I was lucky to get to see these two perform with Alistair Fraser, Natalie Haas, and Bruce Molsky on Friday night. What a collection of talent! And the venue was outstanding - Strathmore Hall. It is huge, yet somehow welcoming, even intimate.
I’ve listened to this album several times now and I still enjoy the tunes, but some of the guitar work is beginning to annoy me a bit. It’s an odd sort of minimalist approach with lots of droning bass notes and little else. It’s almost like the guitar is trying so hard to stay out of the way of the fiddle that it winds up just getting in the way even more. I had a similar reaction to The Lonesome Touch.
The mandolin work is very tasteful and the small dose of harmony is a nice touch. The fiddling is great.
I’ll probably listen to the whole thing again on my evening commute.
I downloaded the new cd from Amazon and the quality on some of tunes is terrible. Especially The Clare Reel. Has anyone else experienced this? Sounds like a bad live recording where the guitar overpowers the fiddle.
I've used the database to look out some of the great tunes on this album, but I'm disappointed... The Clare Reel played on the album is not the one that the link takes me to - nor is Coleman's March the tune that's linked to it. Any ideas where I can find the music for the ones on the recording? Thanks
A couple quick notes about this CD:
1) If you were to tune the violin down a full step it would sound terrible. After listing to this CD closer; my impression is that it was recorded at standard pitch +/- 10Hz and then digitally tuned down. Regardless, it sounds awesome.
2) 100% of the tunes are great, but as a whole, there are some that are quite closely related. This is something I didn't hear so much of in his last albums. Reminds me of a Frankie Gavin Album with Alec Finn. But I just pick the best of and appreciate them either way.
3) Martin Hayes' playing is slow for a reason in my opignion. Try to play fast and notice that all you have left is technique and your version of a tune (including slides, or cuts, etc...). In this case, you can make a tune speak your version of the message.
4) Guitar, either play or quit... Really getting annoying...
I give Martin a 95 (Style, Speed, Technique, Tunes)
I give Dennis a 60 (For being able to get relatively close chords in there AND/OR For how many times he plucked the strings per Track) - Sorry, but just really tired of this sound, there's got to be another way!
'If you were to tune the violin down a full step it would sound terrible' says pacorfie
erm....I guess you don't know the fact that it is quite common for fiddle players to tune down like this, there is a long tradition of tuning the fiddle down at least a full step, some even put it down as far as Bb to match Bb pipes and it can sound wonderful, just listen to Kitty Lie Over by Caoimhín O'Raghallaigh and Mick O'Brien for evidence of this.
It is preposterous to suggest these tracks were not originally recorded at the pitches they are at, Martin uses viola on some of the tracks also which gives that lower sound.
Yes, it sounds so awful when I get to play in B with my girlfriend or my good friends just a bit south of here. Really terrible. I mean, 1 step is terrible, so 1 and a half is just really quite indescribably bad.
Oh, wait... No, I have that completely backwards. In fact it sounds great! Better, in some ways, than standard pitch!
Some people have been wondering about what Martin Hayes meant when he says in the CD notes that he tuned the fiddle "down 2 STEPS" for some of the tracks. I had to use a Bb whistle to transcribe this, so I guess he means tuning down from "concert D" to Bb.
Because Paddy Fahy has been so prolific in writing tunes, but not so keen on naming them, I thought it best to post to the album notes the one that Martin plays here.
I've never been a huge fan of Martin Hayes' recordings. I've seen him and Dennis Cahill live once, and very much enjoyed the concert, and I have great respect for Martin Hayes, but his recordings have left me cold...until this one. Gorgeous music, beautifully and simply rendered (the kind of simplicity that's possible after decades of reflection). And I think Cahill's guitar playing, while minimalistic and unique, strikes just the, uh, right chord. And I love the single tunes. Sets are nice, too, but (to paraphrase Secondo from the movie Big Night) sometimes the tune likes to be alone.
New Martin Hayes/Dennis Cahill CD
Finally, a new CD from Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill.
Lots of nice tunes. Cahill plays some very nice mandolin on some sets.
As would be expected, it is a great collection played at a relaxed pace.
# Posted on January 19th 2008 by Jiml
Hayes and Cahill in performance
Hi,
I was lucky to get to see these two perform with Alistair Fraser, Natalie Haas, and Bruce Molsky on Friday night. What a collection of talent! And the venue was outstanding - Strathmore Hall. It is huge, yet somehow welcoming, even intimate.
Shaskeen
# Posted on January 23rd 2008 by shaskeen
Some related discussion
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/16571
# Posted on February 6th 2008 by Bob himself
I’ve listened to this album several times now and I still enjoy the tunes, but some of the guitar work is beginning to annoy me a bit. It’s an odd sort of minimalist approach with lots of droning bass notes and little else. It’s almost like the guitar is trying so hard to stay out of the way of the fiddle that it winds up just getting in the way even more. I had a similar reaction to The Lonesome Touch.
The mandolin work is very tasteful and the small dose of harmony is a nice touch. The fiddling is great.
I’ll probably listen to the whole thing again on my evening commute.
# Posted on February 8th 2008 by Bob himself
Bad quality?
I downloaded the new cd from Amazon and the quality on some of tunes is terrible. Especially The Clare Reel. Has anyone else experienced this? Sounds like a bad live recording where the guitar overpowers the fiddle.
# Posted on February 21st 2008 by ferfcksake
Bad Quality
I think this may have something to do with the way you have your sound set up: the sound on mine is excellent.
There are some great settings of tunes here. I love the way they play palmer's gate. Its like a different tune.
# Posted on February 22nd 2008 by Sinocal
Yup
Had a speaker problem.
# Posted on February 25th 2008 by ferfcksake
The right tunes?
I've used the database to look out some of the great tunes on this album, but I'm disappointed... The Clare Reel played on the album is not the one that the link takes me to - nor is Coleman's March the tune that's linked to it. Any ideas where I can find the music for the ones on the recording? Thanks
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by Hare's Tail
New Martin Hayes/Dennis Cahill CD
A couple quick notes about this CD:
1) If you were to tune the violin down a full step it would sound terrible. After listing to this CD closer; my impression is that it was recorded at standard pitch +/- 10Hz and then digitally tuned down. Regardless, it sounds awesome.
2) 100% of the tunes are great, but as a whole, there are some that are quite closely related. This is something I didn't hear so much of in his last albums. Reminds me of a Frankie Gavin Album with Alec Finn. But I just pick the best of and appreciate them either way.
3) Martin Hayes' playing is slow for a reason in my opignion. Try to play fast and notice that all you have left is technique and your version of a tune (including slides, or cuts, etc...). In this case, you can make a tune speak your version of the message.
4) Guitar, either play or quit... Really getting annoying...
I give Martin a 95 (Style, Speed, Technique, Tunes)
I give Dennis a 60 (For being able to get relatively close chords in there AND/OR For how many times he plucked the strings per Track) - Sorry, but just really tired of this sound, there's got to be another way!
# Posted on February 28th 2008 by pacorfie
Tuning down
'If you were to tune the violin down a full step it would sound terrible' says pacorfie
erm....I guess you don't know the fact that it is quite common for fiddle players to tune down like this, there is a long tradition of tuning the fiddle down at least a full step, some even put it down as far as Bb to match Bb pipes and it can sound wonderful, just listen to Kitty Lie Over by Caoimhín O'Raghallaigh and Mick O'Brien for evidence of this.
It is preposterous to suggest these tracks were not originally recorded at the pitches they are at, Martin uses viola on some of the tracks also which gives that lower sound.
# Posted on April 7th 2008 by Bored with thesession.org
Yes, it sounds so awful when I get to play in B with my girlfriend or my good friends just a bit south of here. Really terrible. I mean, 1 step is terrible, so 1 and a half is just really quite indescribably bad.
Oh, wait... No, I have that completely backwards. In fact it sounds great! Better, in some ways, than standard pitch!
# Posted on April 7th 2008 by Nico
Track 1 The Clare reel
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/8494
Some people have been wondering about what Martin Hayes meant when he says in the CD notes that he tuned the fiddle "down 2 STEPS" for some of the tracks. I had to use a Bb whistle to transcribe this, so I guess he means tuning down from "concert D" to Bb.
# Posted on April 30th 2008 by Kenny
Sorting the Fahys out from the boys
Because Paddy Fahy has been so prolific in writing tunes, but not so keen on naming them, I thought it best to post to the album notes the one that Martin plays here.
X: 1
T:Fahy's
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K:G
BGBd cBcd|BGBd cAFA|BGBd cBcd|fgag fdcA|
BGBd cBcd|BGBd c/c/A F2|f/f/gag fdeg|fd (3fga gdgb|
g3 abga g|fddg ecce|g3 abga g|fdde =f3a|
g3 abga g|fddg ecce|fddg (3efe ag|fd (3fga g4|
# Posted on May 1st 2008 by Ger the Rigger
I've never been a huge fan of Martin Hayes' recordings. I've seen him and Dennis Cahill live once, and very much enjoyed the concert, and I have great respect for Martin Hayes, but his recordings have left me cold...until this one. Gorgeous music, beautifully and simply rendered (the kind of simplicity that's possible after decades of reflection). And I think Cahill's guitar playing, while minimalistic and unique, strikes just the, uh, right chord. And I love the single tunes. Sets are nice, too, but (to paraphrase Secondo from the movie Big Night) sometimes the tune likes to be alone.
# Posted on June 22nd 2008 by Tintin