UNDERTONES - Irish Music from Australia
(released on the Tradsville label)
Adrian Barker - fiddle
Ben Stephenson - flute, whistle
Kate Burke - bouzouki, guitar, concertina, piano
Released April 1996, this recording from Adrian Barker and Ben Stephenson is a showcase of their research into the National Library of Australia's Oral History collection. Adrian and Ben were awarded the NLA Festival Fellowship Award in 2005, and set about listening to the NLA's archived recordings of Irish music in Australia. From recordings of Irish expatriates and Australians who had learned Irish music through the tradition, Adrian and Ben selected tunes and created sets from individual players' repertoire. Many tunes, though common in the Irish tradition, have been given new colour while being passed down in an Australian context.
For each track, Adrian and Ben have set out to represent one person's playing - for example, the first set of Rolling in the Ryegrass, Julie Delany's and the Beauties of Limerick are all reels collected from the playing of Jack Canny, Paddy Canny's brother who lived and played for some time in Canberra.
Keep an eye out for a dedicated "Undertones" website soon - in the meantime, go to www.troubleinthekitchen.com for more information and updates.
TRACK LISTING
1. Jack Canny's Reels - Rolling in the Ryegrass, Julie Delany's, The Beauties of Limerick
2. Frank Collin's Jigs
3. Sally Sloane's Reels - The Morning Star, The Sporting Paddy, The Blackberry Blossom
4. Joe Yates' Hornpipes - The Skillet Pot, Joe Yates' Last
5. Declan Affley's - Sliabh Na mBan
6. Mick McGarry's jigs - Kitty Lie Over, Mick McGarry's #2
7. Tim Whelan's Polkas - The No. 9, Paddy Hearny's, Keoghey Keogh
8. Billy Moran's Waltz - The Pretty Maid Milking her Cow
9. Billy Moran's Reels - Crowley's 1 & 2
10. Joe Cashmere's Jigs - The Trip to the Cottage, The Spirits of Whiskey, What would you do if the billy boiled over?
11. Phil Butterss' and Jane Copeland's Reels - Mulhaire's #4, Mary Shannon's
12. Simon McDonald's jigs - The Rakes of Kildare, the Shoemaker's Fancy, the Connaughtman's Rambles
13. Jacko Kevans' Hornpipe - The Cuckoo's Nest
"One thing we found particularly interesting in listening to the older players in the collection was the emphasis on the tunes as dance music. With tunes as we know them these days tending to have a much more rarefied life of their own, it was quickly apparent to us that for the older players the tunes were intimately tied with their function as music for dancing. Repertoires were consequently shaped to a large extent by the demands of the dancers, who evidently insisted on great variety! The old dance players had to have a wide array tunes from jigs and reels to mazurkas, varsoviennas and schottisches. This impetus is still apparent in the tunes and styles of playing which are today thought of as constituting Australian traditional music, with close linkages maintained between music and dance."
Adrian Barker (fiddle) and Ben Stephenson (flute)
March 2006
If you're still around Kate, I just ordered myself a copy of the album from Folktrax and should have it by next week. Looking forward to giving it a listen.
Superb! outstanding playing - you are torn between letting the CD play through and immediately repeating some tracks. The effort and detail that has gone into the accompanying booklet is tremendous - a fascinating read and beautiful artwork. A definitive work on ITM in Australia - when do we get a whole book on the subject?
The fiddle -flute settings are fresh and engaging with great technique. Zouk and guitar backup by Kate Burke is perfect.Integration of great playing, research,writing and design results in a little maserpiece - get one!
It's just been announced that 'Undertones' has won the 'Best CD of 2006' award in the Traditional Music category of this years Trad&Now magazine (the main Australian folk mag) Awards.
I'm still waiting Dow / Mark, maybe for Christmas?
I was so looking forward to the 'notes'... So far, this is my favourite Irish-Australian recording, for the respect it gives on all counts, but, to be honest, it's the only Irish-Australian recording I've had the pleasure of listening to repeatedly... The sad part is that the time I allow myself to enjoy a 'pirated' copy, approved by the sources or not, has expired, Mark/Dow...
You're in luck, "c". I bought a copy when in Australia in April, and was sent another for my birthday in October. Was wondering what to do with it, so tell me where to send it, and it's yours.
Thanks Kenny, much appreciated, but Mark does actually have this CD for me, or so I have been lead to believe. I trust it will eventually arrive here. I actually want to use it for some dancing with a load of Irish folks, and then surprise them with the origins... I love widening perspectives and appreciation. I can wait, but the kindness and generosity of your offer is welcome...
It arrived, and it was worth any wait. I count it as a Christmas present, 2007, and it is the best one I've received. Thank you Dow/Mark! I love it, and also value the sleeve notes... I only wish, greed, that the notes were at least twice again or more, with fuller bios on each of the source musicians represented, and maybe some transcriptions of interviews with them... The pictures were great. It would be lovely to see a website grow up around this with those greedy wishes met ~ Irish music in and from Australia... Keep up the good works!
Notes for Undertones
UNDERTONES - Irish Music from Australia
(released on the Tradsville label)
Adrian Barker - fiddle
Ben Stephenson - flute, whistle
Kate Burke - bouzouki, guitar, concertina, piano
Released April 1996, this recording from Adrian Barker and Ben Stephenson is a showcase of their research into the National Library of Australia's Oral History collection. Adrian and Ben were awarded the NLA Festival Fellowship Award in 2005, and set about listening to the NLA's archived recordings of Irish music in Australia. From recordings of Irish expatriates and Australians who had learned Irish music through the tradition, Adrian and Ben selected tunes and created sets from individual players' repertoire. Many tunes, though common in the Irish tradition, have been given new colour while being passed down in an Australian context.
For each track, Adrian and Ben have set out to represent one person's playing - for example, the first set of Rolling in the Ryegrass, Julie Delany's and the Beauties of Limerick are all reels collected from the playing of Jack Canny, Paddy Canny's brother who lived and played for some time in Canberra.
Keep an eye out for a dedicated "Undertones" website soon - in the meantime, go to www.troubleinthekitchen.com for more information and updates.
TRACK LISTING
1. Jack Canny's Reels - Rolling in the Ryegrass, Julie Delany's, The Beauties of Limerick
2. Frank Collin's Jigs
3. Sally Sloane's Reels - The Morning Star, The Sporting Paddy, The Blackberry Blossom
4. Joe Yates' Hornpipes - The Skillet Pot, Joe Yates' Last
5. Declan Affley's - Sliabh Na mBan
6. Mick McGarry's jigs - Kitty Lie Over, Mick McGarry's #2
7. Tim Whelan's Polkas - The No. 9, Paddy Hearny's, Keoghey Keogh
8. Billy Moran's Waltz - The Pretty Maid Milking her Cow
9. Billy Moran's Reels - Crowley's 1 & 2
10. Joe Cashmere's Jigs - The Trip to the Cottage, The Spirits of Whiskey, What would you do if the billy boiled over?
11. Phil Butterss' and Jane Copeland's Reels - Mulhaire's #4, Mary Shannon's
12. Simon McDonald's jigs - The Rakes of Kildare, the Shoemaker's Fancy, the Connaughtman's Rambles
13. Jacko Kevans' Hornpipe - The Cuckoo's Nest
# Posted on May 17th 2006 by katiebee
Whoops! Released April 2006!!
Certainly wasn't 1996! This is new. Sorry.
# Posted on May 17th 2006 by katiebee
Wow!
http://www.folktrax.com/folktrax2/BST001.php
http://www.troubleinthekitchen.com/albums.htm
# Posted on May 17th 2006 by slainte
http://www.troubleinthekitchen.com/
http://www.folktrax.com/
# Posted on May 27th 2006 by ceolachan
Connected Australians ~ an excerpt
http://www.folktrax.com/folktrax2/BST001.php
"One thing we found particularly interesting in listening to the older players in the collection was the emphasis on the tunes as dance music. With tunes as we know them these days tending to have a much more rarefied life of their own, it was quickly apparent to us that for the older players the tunes were intimately tied with their function as music for dancing. Repertoires were consequently shaped to a large extent by the demands of the dancers, who evidently insisted on great variety! The old dance players had to have a wide array tunes from jigs and reels to mazurkas, varsoviennas and schottisches. This impetus is still apparent in the tunes and styles of playing which are today thought of as constituting Australian traditional music, with close linkages maintained between music and dance."
Adrian Barker (fiddle) and Ben Stephenson (flute)
March 2006
# Posted on May 27th 2006 by ceolachan
If you're still around Kate, I just ordered myself a copy of the album from Folktrax and should have it by next week. Looking forward to giving it a listen.
# Posted on June 1st 2006 by Donough
Got my copy and not disappointed. Lovely settings of tunes well played and well accompanied. What more can I say!
# Posted on June 7th 2006 by Donough
Just got my copy. Fantastic stuff. Wonderful playing, great settings, loads of info. Should be compulsary listening.
# Posted on July 21st 2006 by woops
Undertones-Irish Music from Australia
Superb! outstanding playing - you are torn between letting the CD play through and immediately repeating some tracks. The effort and detail that has gone into the accompanying booklet is tremendous - a fascinating read and beautiful artwork. A definitive work on ITM in Australia - when do we get a whole book on the subject?
The fiddle -flute settings are fresh and engaging with great technique. Zouk and guitar backup by Kate Burke is perfect.Integration of great playing, research,writing and design results in a little maserpiece - get one!
# Posted on March 16th 2007 by geoffmc
Undertones
Ordered my copy online on St Patrick's Day. Can't wait till it arrives.
# Posted on March 18th 2007 by Clear Drops
Fantastic album, cant tell Benno and Ado that I said so tho - they'd just get a swelled head
# Posted on March 20th 2007 by bb Cruella de vil
I'm ordering a copy too. What about the original archives - any chance of those being released?
# Posted on March 20th 2007 by Bren
Undertones
Someone would have to have the time,means and energy to do it, it'd be a big job I'd assume.
# Posted on March 20th 2007 by bb Cruella de vil
News just in...
It's just been announced that 'Undertones' has won the 'Best CD of 2006' award in the Traditional Music category of this years Trad&Now magazine (the main Australian folk mag) Awards.
# Posted on March 29th 2007 by SirNose
Nicely done, they deserve it...
I'm still waiting Dow!
# Posted on March 29th 2007 by ceolachan
"The Sporting Paddy"
I believe that the 2nd reel on track 3 is actually a version of Rolling Down The Hill as a single reel. See my comments here http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1887.
# Posted on May 9th 2007 by Dow
I'm still waiting Dow / Mark, maybe for Christmas?
I was so looking forward to the 'notes'... So far, this is my favourite Irish-Australian recording, for the respect it gives on all counts, but, to be honest, it's the only Irish-Australian recording I've had the pleasure of listening to repeatedly... The sad part is that the time I allow myself to enjoy a 'pirated' copy, approved by the sources or not, has expired, Mark/Dow...
# Posted on December 13th 2007 by ceolachan
To maintain your integrity, "c"...
You're in luck, "c". I bought a copy when in Australia in April, and was sent another for my birthday in October. Was wondering what to do with it, so tell me where to send it, and it's yours.
# Posted on December 14th 2007 by Kenny
Thanks Kenny, much appreciated, but Mark does actually have this CD for me, or so I have been lead to believe. I trust it will eventually arrive here. I actually want to use it for some dancing with a load of Irish folks, and then surprise them with the origins... I love widening perspectives and appreciation. I can wait, but the kindness and generosity of your offer is welcome...
# Posted on December 14th 2007 by ceolachan
Thanks for all the work ~ appreciated
It arrived, and it was worth any wait. I count it as a Christmas present, 2007, and it is the best one I've received. Thank you Dow/Mark! I love it, and also value the sleeve notes... I only wish, greed, that the notes were at least twice again or more, with fuller bios on each of the source musicians represented, and maybe some transcriptions of interviews with them... The pictures were great. It would be lovely to see a website grow up around this with those greedy wishes met ~ Irish music in and from Australia... Keep up the good works!
# Posted on January 20th 2008 by ceolachan