Paddy Keenan - Poirt An Phiobaire

Paddy Keenan first gained fame as a founding member of The Bothy Band. Since that group's dissolution in the late 1970's, Keenan has released a number of solo and collaborative recordings, and continues to tour both as a soloist, and with singer/guitarist Tommy O'Sullivan. Paddy Keenan is the king of the Uilleann Pipes and Low Whistle, and on Poirt An Phiobaire he expresses himself with some wonderful sets with the splendid support of  Arty McGlynn on Guitar. A blend of Irish laced with a bit of Breton, this is a must-have CD for any Celtic music lovers.

1. Poirt: Jigs (Condon's Frolics, the Eavesdropper)
2. Fonn Amhráin: The Factory Girl
3. Ril: Man of the House
4. Rileanna: The Maid Behind the Bar, O'Rourke's, Eilish Brogan
5. Listen Now! Rileanna: The Monaghan Twig,Collier's
6. Port: The Ballintore Jig
7. Fonn Mall, Ril: Marig AR Pollanton, Cahir's Kitchen
8. Máirseáil Ui Neill/O'Neill's March
9. Fonn Briotánach: Jezaique
10. Rileanna: The Green Gates, George White's Favourite
11. Fonn Mall: Cape Clear

link to the free album

Paddy Keenan - Poirt An Phiobaire

Ewan MacColl - Bad Lads And Hard Cases

A mighty fine selection of Scottish, Irish & English folk ballads of crime and criminals. Released way back in 1957 on the Riverside record label, Ewan is supported by the one and only Peggy Seeger [guitar and banjo] on this merry romp through the underbelly of these Islands. Some of the ballads will be very familiar to you all but others will I hope be a new experience.

1. Turpin Hero
2. Spence Broughton
3. Ivor
4. The Bonnie Banks of Airdrie
5. Superintendent Barratt
6. Barratty-Parratty
7. Go Down You Murderer
8. Van Dieman's Land
9. Whiskey in the Jar
10. Bill Brown
11. The Banks of the Royal Canal
12. The Black Velvet Band
13. Hard Case
14. The Ballad of Bentley and Craig
15. Treadmill Song
16. Gilderoy

link to the free album

Ewan MacColl - Bad Lads And Hard Cases

1691 - Irish Folk Songs

This is an extremely rare recording from 1973 featuring  Triona Ni Dhomnaill, Matt Molloy, Tommy Peoples, Peter Browne & Liam Weldon. It's place in the Celtic Traditional family tree is post Skara Brae and pre Bothy Band. The music is of the highest quality and was recorded and released in France as "Irish Folk Songs".

Band:
Triona Ni Dhomnaill - keyboards, vocals
Matt Molloy - flute
Tommy Peoples - fiddle
Peter Browne - uileann pipes
Liam Weldon - vocals, bodhran

1. The Green Groves ; The Flowers Of Red Hill (Reels)

2. One Stary Night

3. The First House In Connaugh ; The Coppers Plate (Reels)

4. Rinne Me Smaointeadh Im Intinn

5. The Virgin Mary (Jig) 

6. Ta Mo Chmeamnnas Deanta

7. The Banks Of Claudy

8. Lucy Campbell (Reel)

9. The Red Knickers

10. The Widows Lament (Air)

11. Once I Had A True Love

link to the free album

1691 - Irish Folk Songs

Alasdair Fraser and Paul Machlis - Road North

1989's The Road North is one of the key albums in the Celtic craze of the late '80s and '90s. Working with keyboardist Paul Machlis, Traditional Fiddler Alasdair Fraser created an album of original material that sounds timeless (there are a few standards and covers thrown in for good measure, too). The reason the record works is because the performances are lively and rhythmic, keeping one eye on the past and one eye on the future. When Machlis plays a synthesizer, things drift into new age territory, which may upset some listeners, but the wondrous thing about the album is how it keeps the spirit of Celtic music alive without treating it as a museum piece. And that's also the reason why it, along with Clannad and Enya records, kickstarted the Celtic-new age fusion that exploded in popularity in the '90s.

Laughing Wolf/Mountain Madness

Traditional Gaelic Melody

Tommy's Tarbukas

Bennachie Sunrise/Willie's Trip to Tonronto

Slow Train

Invercassley Falls/Trip to Ballyshannon

Calliope House/The Cowboy Jig

Bovaglie's Plaid

The Banks of Spey/Brenda Stubbert's Reel

The Road North

link to the free album

Alasdair Fraser and Paul Machlis - Road North

Al O'Donnell - Al O'Donnell

Irish Folk singer Al O'Donnell who passed away earlier this year has left a short but lasting legacy to the Folk and Traditional music scene. The singer, guitarist and banjo player from Dublin began performing in the 1960s and was a member of the legendary Traditional band Sweeney's Men. O'Donnell, who worked in the graphics department in RTÉ, went on to record two albums in the 1970s " Ramble Away" & "Al O'Donnell". Watch a video of Luke Kelly performing On Raglan Road accompanied by Al O'Donnell on guitar Here.

Avondale
Streets Of Derry
Lord Inchiquin
Larry
Maid On The Mountain
The Green Linnet
Ramble Away
Matt Hyland
Crooked Jack
Cuilin
Me Tune
James Connolly
Ned Of The Hill

link to the free album

Al O'Donnell - Al O'Donnell

O.J. Abbott - Irish and British Songs from the Ottawa Valley

For five days in the summer of 1957, folklorist Edith Fowke recorded over eighty songs performed by O. J. Abbott, an 80 year old native of Ottawa Canada for the very influential Smithsonian Folkways label. Mr. Abbott’s songs reflect influences from Ireland, England, and Scotland, with lyrics that relate swashbuckling pirate tales and mournful ballads of lost  love. I have include a PDF of the liner notes which i found online. Liner notes include a personal account of Ms. Fowke’s experience working with Mr. Abbott, a brief autobiography from the performer, and descriptions with lyrics for each track.

01-The Dog and the Gun - The Golden Glove

02-The Gypsy Daisy

03-The Barley Grain for Me

04-To Be a Farmer's Boy - The Farmer's Boy

05-The Silver Herrings

06-The Lass of Glenshee

07-The Colleen Bawn - Limerick is Beautiful

08-The Bunch of Water Cresses

09-The Bonny Irish Boy

10-Daniel O'Connell

11-The Mountain Dew

12-The Cruiskeen Lawn

13-A Young Man Lived in Belfast Town

14-The Plains of Waterloo

15-The Green Linnet

16-Kelly the Pirate

17-Captain Coldstein

18-Nellie Coming Home from the Wake

19-The Banks of Newfoundland

20-Skibbereen - A Ballad of the Famine

21-The Heights of Alma

22-The Bold and Undaunted Youth - The Rambling Boy

23-By the Hush, Me Boys

link to the free album

O.J. Abbott - Irish and British Songs from the Ottawa Valley

Deirdre - Daughter of Peggy'O

The only album by Dutch Folk/Celtic group Deirdre. Of great importance to the Dutch folk scene. A great mixture of traditional Dutch and Celtic lyrics and music and all their own compositions. Fantastic Female vocals of Hanneke Luxembourg supported by a supporting group of multi-talented artists, using traditional instruments. Extremely hard to find record and one of the few must-have Dutch Folk Gems.

Frank 'Ollie' Overzier (guitar/mandoline)
Geert Hoes (fiddle)
Ad van Meurs (keyboards)
Mick Boes (drums)
Jopie Jonkers (vocals, guitar)
Hans Jansen (guitar, mandoline)
Pieter Thijssen (cittern)
Hanneke Luxemburg (vocals)

01 Daughter of Peggy'O

02 Lonely Jean

03 Cup Of Tea

04 Tell Me What You See In Me

05 Young Waters

06 't Visserke

07 Nine Paints Of Roguery

08 't Koopmanszoontje

09 Gravel Walk

10 Call the Yowes

link to the free album

Deirdre - Daughter of Peggy'O

Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh - Slán Agus Beannacht

Donegal native Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh is a very talented man who has successfully forged careers as an Artist [painting], Author, Lyricist and of course as a Musician. There isn't one bad track on his 2007 album Slán Agus Beannacht from the opening track "The Tinker's Daughter" a gently rousing song which sets the tone for the rest especially "Morgan Mangan", "Cavan Girl" and the haunting plaintive quality of "Slan agus beannacht". Seoirse has a beautiful mellow voice and a fabulous vocal range siging in both Gaelic and English.

1 The Tinkers Daughter
2 Slán Agus Beannacht (Goodbye And Blessings)
3 An Réaltán Leanbach (The Child-Like Star)
4 Cúl Na Cruaiche (Behind The Hay-stack)
5 Morgan Magan (By Carolan)
6 Seoladh Na nGamhna (Driving The Calves) / As I Roved Out
7 Cuach Mo Londubh Buí (Cuckoo, My Yellow Blackbird)
8 Mary From Dungloe
9 Brian Boru's March
10 When Two Lovers Meet
11 My Cavan Girl
12 Sadhbh Ní Bhruinngheala (Sive O' Brannelly)

link to the free album

Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh - Slán Agus Beannacht