Paul McGlinchey | Irish Traditional Flute Player

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Paul McGlinchey - Unearthed
PMG 001
Price = £12 & £2 P&P

Musicians:

Paul McGlinchey (D flute, F flute)
Brid Harper (Fiddle)
MacDara Ó Raghallaigh (Fiddle)
Stevie Dunne (Guitar, Banjo)
Ryan Molloy (Piano)
Seamus O’Kane (Bodhrán)

(see "photos" section for more information on the musicians, accompanying their photos)

Full account of Track Listings:

1. Reels: Darby’s Farewell/Fr O’Grady’s Trip to Broca/The Lansdowne Lasses
(Paul D flute, Stevie Guitar, Ryan Piano, Seamus Bodhrán) 3:24

These reels are brilliant compositions of the now deceased Roscommon flute player Josie
McDermott. I believe them to be among the best flute reels in circulation.

2. Jigs: Dermot Byrne’s/Tom Billy’s (Paul D flute, Stevie Guitar, Seamus Bodhrán) 2:26

The first jig can be heard on one of the early Altan albums. The second is commonly known.

3. Reels: The Kerry Reel, Devaney’s Goat, The Rookery (Paul D flute, Ryan Piano)
3:29

The first reel is a well known favourite. The second is the introductory tune on Frankie Gavin’s flute album "Croch Suas É". I learned the final reel from concertina maestro Mícheál
Ó Raghallaigh who tells me that it is a composition of Vincent Broderick, the Galway flute
player and composer.

4. Slow Air: Anachuin (Paul D flute) 2:14

This air laments a boating disaster in County Mayo in the nineteenth century. I learned it from the playing of the Sligo flute player Seamus Tansey.

5. Jigs: Out on the Road, Princess Nancy (Paul D flute, Brid Fiddle, Ryan Piano) 3:14

Both jigs are compositions of the legendary Chicago fiddle player, Liz Carroll.

6. Reels: Follow me down to Carlow, Famous Ballymote, Cronin’s (Paul D flute,
Stevie Guitar, Seamus Bodhrán) 3:16

I learnt the first reel from the playing of Danny O’Mahony, the great Kerry accordion player, a good friend of mine. The second reel is well known. I believe the third reel to be a version
of Cronin’s hornpipe. I first heard it played by Brid Harper about 18 years ago in Daly’s
public house in Pomeroy, Co. Tyrone.

7. Flings: The Four Provinces Flings (Paul F flute, Stevie Guitar) 2:46

I first heard these flings in my youth. They have been recorded by Fermanagh flute and
whistle player, Laurence Nugent, from whom I got the names. Laurence grew up in the North Fermanagh village of Lack, which is about 12 miles from my own homeplace in Omagh.

8. Reels: Drag Her around the Road, The Dublin Devils, The Glentaun (Paul D
flute, Ryan Piano) 2:59

The first reel comes from a fantastic album from the 1970’s by Matt Molloy, Tommy Peoples
and Paul Brady. The second reel I have heard played for many years by Pat and Rosie
McKenna from Caledon, Co. Tyrone. I think it is a version of "Paddy on the Railroad". The
final reel is a popular session reel; I think it could well be derived from the well known reel
"Lord MacDonald’s".

9. Jigs: The Gaelic Club, Courtown Harbour (Paul D flute, Stevie Guitar & Banjo,
Seamus Bodhrán) 3:02

I heard the first jig on the Solas album "The Hour before Dawn". The second jig was
composed by Jimmy McHugh, originally from Aughyarn, Co. Tyrone, but who lived most of
his life in Glasgow; his sons Brendan and Martin are great musicians. I was taught this tune
as a child by Arthur Kearney, a wise and kind teacher, singer and fiddle player from Omagh. Sadly, both Jimmy and Arthur have passed to their eternal reward

10. Reels: Patsy Hanley’s, The Piper’s Broken Finger (Paul D flute, Stevie Guitar,
Seamus Bodhrán) 2:35

I learned these reels from my good friend and brilliant fiddle player MacDara Ó Raghallaigh
from Meath. The names I got from Marcas Ó Murchú’s flute album "Ó Bhéal go Béal".

11. Slow Air: O’Donnell’s Lament (Paul D flute) 3:47

Story. I was taught this air by Sean McCusker. Sean was probably the biggest influence in
developing my flute playing. He was a great accordion and flute player and an even better
teacher. He sadly died too young. I am eternally grateful to him for what he gave to me.

12. Hornpipes: The Golden Castle, Sean Ryan’s (Paul D flute, Stevie Guitar) 3:29

The first hornpipe is well known. It was recorded by Matt Molloy and Sean Keane on their
album "Contentment is Wealth" in the key of G minor. I heard it played in the much more
flute-friendly key of E minor, played by PJ McDonald in Daly’s public house in Pomeroy
where it was known as "Potter’s", named after one of the regular session attenders, John
Potter from Kildress. The second hornpipe is somewhat less well known. I learnt it from the
Comhaltas magazine "Treoir" in about 1988.

13. Reels: Lord Ramsey’s, The Jolly Tinker, The Rainbow’s End (Paul D flute,
MacDara Fiddle, Stevie Guitar) 3:57

All these reels are well known session tunes. I think I learned the first reel from the playing of Gerry Lappin, an Armagh box player who lived in Omagh for some time. The second I
associate with my aunt’s husband, Sonny Gildea, a great fiddle player from Leitrim North,
near Tubbercurry in Co. Sligo. Sonny is now playing his music in heaven. The third reel is a
great reel, I learned it from MacDara - it is a composition of Vincent Broderick’s, the Galway
flute player.

14. Jigs: Walls of Liscarroll, Gan Ainm (Paul D flute, Stevie Guitar) 2:07

The first jig is one I have known for many years. It has previously been recorded by the Chieftains. The second jig, I learned from the playing of virtuoso flute player Kevin Crawford.

15. Reels: Paddy Mills’ Fancy, The Galtee, Charlie Lennon’s (Paul D flute, Stevie
Guitar, Seamus Bodhrán) 3:14

The first reel is an old flute reel. I think Paddy Mills is a Mayo native and I learned this reel
from Breandan O’Hare, a great Belfast flute player. The second reel is a favourite of Danny
O’Mahony. The third reel is loved by flute players in Belfast, where it is referred to as the
"loudest tune in the world"!

All titles traditional except:

Track 1: Darby’s Farewell, Fr O’Grady’s Trip to Broca, The Lansdowne Lasses
(Josie McDermott)

Track 3: The Rookery (Vincent Broderick)

Track 5: Out on the Road, Princess Nancy (Liz Carroll)

Track 9: Courtown Harbour (Jimmy McHugh)

Track 10: Patsy Hanley’s (Patsy Hanley), The Piper’s Broken Finger (Cathal McConnell)

Track 13: The Rainbow’s end (Vincent Broderick)

Track 15: Charlie Lennon’s (Charlie Lennon)

All tunes arranged by Paul McGlinchey

Recorded at:

Track 13 recorded at Tumbledown Studios, Dundalk, Co. Louth.
All other tracks recorded by Shaun "Mudd" Wallace at:
Homestead Studios, Randalstown, Co. Antrim.

Mixed by: Mudd Wallace and Paul McGlinchey

Mastered by: Robyn Robbins, Mid-Atlantic Digital, Michigan, USA.

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Reviews:

Paul McGlinchey
Unearthed

When I received this album to review I was delighted as I have been a big fan of Paul McGlinchey's music for many years. Paul came to most musicians attention when he won the All Irelan 3 times during the 1990's. From Omagh, Co. Tyrone it is no doubt Paul is such an accomplished musician as this is an area steeped in traditional music.
'Unearthed' is an independent production and includes guest musicians of the calibre of Bríd Harper, MacDara O'Raghallaigh, Stevie Dunne and the legendary Seamus O'Kane.

Track one is a powerful set of reels entitled Darby's Farewell. It is taken at a great pace with lovely arrangements and sounds like they were written specially for the flute. The guitar, piano and boudhran accompaniment are moving along nicely behind the flute without ever trying to take centre stage.

Probably my favorite track is no 7 which is a set of lovely flings with just guitar and flute. There is no huge arrangement but just lovely playing with guitar and flute.
Other notable tracks include the two with guest fiddle players O'Raghallaigh and Harper, the two beautiful slow airs as well as the last set of reels which leaves you wishing there were another 15 tracks to come.

All in all this is a great album from a great musician who has truly put himself up to the top of the list of great flute players such as Matt Molloy and Patsy Hanly with this recording.

9/10
Pádraig Rynne,
The Clare People Newpaper
To be published Edition 17/06/08

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PAUL McGLINCHEY

Unearthed

Own label: PMG 001 15 tracks

www.flutemcglinchey.com

Sometimes, there comes along unexpectedly a little bit of serendipity and you can only feel grateful for hearing a bit of real material that was previously hidden. Paul McGlinchey does himself and Tyrone great credit with this offering.

There’s a great sense of power and direction, a rock-steady rhythm, and it’s not hard to fathom how he comes to have a couple of all-Ireland titles to his name. Great tunes from the likes of Josie McDermott and Vincent Broderick, and from a later generation, Charlie Lennon. I was especially impressed with the reel ‘The Piper’s Broken Finger’. It’s a point about a good recording, and it happens here, that any time you might get even a shade distracted there’s a twist or a little bit of a polished gem, and you say: “Hey, did you hear that? That’s real motoring!”

He’s got a fine team together for this offering: Brid Harper and MacDara O’ Raghallaigh, fiddles, Seamus O’Kane on bodhrán, Stevie Dunne on guitar and banjo, and Ryan Molloy on piano. But he certainly proves the flute and fiddle duets have a special blend and character to them.

The tempo on the jigs is very nicely judged. My favourite was ‘Courtown Harbour’, composed by Jimmy McHugh, originally from Tyrone, but who lived most of the time in Glasgow, (there’s a solid and wonderful festival in his memory every January. This is a real instalment of undiluted pure drop, and all the sweeter for it. Most of us agree that the best way to learn tunes is live from another player. But we all do use CD’s - and I can’t think of a finer collection than this for learning or listening.

John Brophy
Irish Music Magazine