Celtic mandolin album

**sammy_day** · Aug-24-2005, 1:47pm

Hey all. I want to start listening to more Celtic stuff, but I don't really know where to start. If you could recommend one album featuring some excellent Celtic mandolin work, what would it be?

**John Flynn** · Aug-24-2005, 2:11pm

Dan Beimborn's "Shatter the Calm" is all mando-family instruments and it is great!

Aidan Crossey is putting together a Celtic Mandolin compilation CD, using tracks from various artists. I think it will be out this fall and will certainly be discussed here. It should be incredible!

**Bob DeVellis** · Aug-24-2005, 2:41pm

If you can find it, Mick Moloney's "Strings Attached" is a classic. Tracks alternate between mandolin and tenor banjo. Great stuff.

**mandocrucian** · Aug-24-2005, 3:01pm

Sammy,

You're gonna need a lot more than one album....

I'd start with the players and recordings that influenced thousands....

Planxty - Planxty (first album) #
Planxty - The Well Below The Valley
Planxty - Cold Blow & The Rainy Night
Sweeney's Men - The Legend of Sweeney's Men
Andy Irvine & Paul Brady - Andy Irvine & Paul Brady
<span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>(Andy Irvine on mandolin GDAD tuning, mandola, on all of these)</span>

Dave Swarbrick - Rags, Reels and Airs

Mick Moloney - Strings Attached
<span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>(and that is M-O-L-O-N-E-Y; there's no "a" in his last name)</span>

Niles Hokkanen

**RolandTumble** · Aug-24-2005, 3:17pm

I'll chip in another voice for Moloney. An all time favorite of mine, and my setting of "Loftus Jones" owes a lot to his (though I'm still struggling to add some of the detail...).

There's also a disc out there somewhere titled simply A Mandolin Album. I want to say that it's by Paul Kelly, but I won't swear to it--I listened to a borrowed copy a whole bunch o' times, but had to give it back. Includes one of the few times I've heard a truly successful mandolin recording of a slow air ("Dear Irish Boy", if memory serves).

**GBG** · Aug-24-2005, 3:32pm

"A Mandolin Album" is by Paul Kelly. I had to order it from Dublin. "Rocky Road" by Michael Kerry. Both very good.

**steve V. johnson** · Aug-24-2005, 3:40pm

Hey Sammy,

These are some great recommendations, and I think you can find some more by searching the archives. I seem to recall that we went through a thread of listing mando-centric Celtic albums, CDs and DVDs not too long ago...

And with that thought, I'll recommend the Planxty 2004 reunion DVD. It's just fantastic music and visuals.

All the best,

stv

**mad dawg** · Aug-24-2005, 4:01pm

This is a great list so far, but we also need to add Simon Mayor's New Celtic Mandolin (A companion book of notation, and I think now an instructional DVD as well, is available from Simon for this CD.)

**Dagger Gordon** · Aug-25-2005, 3:03am

Anyone heard JP Cormier from Nova Scotia's mandolin album? Great fiddler and guitarist - bound to be good on mandolin I would think.

I'm also an admirer of the playing of New England guitarist/ mandolin player David Surette, who I think is incredibly underrated. I see he's got a new CD featuring his guitar and mando.

I'm sure these are 2 CDs well worth hearing. Anyone heard them?

**A Brown** · Aug-25-2005, 1:51pm

Only one is difficult. How about one at a time? Dagger's "Frozen River". Kevin McLeod and Alec Finns' "Polbain to Oranmore". Hom Bru's "Rowin Foula Doon".

Alastair

**sammy_day** · Aug-27-2005, 1:33am

Hey, thanks for all the insight everybody! I still don't know where to start, but I've at least got a lot of good leads.

**yoods** · Aug-27-2005, 7:09am

David Surette.

"We're getting our first taste of the new David Surette CD Northern Roots and can't recommend it highly enough. One of the best discs of 2005 in our opinion." #-Front Page of Mandolin Cafe

I have always liked David's playing, always will.

**mancmando** · Aug-30-2005, 11:47am

Originally Posted by (Dagger Gordon @ Aug. 25 2005, 04:03)

Anyone heard JP Cormier from Nova Scotia's mandolin album? Great fiddler and guitarist - bound to be good on mandolin I would think.

I'm also an admirer of the playing of New England guitarist/ mandolin player David Surette, who I think is incredibly underrated. I see he's got a new CD featuring his guitar and mando.

I'm sure these are 2 CDs well worth hearing. Anyone heard them?

yes - I've heard some JP Cormier and would agree that given how good his fiddling and flatpicked guitar is, that his mandolin playing is likely to be very good....

I've also heard David Surette finger picked stuff which was also really tasty...