Some time ago we had a discussion about Paul Davis Concertina and flute player who dealt in the instruments and lived in Worthing.
I met Paul a number of times and went to visit him when I went to purchase my old Linota.Paul was a superb player of Irish Music on the Anglo Concertina and very few recordings of his playing and unusual style exists .I notice on Mudcat that Dick Miles has posted a link to Sound Lantern site where one of his archive recordings of Paul can be heard. It was recorded in 1978. I would have loved this recording on Anglo Int ,but I am pleased this recording has been made available. I would appreciate someone posting a link which I am not good at.
here is the site www.soundlantern.com/UpdatedSoundPage.do?told=3527.path=pauldavismp3#post<a>
Al

Hi Alan

This should work: http://www.soundlantern.com/UpdatedSoundPa...h=PaulDavis.mp3

Thanks
Leo

Paul was involved in an LP,'Song of the Chanter', back in 1976 with Pat Daly and Eithne, Brian and Niall Vallely. He plays flutes (misprinted as 'flues' on the sleeve!!), harmonica, and two Anglos - one in old pitch. They play in various combinations and there's no indication on the sleeve when it is Paul playing flute and when it is Brian Vallely. I think he plays two tracks on Anglo and at least one on harmonica.
He gave me a battered old copy; against one track he has pencilled 'ex Kilroy, now Digby' and beside Brian Vallely's name he has added 'wooden whistle from Steve Chambers, now Peter Carberry'.
I imagine Steve, if he reads this, will be able to add more detail.
Best wishes,
Roger

Hi Alan,

Sorry to be a pedant, but the spelling of Paul's surname was "Davies"; I still have his business card, which I might well photograph and post here, as it was a work of art.

Recordings of Paul were rare, but not as rare as Dick indicates on his channel. You'll find two recordings of Paul on my compilation tape from 1993 Witney, plus 1993 ICA Nottingham Festival (Paul played at the latter). Sadly, too late for Anglo International, but at least the ICA will have this tape in their archives when you have finished with it.

As an aside, Paul was a skilled craftsman, who paid for and refurbished his Worthing house from the proceeds of his busking. I went down there to "play with the toys", as Paul used to say. When he knew that I worked for Nestlé (1974-2003), Paul said that he had hung the ceilings in St. George's House, Croydon, where I was based for most of my time.

Paul had two distinct repertoires, his Irish music, and his busking music. When Paul moved up to York, I met up with him when I was down from Scotland (where I was living) and he took me off to an English music session (which I enjoyed), to demonstrate to the other musicians how an Anglo can sound when played in a style different from his.

Regards,
Peter.

Edited to add photo etc.

You are right to point it out Peter,I took the spelling from Dick's posting and did not check it out.
I think we discussed Paul's recordings on your archive tape and from memory (hazed by hours of listening ) they were not good enough to use, but as you suggest ideal for the ICA archives.
As soon as Duet is completed and dependent on the reaction to the bands all the tapes numerous CDs will be passed over to the ICA.
Al

I think the truth of the matter is that Paul used both spellings. The LP to which I refer above has 'Davis' throughout. It was Paul's habit to write, even scratch, his name into concertinas that he owned. I've just taken the ex-Killroy apart and sure enough it bears 'Paul Davis' in red ink on the reed pan and also scratched onto the palm rest.
I think he formalised a spelling when he decided he needed business cards and stickers and then opted for the 'e'. Doubtless at some future time someone will date concertinas by which spelling they bear!
Of course he didn't always call himself Paul Davi(e)s at all..........
Pedantically yours,
Roger

Hi Roger,

Yes; I'd forgotten that! He told me that he called himself Mr XXXXXX (my memory's gone!), and why.

I don't know when, exactly, that Paul died, since I was away from the music scene from 1995 onwards. I presume that he died from a heart attack. I remember Paul telling me that he had suffered two relatively minor attacks which had been very painful. He then told me that the major attack, which "killed him" did not hurt at all. He was obviously resuscitated, and lived for a number of additional years. I first met Paul in 1983; busking in Crawley.

Regards,
Peter.

You have just jogged my memory Peter, that is exactly where I first met him.He played in the gap between Woolworth's and Littlewood's in Queens Square.
Al

I believe he called himself MrWoods, and advertised in Exchange and Mart under that name.my tape has a variety of styles.Ihope youenjoy his music.

The first slow air he plays on the flute,dont wake me I am sleeping,has a bit of a story attached to it.
Stephen Chambers and I shared a house in leyton, east london.Paul was often visiting.
We had a very nosey neighbour called Mrs Lemay,who one day complained about Paul playing his trombone,she said it was stopping her from sleeping,so Paul took every opportunity to play the air in the back garden,close to the boundary fence etc,you should have seen the net curtains twitching.,it was hilarious,He was a larger than life character.Dick Miles

if the ICA would like a copy of this cd they can contact me at www.dickmiles.com
I have sent a copy to StephenChambers,and to theIrishTraditional music archives.
if the ICA send me a blank cd,they have my adress .I will get another copy recorded.Dick Miles

And I've listened happily to it several times now, thanks Dick! Though I'd say that at times Paul's playing sounds perhaps rather deliberate and like he's holding back a bit (slowed down sometimes too), but I guess he was recording it at least partly for you to learn from?


Not forgetting Paul's precious Rudall & Rose alto flute too!

But the harmonica was Paul's first, and maybe his best instrument, which he learned to play in hospital as a child. He played a Chromatic with the slide pushed in, a technique he got from the late Paddy Bán O'Briain (seen here step-dancing) who pioneered it.


Don't remind me, I'm still lonesome for that lovely old whistle; I remember it all too well! Unfortunately it was one of those things that Paul felt he "had to have"...


Indeed so, and I remember how he was adamant that his name should be spelled with that 'e' for quite a while, before quietly reverting to the previous spelling.


He died on 18th January, 2001. Brian and Eithne Vallely came over from Armagh and played pipes and fiddle at his funeral, also Seamus Tansey came and played flute, as well as giving a great eulogy about him and all the wonderful instruments he had put into circulation in Ireland.


That's "Táimse im Choladh", an air that Paul played a lot on the flute (he was a former Flute - Slow Airs, All Ireland Champion), sometimes at Irish funerals. In fact I got Seamus Tansey to learn the tune and play it at Paul's funeral - though we played "a good blast of reels" for him, on flute and tambourine, first.

thats right Stephen,the Blarney Pilgrim,Second version is just that,I learned a lot from him,and am still learning,
his slow air playing has influenced me particularly,his influence is one of the main reasons my slow air playing is one of my strengths,although I am not as good as he was.
of course sitting in front of a tape machine playing solo is bound to be restricting,its still great music though,and I think prtrays his character, his love of life and his love of music.I have been listening to him every day,I hope eveyone else enjoys.Dick Miles