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Thread: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

  1. #1
    Registered User Narayan Kersak's Avatar
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    Default 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    Ok. I've been playing trad for a while, however, I have to be honest, I come from a rock back ground, and while I listen to trad, its not my go to, that I have in my playlists. I enjoying playing tunes, but not really sitting around listening to tunes unless I'm just chilling on a Sunday, and then it's probably background music.

    There. I've confessed.

    However, I'm an average rhythm player, and would like to get better. Over the years its happened naturally, but I still can't do mind boggling accompaniment that just lifts the whole session. (Which I admire quite a bit and would like to be able to do.)

    So, if there were three albums to listen to, study and play along with, what would they be?

    I don't care if its guitar, or octave mandolin or bouzouki. I play mainly octave mandolin for this purpose (or a guitar tuned to New Standard Tuning (5ths)) so I will adapt.

    I thought about taking John Doyle's class at Celtic Week, but I've done that before, and while he's a great player, he's one of those teachers that burns through an idea and then says... OK... now you do it...so not interested in that again.

    Thoughts?
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    Registered User foldedpath's Avatar
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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    Well, John Doyle has a very specific style, and while I've tried to learn all I can from him (including one workshop) and play accompaniment mostly on Drop-D guitar, I know what you mean.


    Anyway, if you're accompanying mainly on an OM in 5ths tuning, then I'd recommend the two albums by Aly Bain & Ale Möller -- "Fully Rigged" and "Beyond the Stacks." Ale Möller does a great job on latmandola (a 5-course, sort of cittern variant).

    I guess those are my favorites for accompaniment, aside from everything John Doyle has done (and I can't get close to, on guitar). Can't think of any others at the moment, but I'm sure others here will have some suggestions.

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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    Quote Originally Posted by Narayan Kersak View Post
    ... I still can't do mind boggling accompaniment that just lifts the whole session. (Which I admire quite a bit and would like to be able to do.)

    So, if there were three albums to listen to, study and play along with, what would they be?

    I don't care if its guitar, or octave mandolin or bouzouki. I play mainly octave mandolin for this purpose (or a guitar tuned to New Standard Tuning (5ths)) so I will adapt. ...
    Well I don't know about albums exactly, but as to recordings in general, I like the kind of open haunting sounds that Donal Lunny gets in his backings.

    A super-quick perusal of YouTube brings up one of his tunes with some 'modern' instrumentation but still the classic ethereal sound - awesome music starts at 0:48:


    (or direct link)

    The text at that YouTube page says it's from a 1998 album called "Coolfin". I don't know what's on the rest of that particular album. (By 1998 I was in my non-music phase so I wasn't keeping up with music at that time, and I still have a lot of catching up to do.) I'd say just trawl through YouTube until you find backings you like the sound of.

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    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    I'll suggest a trip back to the days of Dónal Lunny, and Planxty...and the band Dé Danann

    just random examples






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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    Quote Originally Posted by JL277z View Post
    Well I don't know about albums exactly, but as to recordings in general, I like the kind of open haunting sounds that Donal Lunny gets in his backings.
    I'm glad you suggested him too. Great player.

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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    Here's another Donal Lunny backing example, with Paddy Glackin on fiddle, recorded in 2011 in Dublin:


    (or direct link)

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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment



    And these guys too

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    but that's just me Bertram Henze's Avatar
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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    You may copy some harmonic ideas from German DADGAD player Jens Kommnick:

    the world is better off without bad ideas, good ideas are better off without the world

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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    Quote Originally Posted by Bertram Henze View Post
    You may copy some harmonic ideas from German DADGAD player Jens Kommnick:
    " DADGAD"

    Of course the Irish bouzoukis were based on DAD; my fave tuning is GDAD.

    Those guys seem to like D, A and G tuning notes.

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    String-Bending Heretic mandocrucian's Avatar
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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    "Best"? Depends on what the criteria is. Plenty of great playing, but with band recordings (Planxty, Bothy Band etc.) there may be too much going on to easily isolate the mando/OM part.

    For clear isolation and ensemble sparseness.

    1) I would recommend the first eponymous Matt Malloy album. Just Matt on flute and Donal Lunny on guitar or bouzouki. Some solo flute tracks, the remainder are about equal as to guitar or bouzouki. And because of the transparent/translucent sound of the flute, nothing interferes or obscures the backup.

    2) Similarly, though a book with recording is Fifty Irish Fiddle Tunes by Tommy Peoples, published by Waltons. Originally this came with a cassette tape., but now it appears the it is available just as the tunebook, or the tunebook with CD at the double the price. (and "pricey"), so be forewarned and find out if which version you are contemplating to buy. His ornamentation is notated, but no bowings.

    About 18 tunes are solo fiddle, 21 feature bouzouki backup by Manus Lunny (complete stereo separation between fiddle and backup) with the remainder with Manus playing guitar backup.

    3) For a "walk through" of various baclup concepts/approaches which would probably be highly useful....in The Mandocrucian's Digest issue#24 - Dec. 1994 (and continued into #25) there was a lengthy instructional article I wrote about "Backing a Fiddle or Other High Register Instrument in a Duo". Only two tunes, "Gary Owen" (jig) and "Swinging on the Gate" (reel) were used, with multiple approaches to (non bluegrassy) backing of each tune. I later recorded an instructional cassette, about 75 minutes long, demonstrating all the material in the article, and subsequently put it on CD. With complete stereo separation between the melody and the backup.

    I still have some back issues and can burn the CD, and if you are interested,.... $16 postpaid for #24/#25/CD, but only for/within the US. Old school mode of payment (check/money order), no cc or paypal....sorry. PM me if that price info gets removed .
    (To the moderators, I'm really not really plugging my stuff, or I'd take out a classified ad... Just responding to the OP. And actually, I don't expect more than one ot two response, if that.)

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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    Mandocrucian: Sounds interesting, but before committing is there anyway to hear maybe a clip of what you have going on?

    Everyone else, wow... this is some great information. Saved me lots of time of tralling through YouTube videos.

    All great information. Thank you.
    Asheville Celtic Mandolin Blog and Tablature Resource.
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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    The first two are easy to say.
    'Promenade' and 'Portland' by the ex Bothy Band fiddle and guitarist Kevin Burke and Micheal o'Domhnaill.
    Completely magical. I hardly listened to anything else for ages.

    You should also check out Ross Martin of the Scottish band Diamh.
    David A. Gordon

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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment


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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    Geeze, you guys are exhausting all of my favorites and best suggestions.

    There is one gem not mentioned yet, and that is Frank Kilkelly's book, (and now 2 CD's), called "Accompanying Irish Music on Guitar."

    He has a web page of about 15 world class Irish guitar videos, and his book and CD explain how to play like them. http://irishtradguitar.com/leading-players/

    I have had his book and CD for years and they are probably my most valued resource in my whole collection.
    Decipit exemplar vitiis imitabile

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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    Quote Originally Posted by mandocrucian View Post
    1) I would recommend the first eponymous Matt Malloy album. Just Matt on flute and Donal Lunny on guitar or bouzouki.
    melody and the backup.
    Man, I forgot about that one!

    One of my favorite flute players (one of everyones?) and Donal.

    All other suggestions are well worth the listen!

    thanks for the reminder.

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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    Quote Originally Posted by Dagger Gordon View Post
    The first two are easy to say.
    'Promenade' and 'Portland' by the ex Bothy Band fiddle and guitarist Kevin Burke and Micheal o'Domhnaill.
    Completely magical. I hardly listened to anything else for ages.

    You should also check out Ross Martin of the Scottish band Diamh.
    Here are Diamh (pronounced 'Dive) . Ross Martin is terrific.
    There is also good octave mandolin from Murdo 'Yogi' Cameron. Well, it's all pretty good actually.

    Last edited by Dagger Gordon; Apr-19-2018 at 1:31am.
    David A. Gordon

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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    Quote Originally Posted by Dagger Gordon View Post
    The first two are easy to say.
    'Promenade' and 'Portland' by the ex Bothy Band fiddle and guitarist Kevin Burke and Micheal o'Domhnaill.
    Completely magical. I hardly listened to anything else for ages.
    I'm always amazed at how Kevin Burke & co play so effortlessly, such efficiency of motion that they make it look easy... The music itself is so powerful that there's no need for theatrics or 'showmanship' to keep the audience's attention. Just pure music that stands on its own without flashy visuals. Great stuff.

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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    always loved Frank Hogan's backing:



    That's Sean Casey on banjo; son of famed fiddler Bobby Casey. Interestingly, Sean started on the mandolin before moving onto the banjo and then later the fiddle. There's a lovely father/son fiddle/mandolin duet on the CD "Spirit of West Clare", a compilation of recordings of Bobby brought out by Reg Hall.

    There's a few commercial recordings of Frank, the most famous one being:

    http://www.copperplatemailorder.com/...ic-of-ireland/

    He's also on this album, with Charlie Lennon and Mick O'Connor:

    https://www.discogs.com/Charlie-Lenn...elease/8240964

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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    Quote Originally Posted by Dagger Gordon View Post
    The first two are easy to say.
    'Promenade' and 'Portland' by the ex Bothy Band fiddle and guitarist Kevin Burke and Micheal o'Domhnaill.
    Completely magical. I hardly listened to anything else for ages.
    The very definition of magical. I as well spent huge great truckloads of time listening to this stuff.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    Feadog Stain, Mary Bergin with Alec Finn & Johnny McDonagh
    Noel Hill, Tony Linanne with Alec Finn. first album on Tara Records
    Frankie |Gavin & Alec Finn - duet album on Shannachie USA

    As good as accompaniment gets in my simple opinion.

    Kevin

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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment






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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    Quote Originally Posted by DougC View Post
    Geeze, you guys are exhausting all of my favorites and best suggestions.

    There is one gem not mentioned yet, and that is Frank Kilkelly's book, (and now 2 CD's), called "Accompanying Irish Music on Guitar."

    He has a web page of about 15 world class Irish guitar videos, and his book and CD explain how to play like them. http://irishtradguitar.com/leading-players/

    I have had his book and CD for years and they are probably my most valued resource in my whole collection.
    Think I could get away with just Volume 2? Volume 1 looks like general stuff I may already know. Any thoughts?

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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    Threads like this are one of the many things I love about the cafe.
    "Well, I don't know much about bands but I do know you can't make a living selling big trombones, no sir. Mandolin picks, perhaps..."

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    Default Re: 3 Best Recordings of Irish Accompaniment

    AgReed

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