Irish Music Magazine - Feb 2001

Ireland

A Gallant Pair of Sporting Blades

The wonderful memories come flooding back. Eigse na Trionóide in Trinity College, in the junior common room, mightly sessions with names like Sean Potts and J J Garvey. John Brophy talks to Paddy Glackin and Micheál O'Dhomhnail on the release of their new album.

Mike Hanrahan, From a Wing to a Chair

Mike Hanrahan is best known in traditional music circles as a guitarist and songwriter with the Stockton's Wing. Now as Chairman on IMRO, his influential skills are going to be tested again. Sean Laffey reports.

MacMahon From Clare

A winter's day in the Liberties as Tony talks to John Brophy about his new CD, he tells of being a free agent after so many years as a radio and TV researcher, broadcaster and producer. And why he rarely ever plays in public.

Celtic Flame Festival in February

For the second year Andy Shearer and his team at HQ in Middle Abbey Street are hosting the Celtic Flame series of concerts. Sean Laffey brings us a preview.

Irish Music Magazine 2000 Awards

Sean Laffey relives a sensational night of Irish music at HQ in Dublin.

It's This and More

Martin McGinley in conversation with John Carty on his new album release by Shanachie.

Luka Bloom

Paul O'Brien talks with Luka Bloom on his new album "Keeper of the Flame"

The Two Duos Quartet

Combining two duos together with diverse musical interests (Irish, English, Quebecois and Swedish) may seem a risky business, but it works. At the heart of the band is a questioning attitude to dance music for a seated audience. Deep thoughts examined in duplicate. John O'Regan reports.

United Kingdom

Buddy MacMaster

Try as you might, you'd be hard pressed to find ayone with more hands on knowledge of old-time Cape Breton fiddling than Buddy MacMaster. Seamus Bellamy offers us an insight into the legend of the line.

Cúig - Take Five

Cúig are based in the North of England and prove the strength of Irish Traditional music in the Durham and Newcastle areas. Cúig is a band whose traditional credentials match their technical expertise and futuristic outlook, writes John O'Regan.

Europe

Wonderful Wonderful Copenhagen

Denmark gets excited about Irish Music at the annual Irish Fest, which is reviewed by the Mollies.

North America

A Collaboration to Cherish

Some of America's most celebrated folk performers, including Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger, appear on the new recording by Cherish the Ladies. Earle Hitchner talks with leader Joanie Madden about the sextet's most ambitious album so far and life as a full-time Irish musician.

Getting Ploughed in San Francisco

Peter Damashek attends an historic birthday party on the west coast of the USA

Regulars

Tuition Tips from Waltons

The final part of our series on the banjo, from Gerry O'Connor. This month, we look at the jump to the 76th fret in that favourite old hornpipe the Boys of Blue Hill.

Story Behind the Song

Cill Aodáin no Condae Mhuigh Eo Antaine O Raifteirí 1784 - 1835. Blind Raftery, the fiddler, is a huge figure in the history of Irish. If you look at the £5 note you'll see his poem on the back, Mise Raifteirí an File, John Brophy dissects a song for February.

Up and Coming - Barrage

This eleven strong group of Canadians (and one lone American) have a huge store of musical projectiles, which they unleash on their audience during their stage performance. Music of all kinds comes out of the Calgary conservatory, where this bunch of youngsters grew out of the Calgary Fiddlers. Jim Kelly reports.

Regional Report - Treat me in St Louis?

Louis W Brock finds an authentic Irish Pub in Missouri.

The Music Makers

The Zen of Guitar making, it's a matter of belief in the wood and the sounds, Macspy reports from Belfast.

Live Reviews

Providence in Dublin, Brúadar in Limerick, Jazz almost meets trad in Belfast.

Book Review

Terry Moylan's mammoth opus The Age of Revolution in the Irish Song Tradition considered, The Lilting Sins of Country Folk appreciated.

CD Reviews

Another 4 page selection of CD offerings brought to you in association with HMV