Friday 30 October 2015

Anne Briggs - Sing a Song for You

Anne Briggs is an outstanding English Traditional/Folk singer. Although she travelled widely in the 1960s and early 1970s, appearing at folk clubs and venues in England, Scotland and Ireland, she never aspired to commercial success or to achieve widespread public acknowledgment of her music. However, she was an influential figure in the English folk music revival, being a source of songs and musical inspiration for others such as A. L. Lloyd, Bert Jansch, Jimmy Page, The Watersons, June Tabor, Sandy Denny, Richard Thompson and Maddy Prior. Sing a Song for You is a British/Celtic Traditional/Folk album released in 1997 by Anne Briggs. It was originally recorded in 1973 but was initially withheld from release as Anne Briggs reportedly wasn't satisfied with her singing on the album

Hill's of Greenmor (Traditional)
Sing a Song for You (Briggs)
Sovay (Traditional)
I Thought I Saw You Again (Briggs)
Summer's In (Briggs)
Travelling's Easy (Briggs)
The Bonambuie (Briggs, Traditional)
Tongue and Cheek (Briggs)
Bird in the Bush (Traditional)
Sullivan's John (Traditional)

link to the free album
Anne Briggs - Sing a Song for You

Tuesday 27 October 2015

Irish Ramblers - Patriot Game

The Irish Ramblers [AKA The other Clancy Brothers] released only two albums in the early 1960's, this was their first released in 1963 and contains very early versions of Sean South from Garryowen and Follow Me Up to Carlow, pre-dating the Wolfe Tones and Planxty versions (respectively) by several years, also a fine cover of the Brendan Behan classic The Patriot Game. This album also appears on web searches due to the participation of Roger [Jim] McGuinn.

Taken from the sleeve notes
We are three brothers — Pat, Brendan and Eugene Clancy, coming from the small village of Charlemonton on the banks of the river Blackwater, separating the counties of Armagh and Tyrone. These two counties have always been havens of Irish- folk music, both vocal and instrumental. Although we have been singing songs all of our lives, our first real introduction to Irish folk music was in the instrumental field. "Ceilidh" or country dancing is still popular in Ireland and it was in a Ceilidh band that we learned a lot of Irish music. There are usually seven or eight people in such a band; two fiddles, two accordions, bass, drums and a piano. Some of the dances lend themselves to vocals, and it was one night while playing, singing, and enjoying ourselves to the full at the Irish Club, Dublin, that an American gentleman heard us and asked if the three of us would like to come to sing our songs and play our music in America. That was in March 1963 , and since then we have played Chicago's Gate of Horn, New York's Gerde's Folk City, Boston's Unicorn, Philadelphia's Second Fret, and many other clubs, including a memorable evening at Carnegie Hall.

Irish folk music is very hard to define. Where does it start and end? We people in the British Isles have a great similarity among our songs, and we can find different versions of the same song in many parts of Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales. For years, Irishmen, mostly north of Ireland men, have been going over to the Lowland areas of Scotland to find employment at the harvest time. Naturally enough they brought back with them songs of the Scottish laborers. Some of these have become intermingled with Irish songs which they have known.

On this album we have a collection of songs and dances which cover most aspects of Irish life, and we all hope you enjoy them.

Sean South from Garryowen
Up Among the Heather
Follow Me Up to Carlow
Whiskey in the/a Jar
Bonnie Wee Girl
Captain Freeney
Jig Medley: Miss Bennett's Jig/Kenmure's On an' and Awa'/Willie Tobin's Favorite/Fancy
Patriot Game
Mormand/Mormond Braes
Mountains of Pomeroy
Day We Went to Rothesay, O
Moving Cloud [Reel]
Eggs and Marrowbone (Woman from Wexford)
Reynard the Fox (Tally Ho Hounds Away)

link to the free album

Saturday 24 October 2015

Willie Clancy - Pipering of Willie Clancy Vol 1

Every year, in early July, the town of Miltown Malbay in West Clare becomes an international centre for traditional musicians. The town reverberates to the sound of flutes, fiddles, accordians, concertinas and especially uilleann pipes. The celebration is in memory of Miltown Malbay's famous son, the late Willie Clancy. Willie Clancy possessed amazing talents -whistle player, flute player, singer , story teller, philosopher and wit. He was particularly known for his mastery of that most complex of wind instruments the Uilleann Pipes. To create music such as this you need two things above all others. Firstly, very dexterous fingers and secondly, a deep love for what you are playing. The playing of Willie Clancy is as organic to Ireland as the cry of a curlew on a lonesome hill, or the smells of a peat fire and a hot whiskey on a cold winter's night in County Sligo. Simply perfect!!

1. The West Wind And Sean Reids Fancy
2. The Rocks Of Bawn
3. The Old Bush
4. Will You Come Down To Limerick?
5. The Bold Trainer O
6. The Rolling Wave
7. An Ghaoth Aniar-Aneas
8. Garret Barry's Mazurka
9. Jenny Picking Cockles And My Love Is In America
10. The Bright Lady
11. The Lady's Pantalettes And The Ravelled Hank Of Yarn
12. Purty Molly Brannigan And The Green Fields Of America
13. Kitty Got A Clinking Coming From The Fair
14. The Bonny Bunch of Roses
15. Down The Back Lane
16. Paidin O Raifeartaigh
17. Clancy's Jig
18. Jenny Tie The Bonnet And Corney Is Coming

link to the free album

Wednesday 21 October 2015

Sean Tyrrell - Cry Of A Dreamer

Sean Tyrrell’s 1995 album Cry Of A Dreamer has been hailed as a timeless masterpiece. In the long run, however, it may be seen as merely the beginning of an extraordinary musical saga. Right from the opening bars of Johnny Mulhern’s ‘Mattie’, Seán Tyrrell’s Cry Of A Dreamer sounded like one of those handful of discs that can only be described as timeless and transcendent. Never having heard of Seán Tyrrell before, the impact of his first release was all the greater. Undoubtedly a master of his craft.

Indulge me for a moment as an exile with a few lyrics from Dick Farrellys classic Isle Of Inisfree which is covered expertly by Sean Tyrell.....enjoy

"I've met some folk who say that I'm a dreamer
And I've no doubt there's truth in what they say
For sure a body's bound to be a dreamer
When all the the things he loves are far away.

And precious things are dreams unto an exile
They take him through a land across the sea
Especially when it happens he's in exile
From that dear lovely Isle of Inisfree."

1. Mattie
2. Isle Of Inisfree
3. House Of Delight
4. November Rain
5. Blue Green Bangle
6. Trilogy: Message Of Peace
7. Trilogy: Cry Of The Dreamer
8. Trilogy: Only From Day To Day
9. No-Go
10. Connie's Song
11. Fortune For The Finder
12. Coast Of Malabar
13. Demolition Dan
14. The 12th Of July

link to the free album

Monday 19 October 2015

Tri Yann - Le Pélégrin

As the best known "Celtic" band in France, Tri Yann [Three Johns] are one of the longest-standing Breton music groups surviving from the folk rock revival of the 1970's. Le Pélégrin released in January 2001 is a trip across Celtic regions, from Scotland to La Compostella. The songs are almost all compositions by the group. For the first time, the group uses a female singer in Bleunwenn (sister of Konan Mevel) who took over while Jean-Paul Corbineau was sick in 2000. The group are also famous for the outlandish costumes worn on stage.

Band
Jean Chocun
Jean-Paul Corbineau
Jean-Louis Jossic
Gérard Goron
Jean-Luc Chevalier
Konan Mevel (bagpipes)
Freddy Bourgeois (keyboards)
Christophe Peloil (violin)

I Rim Bo Ro  
Je m'en vas  
Le Chasseur de temps
Keenan's Pub  
Les Filles d'Irlande  
La Geste de Sarajevo  
Korantenig  
Fransozig  
Maiawela  
Buvons vin de Clisson  
Gwerz Porsal 
L'ULM Merveilleux  
De nivôse en frimaire  
À matine à la télé  
Kas abahr en Okitania  
Dansons la listériole  
L'Arrivée à Compostelle ..

link to the free album
Tri Yann - Le Pélégrin

   

Saturday 17 October 2015

Clannad - Lore

Lore was a 1995 studio album by Irish Traditional group Clannad. It was greeted with great acclaim by music critics worldwide, often stating that this was one of Clannad's greatest recordings. This has the most Gaelic songs of all Clannad albums since 1982, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album, the band's second nomination, although it lost to The Memory of Trees by Enya (Eithne Ní Bhraonaín), who was once a member of Clannad and is the sister of band members Moya Brennan, Ciarán Brennan and Pól Brennan as well as niece to Noel Ó Dúgáin and Pádraig Ó Dúgáin. This reissued edition contains an additional 6 tracks all of which were high charting singles.

Croí Cróga
Seanchas
A Bridge (That Carries Us Over)
From Your Heart
Alasdair MacColla
Broken Pieces
Tráthnóna Beag Aréir
Trail Of Tears
Dealramh Go Deo
Farewell Love
Fonn Mhárta
Theme From Harry's Game
Robin (The Hooded Man)
In A Lifetime
I Will Find You
Something To Believe In
New Grange

link to the free album


Thursday 15 October 2015

Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem - Sing Of The Sea

Here is an excellent collection of Sea Shantys by the equally excellent Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem. Released in 1968 Sing Of The Sea contains songs with Celtic origins plus songs from all over the world, songs of every subject matter under the stars — work — love — loneliness — always the truth about the way they felt — "For love is king to the least of men, though he be but a drunken tar" — or "My dear old mother wrote to me, 'Son, dear son, come home from sea.'". Sing Of The Sea remains one of my favourite Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem albums....it's a joy to listen to.

Band
Paddy Clancy: Vocals and Harmonica
Tom Clancy: Vocals
Liam Clancy: Vocals and Guitar
Tommy Makem: Vocals, Banjo and Tin Whistle
Louis Killen: Concertina (un-credited)

Congo River
Santy Anno
Farewell to Carlingford
Paddy West
Johnny's Gone to Hilo
The Lowlands Low
The Good Ship Calibar
Love Is Kind
Blood Red Roses
Three score and Ten
Heave Away My Johnny


Saturday 10 October 2015

Silly Wizard - So Many Partings

Silly Wizard played a variety of Scottish folk music, both instrumental and vocal, from fast jigs and reels to slow airs. While the majority of the items they played were traditional songs or tunes, the band did write many compositions of their own. Phil Cunningham generally wrote instrumental music centered on the accordion, and Stewart wrote several songs in a style often distinctly traditional. Once Stewart's singing and the driving, impassioned instrumentals of the Cunningham brothers had established themselves at its centre, the group's overall sound changed little. So Many Partings was the third album by Silly Wizard released in 1979. On this album the songs "The Valley Of Strathmore" and "The Highland Clearances" were written by Andy M. Stewart.

Band
Phil Cunningham: Accordion, tin whistle, Synthesizers, piano, vocals
Johnny Cunningham: Fiddle, vocals
Martin Hadden: Electric bass, harmonium, guitar
Gordon Jones: Guitar, mandola, bodhran
Andy M. Stewart: Lead vocals, tenor banjo

Scarce O'Tatties/Lyndhurst
The Valley Of Strathmore
Bridget O'Malley (Brid Og Ni Mhaille)
A.A. Cameron's Strathspey/Mrs. Martha Knowles/The Pitnacree Ferryman/The New Shillin'
Donald McGillavry/O'Neill's Cavalry March
The Highland Clearances
Miss Catherine Brosnan
Wi' My Dog and Gun
Miss Shepherd/Sweeney's Buttermilk/McGlinchey's Reels

link to the free album