Top Irish CDs


If you're unfamiliar with Irish music, the following albums are a good place to start your exploration of this beautiful music.

1. Solas - self-titled album: The first of Solas's 7 albums, this is one of the most traditional sounding of them. Filled with driving reels, jigs, and some beautiful songs, you can't go wrong with this powerhouse of a group.

2. Brobdingnagian Bards - Songs of Ireland: The word "fun" often comes to mind when listening to the Brobdingnagian Bards' music. The hour this album plays for is packed full of some of the greatest of Ireland's songs. If you're looking for some excellent verions of many familiar songs, I highly recommend picking up this album.

3. Lunasa - Kinnitty Sessions: The latest of Lunasa's albums, this brings out all the spontanaeity of a Lunasa live performance with the quality of a studio recording. Recorded in front of a small audience at Kinnitty Castle this album is a showcase for yet another powerhouse of a group.

4. Liz Carroll - Lost in the Loop: Phenomenal Chicago fiddler Liz Carroll combines great fiddling, traditional tunes, and her own composed tunes to really dazzle you with all that the fiddle can do. If you want to hear some great traditional fiddle playing, this album comes highly recommended.

5. Paddy in the Smoke: Recorded in a noisy Irish pub in the 1960s, this is as traditional as you can get. People talking, telephones ringing, the musicians making exclamations over particularly good moments in the music, and above all, some fantastic performances by many long-dead greats.

6. Seamus Egan - Traditional Music of Ireland: Recorded by Seamus (most known as the founder of Solas) when he was merely 16 years old, this is an absolutely brilliant recording of traditional flute and whistle playing.

7. Natalie MacMaster - No Boundaries: Natalie's Cape Breton fiddling is virtuosic and absolutely enjoyable to listen to. This album floats between very traditional fiddling and blazing fiddle playing with a rock accompaniment.

8. Music at Matt Molloy's: If you want to feel like you're at a session, this is the album to pick up. Recorded at Matt Molloy's pub, with such great as Sean Smyth, Arty McGlynn, and Matt Molloy himself, this album makes you feel like you're sitting right there in between the musicians at their local session.

9. Karan Casey - Songlines: Karan (who was Solas's first singer) has a light and flexible voice you won't hear too many places. From the mournful to the playful, her voice is capable of crossing all boundaries.

10. Teada - self-titled album: A young traditional "super group," Teada shows both great virtuosity and an understanding of the tradition few young people have. Their first, self-titled, album is Teada at its best: exciting, enthusiastic, and extremely talented.



I'd like to follow this up with some more suggestions for listening. In each category, I am including my 5 favourites in no particular order.

"Supergroups"
1. Solas
2. Lunasa
3. Altan
4. Danu
5. Teada

Smaller ensembles
1. Brobdingnagian Bards (duo)
2. Sliabh Notes (trio)
3. Trian (trio)
4. Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill (duo)
5. Liz Carroll & John Doyle (duo)

Fiddlers
1. Liz Carroll
2. Kevin Burke
3. Brian Conway
4. Tommy Peoples
5. Natalie MacMaster

Flute/whistle players
1. Seamus Egan
2. Matt Molloy
3. Kevin Crawford
4. Joanie Madden
5. Hammy Hamilton

Ullieann Pipers
1. Leo Rowsome
2. Paddy Keenan
3. Seamus Ennis
4. Davy Spillane
5. Kevin Rowsome

Accordion/concertina players
1. Joe Burke

2. Sharon Shannon
3. John Williams
4. Mick McAuley
5. Joe Cooley

1. Mike Flanagan

2. Barney McKenna

3. Johnny Keenan

4. Gerry O'Connor

5. Seamus Egan (yes, the same Seamus Egan listed under flute/whistle)

Singers
1. Karan Casey
2. Kate Rusby
3. Marc Gunn

4. Mary Black

5. John Doyle

Celtic Rock/Punk
1. Pogues
2. Flogging Molly
3. Dropkick Murphys
4. Black 47
5. The Rogues