Listening To The Paddy Murphy Cd

[Lawrence Reeves]

In my opinion this CD "In Good Hands" should be listened to not only by concertina players of Irish traditional music, but by all searching for unpolluted versions of tunes played in West Clare. This CD in my collection will be listened to and played as frequently as the recordings of Peadar O'Loughlin / Maeve Donnelly / Ronan Browne put out a few years ago. I also sense the historical nature of this recording being that of Willie Clancy's few recordings. The duet playing with Peadar O'Loughlin is a clear example of two dear friends extending their social connection through the music they play together.

The snap for a lack of a better word in Paddy's playing of the opening tracks is remarkable. Although we have field recordings from other notable players in Clare available on disc, this really stands out as the basis of play in many of todays finest players. As I listened to Jack Talty playing the First House in Connaught during a master class, he said he had learnt it from Gerald Haugh, who may have in turn picked it up from Paddy. Comparing the two I have to agree. There is a certain fire in Paddy's playing that I am very drawn to. He was not afraid to play at a quick speed, and no lack of triplets at these speeds. Occasional touches of octave playing on track 19 "The Duke of Leinster" are very impressive. I feel as though many players today have forgotten this powerful but yet simple way to embellish a tune.( My late father called it playing both sides of the instrument. He pointed out my lack of doing that when I first started picking out tunes on the concertina.) I have been searching for recorded snippets of Paddy Murphy since my first encounter with Gearóid ÓhAllmhuráin back in 1998. His references to Paddy Murphy's playing had me curious, and now my only wish is that there were more tunes available. I am also very happy to have the interview tracks with Gearóid. As not only an ethnomusicologist/ folklorist, but as "student",and friend of Paddy I think he was able to get him to open up in interview. On track 14 he goes straight into The Skylark from conversation. Unhurried, and yet solid. I am blown away by playing of this nature, and will be listening for days. More impressions may follow.

[Stephen Chambers]

It was Paul Davies (a great fan of his music) who first brought me to Inagh on a Sunday night to hear Paddy, Peter and Tom Eustace playing for set dancing (something that they did there every week, and perhaps the first time that I'd seen sets danced for that matter - it was "dying out" then!), and introduced me to Paddy back in the mid '70s, and I've loved his music ever since. But strange to tell, the word was that "Paddy didn't record well" and hence the lack of recordings available of him - I think this CD convincingly refutes that!