irishtune.info

Hip, smoothly polished tunes and sound: trad produced to meet pop expectations.

Aidan rightly calls attention to his bow hand in the album title, while versatile enough to mimic anything, creates a catchy style in which I hear Sliabh Luachra fluidity crossed with Liz Carroll drive and influences from his obvious interest in Cape Breton and Scottish fiddling.

James's fiddle sound was always one of strong tone, deft accuracy, and salty grit, and this album released shortly before he passed delivers it in full measure.

This quartet often sounds like The (1970s-90s) Chieftains, from wide-ranging, at times esoteric repertoire, to diverse but tight arrangements, and of course with a piper, fiddler, and fluter each with a soloist's flair and skill.

Unconventional, traditional, fresh, and conservative, all in one! And is this the first-ever album featuring a sean nós singer/piano/fiddle/viola player/composer?

After adding this book a few weeks ago, I sourced a copy of the original double audiocassettes that went with it. 122 performances in all, on a wide range of instruments - even oboe! -, and we gained 9 airs new to the Tunography.

The final volume 6 brought in pipers Sean Potts and Declan Masterson, and for the Cashel Set shockingly ;) turned from B. Begley to Séamus Meehan and Dermot McLaughlin, who do a proper job of it even if not with the Begley fire.

Now-familiar names brought in for Volume 5 were Eugene Lamb and Maureen Fahy. The name Michael Mellett on box is new to me but he sure made good dance music! And of course B. Begley is on again for the Corca Dhuibhne set.

Volume 4 added Paul McGrattan, Kevin Glackin and Declan Masterson to the project. While Brendan Begley remained on call for all shlide and polka sets.

Volume 3 of this series includes early Ronan Browne and Brendan Begley, plus accompaniment by the now-familiar names Patsy Broderick and Mark Kelly. Also a jig new to the Tunography.

The next additions are the missing 5 albums of this 6-volume, late-1980s, audiocassette-only collection that presciently featured many younger musicians who later became big names. In this one we get very early Conal Ó Grada and Brendan Begley, plus piping from Padraig Mac Mathúna.

James Morrison's vivacious and massively influential fiddling is finally represented properly, thanks to a very appreciated donation of this invaluable, out-of-print, audiocassette-only album put together by Harry Bradshaw in 1989.

Tomas Ó Canainn's 1995 book "Traditional Slow Airs of Ireland" is now covered in irishtune.info. He chose well. His 118 selections include 8 of the 10 all-time most-recorded songs (www.irishtune.info/rhythm/top-s...) and 9 of the 10 all-time most-recorded airs (www.irishtune.info/rhythm/top-a...).

I re-examined and reorganized the sources of the five very similar jig(s) often called Connie the Soldier or An Ghaoth Aniar Aneas (The South West Wind). Here are before vs. after plots. See my long-form comments at www.facebook.com/irishtune/po...

Martin Hayes always brings passion and tangential imagination into a contemplative tunespace. With this ensemble that space gains several new dimensions.

Lovely compositions altogether, plus it includes a digital download of Josephine's own learning-speed performances of each one, and sure but she couldn't help herself but play them so very musically. All tunebooks and websites that publish dots (transcriptions) should be done like this!

Absolutely lovely Sliabh Luachra touch on these tunes, just wish there were more of them on this little gem of an album.

If you liked the new Tune Search and Finder design, you're going to love this upgrade! Spelling Irish tune titles has been a global barrier since forever, frustrating people from finding tunes. Now you get immediate suggestions that draw only from the actual world of Irish tune titles.

The tradition is shining up North in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, documented here by a fiddler and a box player who sound more seasoned than they look.

Big news: Your Practice Stats now shows your true practice history, fulfilling the wishes of many of you for many years. Also total page redesign: now it works well on small screens, and overall much easier to use and understand, I hope.

Poll time! I'm redesigning the Practice Stats page and wonder if long-time users have gotten emotionally attached to the these vintage Practice Machine feedback emojis? (I think I might have). Reply with "keep" or "move on" or equivalent to cast your vote.

Glorious piping is at the center of this album, even though it's nominally a niche concept album experimenting with piano tuning. Experimental result: success!

Stickers! Get one mailed to you as a fun new reward for donors www.irishtune.info/faq/support.... Looks great on laptops and instrument cases.

If you like the new Tune Search and Finder, you'll be happy about the new Album Search and Finder, too!

The new Tune Search and Finder is live now! Many great improvements. Especially: we can now search for hundreds of common tune-title words the old one was forced to ignore like "green". And check out the new automated as-you-type advice on your search query!

Hey tune lumpers, I split Pigeon on the Gate into two, and I invite your feedback! Please check out the long-form post I wrote about this on Facebook: www.facebook.com/irishtune/po...

Back in 2004 San Francisco's Cecilia McDonnell compiled this album apparently consisting of her favorite tracks from then-recent albums. She had good taste!

Gorgeous, genius music, as always from Sproule. With a typical singer's disregard for hewing to cultural boundaries, but his art is nearly Irish trad just via his personal influence on the tradition.

Thirty-two compositions from an energetic, curious mind, brought to bloom by an impressive cast of top class musicians.