's Island."
Try it. It WILL hurt.
-Dirk
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by dirk
You know, lately I've been listening to a lot of John Doyl'es guitar playing - in various bands. I must say I enjoy the recent popularity of acompanying rhythm guitar in Irish Trad.
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by dirk
Re: Influences
Whenever I am playing flute, including for Irish traditional music, there is always a part of me thinking of "Prez"--Lester Young. His approach to melody and general musical ambiance seems to apply to any type music.
Also "Moon Ray", George Shearing. And...
Someday when I am a more skilled player I want to do Mercer's "Skylark" thru a nice Irish mist....
# Posted on June 14th 2002 by La_grotte
Re: Influences
Thinking about this, I realise that my influences are more numerous than I had would have thought. Some influenced the way I play, some for the kind of tunes I like, some for attitudes and how to listen to music. I won't say much about who did what in that regard. Here they are. It's a bit long.
My early influences were the background music we had in the house: rakes of ceili band albums and some Clancy Brothers, and all those scratchy tapes and out-of-tune pianos at dancing lessons and competitions.
The epiphany was hearing O Riada Sa Gaiety at a friend's place (he was big into Beethoven but he had some Sean O Riada albums). I had never heard anything like it. This quickly got me to the Chieftains, Planxty, etc. More importantly it got me into solo albums: Pat Mitchell, Leo Rowsome, Tommy Potts, Willie Clancy, Seamus Ennis, Tommy Reck, and so on. Later on, Sean Keane, Robbie Hannan, Jimmy O'Brien-Moran, Micho Russell, Ronan Browne, Peadar O'Loughlin.
It wasn't long before I found the Sydney sessions. The sound and tunes made by the "Jimmys" will never leave me. The Jimmys were: Jimmy Mularchy, Jimmy Philburn, Jimmy Conners, Jimmy McBride, Declan Affley, Mick Hand, John Joe Noonan, and Kevin Doyle.
From the early 80s, there has been a constant stream of musos coming thorugh Sydney. The ones that had a great influence: Eilish O'Connor, Maire O'Keeffe, Enda O Cathain, Marcus Hernon, John Hoban, Josephine Marsh, Micheal O Cathain, Paraic MacDonnachadh, John Carty, Brendan Mulkere.
These days, I find myself listening mostly to singers' CDs: the great Sean 'AcDonncha (I had the great honour of meeting Sean and spending some days staying with him and Brid), Diarmuid O Suilleabhain, Peadar O Ceannabhain, Sarah & Rita Keane, Joe Heaney, Nan Tom Teaimin, and so on.
As a piper, I had great help and encouragment from Declan Affley, Ian MacKenzie, and Geoff Wooff.
Finally, I don't think there's ever a session, a concert, a little musical ocassion where I don't pick up something, get an idea, have something finally make sense. So there it is. We all owe much to many.
# Posted on June 15th 2002 by PCL
Re: Influences
It's interesting that Irish Traditional music influenced Amercian music, including bluegrass, country, and jazz. And the best of those genres come full circle to influence modern Irish Trad. It's the great circle of influence, which has come together over many decades.
# Posted on June 15th 2002 by dirk
Re: Influences
Playing old time traditional American music is what got me to dive off the deep end into ITM. Repeating the words of,,,somebody,,, "I like! I love it! I want some more of it!"
Almost sounds like the Lion King. Circle of life kind of thing.
# Posted on June 15th 2002 by flyinfiddler
Tim Edey
For any Londoners out there, Tim Edey is coming to the Hammersmith Irish Centre on 13 July.
# Posted on June 15th 2002 by OrganicPeatCreature
Re: Influences
Ooooo, go see him for sure! He's SUCH a good player. And tell him I've not forgotten him, will you? Ta very much.
Zina
# Posted on June 15th 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Influences
Pete Seeger
The first time I heard his voice and banjo, I knew what kind of music I would be doing for the rest of my life.
(With only a few minor side trips into Beatles, Mozart operas, Bach, Space Music, Tuvan Throat Singing, etc.)
Bob
# Posted on June 17th 2002 by Laughtonb
Re: Influences
Pete Seeger
The first time I heard his voice and banjo, I knew what kind of music I would be doing for the rest of my life.
(With only a few minor side trips into Beatles, Mozart operas, Bach, Space Music, Tuvan Throat Singing, etc.)
Bob
# Posted on June 17th 2002 by Laughtonb
Re: Influences
You know I think what is fascinating about this discussion is the light it throws on the musical exposure we had as children. Now I remember that I often heard recordings from Harry Lauder (a Wee Dorch and Doris)--could this music hall version of the celtic tradition have subtly brought me to my present messing about with everything Celtic?
# Posted on June 17th 2002 by La_grotte