De Danann mid 80s - new videos surfacing

**kmmando** · Jan-22-2014, 10:21am

There's a lot of chat about "how" to play the music from Ireland, and to a lesser degree Scotland, but for me, these are the very finest examples of just how incredible it can be done, by the very greatest exponents of groove. Attain for this standard and you'll be a legend!

It just doesn't get any better than this, solid gold musicianship from De Danann's fiddler Frankie Gavin, Alec Finn - bouzouki, Johnny McDonagh - bodhran, melodeonists Jackie Daly, Mairtin O'Connor and the rest of the guys 'n girls (Caroline Lavelle on cello).

I toured/roadied with these guys for years at this time and to hear their playing night after night was unforgettable. Its amazing to see after all this time!
Enjoy!
Kevin Macleod

**BBarton** · Jan-22-2014, 4:39pm

Wow -- great stuff!! Thanks for sharing these Kevin.

**Larry Ayers** · Jan-26-2014, 8:37am

Thanks, Kevin! Lately I've been revisiting old De Danann recordings. I first heard them when I was learning to play and now I can actually play the tunes. The musicianship is stellar, but the tempos are faster than I like to play -- but these guys were young then!

**Bertram Henze** · Jan-26-2014, 10:53am

Originally Posted by Larry Ayers

I first heard them when I was learning to play and now I can actually play the tunes. The musicianship is stellar, but the tempos are faster than I like to play -- but these guys were young then!

I can play many of these tunes today, but when I try to do them at that speed in a session, I find myself playing mainly alone, the other players looking like forgotten passengers at a bus stop.
These guys always demonstrated what you can do with just exact timing and a very good bodhran player.

**DougC** · Jan-26-2014, 8:52pm

Frankie came to Marquette Michigan to play for a fundraiser in 1978 for our budding folk festival. I still remember his hilarious commentary about his airplane trip and his high esteem for the airline. It was a fairly small audience only about a hundred or so at Northern Michigan University. I got to watch him play up close and even joke around with him afterwards.
Kevin Burke came up there three or four times and I think he mentioned us to Frankie. In any case I decided to play Irish fiddle - or die!

And the tunes! DeDannan made a number of tunes sessiun standards all over the world.
Thanks Kevin, this really brought some memories.

**kmmando** · Mar-07-2014, 5:57am

Here's another one from the "Star Spangled Molly" era/LP, this became their most notable success at that time, a tongue in cheek hornpipe version of Hey Jude, adapted by Alec Finn, and performed with incredible panache by Frankie Gavin and Jackie Daly. The reel at the end is nothing short of pure genius playing, quite incredible playing!