Well - you may want to listen to any of the offerings of Liz Carrol, Natalie MacMaster or Jennifer Wrigley. These three (among a host of others) all are absolute masters of the tradtion, as done today. Then there is the amazing duet of Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill. Their Live from Seattle CD has to be heard to be believed. I think both Martin and Dennis originally hale from Clare - the playing is consequently much more laid back and expressive.
My current favorite is a very obscure CD by Aly Bain and Tom Anderson called the Silver Bow - Tradtional Music of the Shetlands. This is a plaintive, primative and absolutely charming exploration of some almost lost tunes. I think it maybe one of Aly Bains first records - and is probably Tom Anderson's final output. This doesn't have the pyrotechnics of more modern players but talk about emotion! These aren't just tunes but an expression of a life time of experience. It amazes me to hear how various pieces of this collection were twisted by other players as they were brought off the islands.
Mandola fever is permanent.
Bookmarks