Another great album from Micho. He plays flute on some tracks this time. I like listening to his different versions of tunes, in particular The Boy in the Gap.
He had a pared-down, minimalist style of playing tunes on flute and whistle which, IMO, brought out their individuality very well. His singing voice was outlandish. Someone could make recordings of it into ringtones, practical jokes, burglar alarms and the like - it could go far!
The copyright goes to CELTIC MUSIC 1997 but the recordings would have been older than that because Micho died in 1994. I don't really have much info for the recording dates but there is information given as to where the tunes where learned etc.
I would say it is a compilation of different recordings of Micho over the years as opposed to a deliberate album done all at once.
I saw it posted on the mp3.celtic usenet newsgroup a year ago, ripped from the original vinyl, when I was first getting into whistle. The kind soul who posted it even included the liner notes, which I can't seem to find. I think it's vintage 1950s or 60s. I remember he stated "well, I started playing whistle at 15 and by age 30 I was making some progress" or words to that effect, which cheered me greatly at the time.
I've been working on "John in the Fog", since my name is John and I live in San Francisco (most of the time). What is that in Irish, anyway? I can't figure out what he's saying.
It's wonderfully "funky". Micho Russel is to, say, Mary Bergin as John Lee Hooker is to Eric Clapton. I can appreciate Ms. Bergin's virtuosity, certainly, but when I close my eyes and listen to Micho I can see myself walking a backroad on the Burren somewhere, and coming across an old-timer sitting on one of those stone fences just playing for his own amusement and nodding at me with eyes a-twinkle while I listen.
Well put buskerjohn. There is a real warmth in Micho Russell's playing. His playing gives me a lot of confidence. I'm not a great tin whistle player but listening to Micho makes me work more on rhythm, phrasing and melodic variation. Ornamentation is a nice feature but I find a lot of more modern players can kill tunes with too much. Micho capture the heart of the tune. Keep at it buskerjohn.
By the way, Sean sa Cheo is the Irish for John in the Fog.
This album was originally released by Free Reed in 1976 and I've no idea how Celtic Music gained the rights to release it (or if it ever actually did).
Free Reed has recently reissued the album as 'Traditional Country Music of County Clare'.
Traditional Irish Music from County Clare
Another great album from Micho. He plays flute on some tracks this time. I like listening to his different versions of tunes, in particular The Boy in the Gap.
# Posted on March 11th 2007 by PaddyCmusic
Micho Russell
He had a pared-down, minimalist style of playing tunes on flute and whistle which, IMO, brought out their individuality very well. His singing voice was outlandish. Someone could make recordings of it into ringtones, practical jokes, burglar alarms and the like - it could go far!
# Posted on March 11th 2007 by nicholas
Paddy,
is this an old album (yes for sure) - was it rereleased on CD?
# Posted on March 13th 2007 by swisspiper
The copyright goes to CELTIC MUSIC 1997 but the recordings would have been older than that because Micho died in 1994. I don't really have much info for the recording dates but there is information given as to where the tunes where learned etc.
I would say it is a compilation of different recordings of Micho over the years as opposed to a deliberate album done all at once.
# Posted on March 13th 2007 by PaddyCmusic
Great Stuff! Have it on my mp3 player.
I saw it posted on the mp3.celtic usenet newsgroup a year ago, ripped from the original vinyl, when I was first getting into whistle. The kind soul who posted it even included the liner notes, which I can't seem to find. I think it's vintage 1950s or 60s. I remember he stated "well, I started playing whistle at 15 and by age 30 I was making some progress" or words to that effect, which cheered me greatly at the time.
I've been working on "John in the Fog", since my name is John and I live in San Francisco (most of the time). What is that in Irish, anyway? I can't figure out what he's saying.
It's wonderfully "funky". Micho Russel is to, say, Mary Bergin as John Lee Hooker is to Eric Clapton. I can appreciate Ms. Bergin's virtuosity, certainly, but when I close my eyes and listen to Micho I can see myself walking a backroad on the Burren somewhere, and coming across an old-timer sitting on one of those stone fences just playing for his own amusement and nodding at me with eyes a-twinkle while I listen.
# Posted on March 15th 2007 by buskerjohn
Well put buskerjohn. There is a real warmth in Micho Russell's playing. His playing gives me a lot of confidence. I'm not a great tin whistle player but listening to Micho makes me work more on rhythm, phrasing and melodic variation. Ornamentation is a nice feature but I find a lot of more modern players can kill tunes with too much. Micho capture the heart of the tune. Keep at it buskerjohn.
By the way, Sean sa Cheo is the Irish for John in the Fog.
# Posted on March 15th 2007 by PaddyCmusic
This album was originally released by Free Reed in 1976 and I've no idea how Celtic Music gained the rights to release it (or if it ever actually did).
Free Reed has recently reissued the album as 'Traditional Country Music of County Clare'.
# Posted on June 15th 2008 by Floss the Tethers