irish trad mandolin spotting....

[Jill McAuley]

Cheers for posting that Paul, really enjoyed that - now I want to go off and learn Paddy Kelly's Reel!

[Jill McAuley]

Here's more Declan Corey on mandolin, again courtesy of a session.org posting - is that Andy Irvine in there as well?

[Jill McAuley]

I remember seeing quite a few of Neal Pointon's fiddle videos from when he was a young fella, found this one of a session with him on mandolin too..

[Jill McAuley]

I've been following Darragh Carey-Kennedy since he was about 10 years old when I first saw a video of him that Tom Cussen of Clareen Banjos uploaded. Here's a video of him from 4 years back playing Tommy People's Jig:



And here's a more recent one of him, all grown up now and playing a harp banjo (a Clareen by the looks of the headstock logo)...

[Mike Anderson]

Here's more Declan Corey on mandolin, again courtesy of a session.org posting - is that Andy Irvine in there as well?

Don't think Andy, Jill - couple of good ol' Foley bouzouki players there though, probably local regulars?...great video!

[Bertram Henze]

...This track from their album--I'm only aware of one--is a better representation of their sound

This explains a lot - the mandolin must be played with a very round pick, no click, middle frequencies pronounced: it almost sounds like a box itself. Is that why I could not tell it apart from the real box in the live video?

It is also exactly the sound I try to avoid when playing - I love, no I crave the crisp and brilliant high frequencies that come with sharp and pointy picks. A matter of preference, of course, again.

...is that Andy Irvine in there as well?

On the far right? If that is Andy Irvine, some terrible tragedy has wiped all the youthful humor and mischief from his eyes and shattered his general appearance. There is a certain resemblance, but no more, I guess. I've never heard of Andy attending sessions, btw.

[catmandu2]

The other thing - about the reel rhythm here - I think Bertram mentioned, or someone else.. is what you tend to get when deploying a bass in the music - nature of that beast. In the 'trad' I played on upright this is what we got with even time - it was fine for dances, but not the inflection I give reels on other instruments. In jig time you can make a bass sound more traditionally lilt - especially with a bow - but in fours it definitely provides a different feel.

[Joe Robinson]

Add two more thumbs up for Declan's playing! I really enjoy his work with Josephine Marsh, and though not strictly trad, check out Lia Luachra ; some great stuff too.

Joe

[Gelsenbury]

The session videos show how the principle of having only one rhythm instrument playing at a time - apparently some sort of golden rule in some American ITM sessions - doesn't apply everywhere. It's never been a "thing" at any of the sessions I know.

[James Rankine]

Fine playing here from a young man, Darragh Dunleavy. 15 minutes of tunes - if you watch it on youtube there is a list of the tune names with links to take you straight to the tune - good if you want to practice along

[James Rankine]

Another one with the mandolin too low in the mix. Great fiddle playing though.

[Beanzy]

Very nice fiddle except for the very heavy handed guitar playing, he's practically drumming the thing. But wouldn't this be more folk rather than Irish trad? She seems to have a very english touch to her playing. I really like it very 'sweet' is about the closest I can get to describing it, maybe 'pretty' would be a closer one. (Both could be misconstrued, so just emphasising they're not used negatively here.)

[Francis J]

As we're talking about irish trad mandolin spotting, this thread would not be complete without some of this:-

[Jill McAuley]

I thought the mandolin here was a Fylde Single Malt, but unsure after seeing the headstock on it.

[Bertram Henze]

The headstock shape, the tailpiece, the absence of a zero fret and the smooth color scheme of the top say it's not a Fylde Single Malt. But that is a nice jolly ensemble playing there.

[Shelagh Moore]

Thanks for posting that clip Jill. Kevin is one of my favourite musicians and I've been in several excellent sessions with him. He even looked after me with multiple hot toddies when I was under the weather with a bad cold on one occasion! I'm not sure what the mandolin is but it's not a Single Malt. The playing is really excellent as Bertram said.

[Jill McAuley]

Thanks for posting that clip Jill. Kevin is one of my favourite musicians and I've been in several excellent sessions with him. He even looked after me with multiple hot toddies when I was under the weather with a bad cold on one occasion! I'm not sure what the mandolin is but it's not a Single Malt. The playing is really excellent as Bertram said.

And that is one lovely Dave Boyle banjo that he's playing in that clip! I had the opportunity back home to buy a second hand Dave Boyle tenor, from an American bloke I met at the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival but at the time I was saving to move to the States so I passed on it. Kicking meself for that now!

[Mike Anderson]

I LOVE that video and everything else Eoin O'Neill puts his hand to! No offense to the mandolin players of course!

[gortnamona]

I've been following Darragh Carey-Kennedy since he was about 10 years old when I first saw a video of him that Tom Cussen of Clareen Banjos uploaded. Here's a video of him from 4 years back playing Tommy People's Jig:



And here's a more recent one of him, all grown up now and playing a harp banjo (a Clareen by the looks of the headstock logo)...

always enjoyed darragh's playing, such a little character in his younger videos im afraid i couldnt listen to declan corey vid, was just noise to me.

[Jill McAuley]

Since there's already a tenor guitar video posted in this thread I couldn't resist putting this one up as well:

[Francis J]

Jill, as far as I know, Quentin Cooper makes instruments, and the mandolin he's playing is one of his own. What a great blend those three make, magic!

[Paul Cowham]

I know that fiddle player a bit and she sat in on a klezmer gig I was playing at a couple of months ago, small world!

[Paul Cowham]

Another one with the mandolin too low in the mix. Great fiddle playing though.

(I know that fiddle player a bit and she sat in on a klezmer gig I was playing at a couple of months ago, small world! sorry I didn't put the quote in my first reply)

[Mike Anderson]

Jill, as far as I know, Quentin Cooper makes instruments, and the mandolin he's playing is one of his own. What a great blend those three make, magic!

Now that's a cool bit of info! I have "Crag Road" with Eoin and Quentin, and their trio "The Ceili Bandits" with Yvonne Casey, really great stuff.