John Bowe & Mary Conroy - John Bowe & Mary Conroy

Recorded in 1977 on Brendan Mulkere's Inchecronin label, Bowe's vigorous and inventive button accordion playing is pleasantly accompanied by Conroy's muted, almost piano-like, chord progressions on the guitar. It's a lovely accordion album altogether, and Mulkere was obviously on form when he wrote the sleeve notes: 'This record is especially for those who want to listen for construction, continuity and balance in the music.

1. Ryan's Rant/Fahy's [Reels]
2. The Sailor's Cravat/The Reel of Bogey [Reels]
3. The Monaghan/In Memory of McKeigue [Jigs]
4. The Downfall of Paris [Set Dance]
5. John Bowe's Favourite/Mulhair's [Reels]
6. The Repeal of the Union/The West Clare [Reels]
7. Thomond Bridge [Hornpipe]
8. The Pensioner who Kissed his Granny/The Scottish Four Courts [Reels]
9. The Ashplant/The First House in Connaught [Reels]
10. Bowe's/Seán Ryan's [Reels]
11. The Drunken Sailor [Hornpipe]
12. Eleanor Kane's/Paddy on the Railroad [Reels]
13. The Thatched Cabin/The Maids of Castlebar [Reels]
14. The Japanese Hornpipe
15. The Teetotaller/Paddy Taylor's [Reels]

link to the free album

John Bowe & Mary Conroy - John Bowe & Mary Conroy

Fiona Joyce - Behind Closed Doors

Working in the dead of night, when most people were safely in their beds, Fiona Joyce recorded a selection of her own songs covering subjects as diverse as immortality, the demands of young children, partying, political prisoners, mysticism, and imminent unemployment. This fantastic 1991 album is extremely rare and was limited to a pressing of 500 copies was self financed with most of the money raised by the adverts on the back cover.

1 Behind Closed Doors
2 Reaching Out
3 The Juggler
4 Long Road to Travel
5 Playing for Time
6 Emma's Tune
7 Crazy Man Michael
8 Policy-Time on your Side
9 Down Where The Drunkards Roll

link to the free album

Fiona Joyce - Behind Closed Doors

Susan McKeown - Bushes & Briars

For her foray into traditional music, Irish singer Susan McKeown hasn't chosen the safe path. By including instruments like tabla, French horn, and clarinet--none of which are associated with Celtic music--she's stretching the boundaries of the genre. But the fascinating, often daring arrangements serve merely to frame her voice, which is often shown starkly, even unaccompanied. With guests like Morocco's Hassan Hakmoun, former Planxty man Andy Irvine, and Solas's Seamus Egan, she has a first-class crew behind her, but she, and her haunting voice, remain the real stars of the show, offering a radiant path to the heart of the songs here. Her selection of material (both in English and Gaelic) veers far from the tried and true, but even on a song like "Bonny Boy," she marks it with her own identity. Bushes and Briars is a complete triumph, establishing McKeown as one of the top contemporary Celtic singers. [source Chris Nickson]

1 Bushes & Briars

2 In London so Fair

3 Seoladh na nGamhna

4 H-Ó Abha-ínn

5 Bonny Boy

6 The Mountain Streams Where the Moorcocks Crow

7 Banks of Claudy

8 Craigie Hill

9 A Mháire Bhruinneall

10 Dónal Óg

11 After Aughrim

link to the free album

Susan McKeown - Bushes & Briars

John Burgess - King of the Highland Pipers

John D Burgess was the nearest Scotland gained to a piping legend in real life. An outstanding exponent of the pipes, he gained instant recognition on the international circuit when, at 16, he won what was effectively the world piping championship, taking both the gold medal at the Northern Meeting at Inverness and the gold medal at the Argyllshire Gathering at Oban for piobaireachd. To attain these at a first attempt, and while still a teenager, made his triumph all the more noticeable and one unlikely ever to be repeated. A prolific prize-winner, he gave many recitals and made numerous recordings, including an album called The King of the Highland Pipers [Topic Records TSCD466 1993].

01. 6/8 marches: Bundle & Go / Over the Water to Charlie / Campbeltown Loch / Joy Go with My Love / Traigh Gruinard / Morag
02. slow air: Bonnie Argyl
03. pibroch: Salute on the Birth of Rory Mor MacLeod
04. 6/8 marches: Colonel Robertson / The 72nd Highlanders’ Farewell to Edinburgh / Major John MacLennan
05. slow air & jig: Leaving Ardtornish / The Geese in the Bog
06. hornpipes: The Swallowtailed Coat / The Mallow Men / Pipe Mjr George S Allan / Jockey on the Braes of Abernathy / Wee Alex – Fort William / Paddy Kelly’s Stump / The Boys of Bluehill / The Ballachulish Walkabout
07. march, strathspey & reel: Lord Alexander / Tulloch Gorum / Mrs MacPherson of Inveran
08. hornpipe & retreat march: Duncan Johnstone / Farewell to Nigg
09. jigs: The Baldoozer / Center’s Bonnet / Cork Hill / John MacDonald’s Jig
10. air: Loch Monar
11. march, strathspey & reel: The Ewe wi’ the Crookit Horn / The Rejected Suitor
12. jigs: Donald MacLean / Paddy’s Leather Breeches
13. pibroch: The Desperate Battle of the Birds
14. jigs: The Old Wife’s Dance / The Kitchen Maid / The Irish Washerwoman
15. air: The Wandering Piper
16. marches: Parker’s Welcome to Perthshire / Achany Glen
17. march, strathspey & reel: The Duchess of Edinburgh / Thick Lies the Mist on Yonder Hill / Rose Among the Heather / The High Road to Linton
18. marches: The Pretty Apron / The Highland Lassie Going to the Fair / The Ladies from Hell / Devlin Side

All tracks trad. except
Track 4a MacDonald;
Tracks 5a, 10 William Ross;
Tracks 6c, 8a Donald MacLeod;
Track 16a Ferguson / Morrison;
Track 16b MacPherson / Wilson;
Track 18c James MacMillan Tait

01 - 08 From The Art of the Highland Bagpipe Vol. 1
09 - 18 From King of Highland Pipers

link to the free album

John Burgess - King of the Highland Pipers

Terry Teahan & Gene Kelly - Old Time Irish Music In America

Terry Teahan, of Kerry and Chicago, and Gene Kelly, of Kilkenny and Washington DC, were old- style Irish musicians in their 70's when this album was recorded in 1976. Both had been resident in the Us since the 1920s. Gene Kelly plays accordion, Terry Teahan melodeon and concertina. Though each had worked extensively in band settings, this record of solo performances concentrates on old-fashioned dance music. Most of the tunes are played on their own, with a few sets from the unusual accordion playing of Gene Kelly, who admits to possessing a 'totally haphazard' approach to bass acompaniment... Many of the tunes will be well-known, particularly to those who are fond of music from Sliabh Luachra, but the settings are often unfamiliar, granting a glimpse into the dance music of the region in the 1920s. More information can be found in the original liner notes, which are included in the download.

01. Gene Kelly – The Corner House/The Broomstick [Reels]
02. Terry Teahan – Tom Looney's [Slide]
03. Terry Teahan – Reagan's [Slide]
04. Gene Kelly – The Sweep's/Hennessey's [Hornpipes]
05. Terry Teahan – The Kerry Mills [Barndance]
06. Terry Teahan – Mike Howard's [Polka]
07. Terry Teahan – The Bird's [Hornpipe]
08. Gene Kelly – Blind Mary [Air]
09. Terry Teahan – The Barrel Organ [Slide]
10. Terry Teahan – The Evening I Spent with Mick [Slide]
11. Terry Teahan – The Paper Plate [Slide]
12. Gene Kelly - Fahey's/Gerry's Beaver Hat [Jigs]
13. Terry Teahan – The Lonesome Road to Dingle [Slide]
14. Terry Teahan – Mickey Chewing Bubble Gum [Polka]
15. Gene Kelly – Seán Hayes/If There Weren't Any Women in the World [Barndances]
16. Terry Teahan – Tadgh's Ailment [Hornpipe]
17. TerryTeahan – Going for Water [Slide]
18. Gene Kelly – The Old Caubeen [Story & Air]
19. Terry Teahan – Tadgh and Biddy [Waltz]
20. Terry Teahan – Poll Ha'Penny [Hornpipe]
21. Terry Teahan – Paddy Kenny's [Polka]
22. Gene Kelly – Father O'Flynn/The Connaughtman's Rambles [Jigs]
23. Terry Teahan – Jack Mitchell's [Polka]
24. Terry Teahan – Gan Ainm [Sword Dance]
25. Terry Teahan – The Road to Gleanntán [Fling]
26. Gene Kelly – The Swallow's Tail/Miss McLeod [Reels]

link to the free album

Terry Teahan & Gene Kelly - Old Time Irish Music In America

Spud - A Silk Purse

Spud were active in their native Ireland the UK & Europe between 1973 and 1980. They never really had the success there brand of Electric Celtic Folk music merited. They sound like a cross between Steeleye Span and Horslips. Their debut album A Silk Purse came out in December 1974. Produced by Donal Lunny, the sound is of crisply recorded electric and acoustic stringed instruments playing riff laden folk tunes with all members supplying vocals in unison. Spud released 2 albums on the Philips record label - their 1974 debut 'A Silk Purse' and 'The Happy Handful' (in 1975). With these two albums already under their belt, they brought in Paul McGuinness (an old Trinity friend of Don Knox) to manage the band. Paul McGuinness (who later went on to wealth and fame as U2's manager) did his first record deal with Sonet which resulted in the release of Spud's third album, 'Smoking on The Bog', in 1978. The band toured for over 8 years and all the ex-members still play.

Group;
Dermot O’Connor - guitars, vocals
Don Knox - fiddle
Austin Kenny - mandolin, 5-string banjo, recorders
Michael Smith aka 'Smithy' - bass guitar

01 - Tenpenny Piece 2:32

02 - Blackleg Miner 3:33

03 - Brisk Young Widow 3:18

04 - Open The Door Softley 6:03

05 - For The Love Of Sarah Gilder 5:04

06 - Lucan Dairy 1:17

07 - Wind In The Willows 5:10

08 - Brian Borus March 4:53

09 - Crow On The Cradle 4:21

10 - Nancy Brown 3:32

11 - Newry Highwayman 4:08

12 - A Sows Ear 5:50

link to the free album

Spud - A Silk Purse

John St Field - Control

John St Field real name Jackie Leven was a Scottish songwriter and folk musician. After starting his career as a folk musician in the late 1960s, he first found success with new wave band Doll by Doll. He later recorded as a solo artist, releasing more than twenty albums under his own name or under the pseudonym Sir Vincent Lone. Leven started his musical career in the late 1960s under the pseudonym "John St Field", and recorded one album, Control, in 1971 which was released only in Spain in 1973. This was the first release by this grossly under rated singer song writer who once wrote of his talent


"There are spiritual story tellers and there are soulful story tellers. I hope to be a soulful story teller. I see the two kinds as two different directions. Spiritual is ascending. Sky, God and all that. I hope my story telling is going down into the earth, is wetter, has more moisture." 
Jackie Leven

Musicians
John Haines - Drums
Joe Kuccer - Flute, Baritone Sax
Jackie Leven - Guitars, Keyboards, Bass, Vocals
Phil Ryan - Organ, Moog
Alex Atterson - Piano
Jesse Ballard, Juliet Lawson - Vocals

1. Soft Lowland Tongue

2. Ruins

3. The Problem

4. Dune Voices

5. Raerona

6. I'm Always A Prinlaws Boy

7. Mansion Tension

8. Dog Star

9. Sleeping In Bracken

link to the free album

John St Field - Control