A REVIEW
"For around 10 years, Pittsburgh Irish-music super group Hooley has carried the torch of traditional music in this area. The band's debut CD, Cuts From The Turf, is a quietly masterful labor of love, self-produced and self-released by Hooley with a careful eye on everything from the beautiful packaging to the folk-geek-satisfying liner notes. Most importantly, the music on Cuts From The Turf is wonderful almost without exception. The tunes and songs chosen here (only one song was written by the musicians) fall within a fairly strict traditional music framework of instrumental dance tunes, sean-nós songs (a style of unaccompanied singing) and ballads--no 'Whiskey In the Jar' here--and are played with a healthy dose of respect for that tradition, both in the musicianship and the recording's production. While no recording can capture the sublime communication of a pub seisun, Hooley attempts it here with all the rough-edged fiddle barbs, pipe pops and other reality checks that remind the listener that this is living, breathing music, not a polished studio style.
"On the instrumental tunes, which make up the bulk of Cuts From The Turf, Hooley offers a diversity of tune styles. Of particular effect: three slides played by flautist Richard Withers, including one ('Put The English On It') written for his Pittsburgh-based Irish immigrant mentor; Oliver Browne's fiery fiddle reels ('Charlie Lennon's') that start the disc off; the beautiful and haunting 'The Butterfly,' on which Bruce Foley's low tin whistle and Les Getchell's bodhrán mesh into a primitive, tribal imitation of nature.
"The songs on Cuts From The Turf benefit greatly from inventive arrangements and Foley's and Ray Werner's pure tenor voices, but are more naturally prone to the teary-eyed nostalgia that is part and parcel of Irish song. 'The Boys Of Barr Na Sraide,' for example, is arranged into a Chieftains-esque full-band number, and Foley sings with the same off-the-cuff immediacy that characterizes the album's performances. But the song hits so many Irish lyric catchphrases (English oppression, emigration, how great things used to be and will be again) that it doesn't seem right on this subtle disc. More proper is the sean nós romp 'I Thank You Ma'am, Says Dan,' in which Werner's deadpan unaccompanied singing offsets the silly, double-entendre lyrics."
Justin Hopper, Music Editor, Pittsburgh City Paper, March 13, 2002
LINER NOTES
1. Charlie Lennon's Reels
Two compositions of the great Galway tunesmith and fiddler Charlie Lennon.
2. Put the English On It/Patrick O'Keeffe's/Connie Walsh's
Three slides. The first is an original tune by Richard Withers honoring the wonderful Sligo flutist Mike Gallagher, who immigrated to Pittsburgh in the '40s.
3. The Boys of Barr na Sraide
by Sigerson Clifford of Cahersiveen, County Kerry
Boys of Barr na Sraida translates to "high end of the street." One of Bruce Foley's favorite songs, it is a powerful combination of haunting melody and poem that recollects the important events and people in a man's lifetime. Hunting for the wren is a traditional event carried out on St. Stephen's Day (Dec. 26) by young friends and siblings. Bruce sang this song years ago for the late Michael O'Shea. He was rewarded with a 1935 penny Michael brought with him when he emigrated to Pittsburgh from County Kerry.
4. Tuar Mor Polkas
We've been playing these tunes for as long as we can remember. Originally learned by Bruce Molyneaux from the recordings of Sliabh Luachra fiddle master Patrick O'Keeffe.
5. Dr. O'Neill's
A jig and a big tune, in five parts. It's the first tune in O'Neill's collection.
6. Down by the Tanyard Side
A traditional ballad from the classic Irish Street Ballads collected and annotated by Colm O Lochlainn.
7. Lad O'Beirne's/The Boy On The Hilltop/Martin Wynne's
Three reels. The first comes from James "Lad" O'Beirne, a great fiddler originally from Killavil, County Sligo. The second Richard learned from various sources. The third is by the great fiddler and composer, Martin Wynne.
8. The Butterfly
One of the few traditional tunes that actually sounds like its name. Bruce's low whistle here captures its flight. Les Getchell's bodhrán helps it soar.
9. The Boy in the Boat/Crowley's/The Glass of Beer
Three reels, and favorites around Pittsburgh ceilis.
10. Fiddler's Green
By John Conolly. Bruce Foley says he always thought this was a traditional ballad and was genuinely surprised to discover it was composed in 1966. It was a favorite ballad in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where he sang at the festivals and in the pubs and everyone knew the chorus.
11. The Little Stack of Wheat
A favorite hornpipe, and one the Folan sisters love to dance to in the old style.
12. I'll Buy Boots for Maggie/Martin O'Connor's/Jim Keeffe's/Mickey Chewing Bubblegum
Four polkas. The first two were learned from Boys of the Lough, the third from the playing of West Cork accordion master Jackie Daly and and fourth from its composer, accordion player Terry "Cuz" Teahan, a Castleisland, County Kerryman who found his way to Chicago.
13. "I Thank You Ma'am," Says Dan
From the collection of Colm O Lochlainn. One of the many traditional songs that can best be sung sean-nós, and one of Ray's favorites.
14. The Connaughtman's Rambles/The Mug of Brown Ale/Willie Coleman's
Three jigs you may recognize, for they're well-loved.
15. The Donegal Fiddler
A song by Ray Werner inspired by Northern fiddlers such as Teelin's Con Cassidy, Ardara's John Gallagher and others who kept alive the cherished Donegal fiddling style and flow of original tunes. Oliver Browne teases us with the A and B parts of Jackson's Reel between verses and puts them together at the end.
16. Spike Island Lasses/The Silver Spire
Two of our favorite reels.
BIO
Oliver Browne (fiddle)
Dublin born and bred in a rich musical tradition (his brother Peter is a respected uilleann piper, along with his cousin Ronan), Ollie has earned the reputation as one of the finest fiddlers playing today and has played with the best. His session playing in Clare, Donegal and especially Belfast decades ago is still revered.
Bruce Foley (uilleann pipe, tinwhistle, guitar, vocals)
A gifted singer, musician and regarded by many to be one of the most accomplished in the US. Bruce has performed with The Irish Tradition, Paddy Reilly, James Kelly and regularly Guaranteed Irish. The resident expert on uilleann pipe, Bruce has twice hosted the East Coast Tionol (annual gathering of pipers).
Les Getchell (bodhrán, bones, other percussion)
One of the most highly-regarded traditional Irish percussion players around, Les has studied and played with the best. Les has taught bodhrán at music camps Ashokan Northern Week in Saugerties, New York and Augusta Irish Week in Elkins, West Virginia. When not playing Irish, Les plays West African percussion.
Bruce Molyneaux (mandolin, banjo, bouzouki)
An authority on traditional Irish music, Bruce is a sought-after banjo and mandolin player. His grandmother was a concertina player from County Kerry, and introduced him to Irish music. So, it's Bruce who usually slips in a fine polka or slide.
Ray Werner (concertina, vocals)
Ray has been hooked on this music ever since he stumbled upon The Willie Clancy Festival some years ago. With a particular affection for the sean-nós style, Ray is occasionally Hooley's songwriter, when they have a bent for the original.
Richard Withers (flute, tinwhistle)
Richard's remarkable flute playing has earned for him a stellar reputation, both for his playing and his repertoire. He plays a wonderful flute given to him by the late Mike Gallagher of Tubbercurry, Sligo, his mentor. Richard is also a gifted composer. His "Put The English On It" is a lively salute to Mike.
Maggie and Sally Folan (step dancers)
As you guessed, they're sisters, and dance as only sisters can. Dancing since the age of four, they have been spreading the gospel since by teaching a hundred plus children in a group called The Irish Reelers, regulars at regional folk festivals and Irish events. In addition to step dancing, Maggie and Sally also teach set and céilà dancing. Their spirited dancing in the old (sean-nós) style is a highlight of every Hooley performance.
The sean-nós style of step dancing is the framework on which the modern style of step dancing is based. Unlike today's competitive version, as popularized in such productions as Riverdance and Lord of the Dance, sean-nós step dancing is highlighted by legs together, feet close to the ground, little traveling and a more relaxed upper body. It is always danced in harmony with the tune, the feet picking out a rhythm, moving with the notes.
For more information, including lyrics, visit www.hooley.info.
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.hooley.info
Track List:
1. Charlie Lennon's Reels
2. Put the English On It/Patrick O'Keeffe's/Connie Walsh's
3. The Boys of Barr na Sraide
4. Tuar Mor Polkas
5. Dr. O'Neill's
6. Down by the Tanyard Side
7. Lad O'Beirne's/The Boy On The Hilltop/Martin Wynne's
8. The Butterfly
9. The Boy in the Boat/Crowley's/The Glass of Beer
10. Fiddler's Green
11. The Little Stack of Wheat
12. I'll Buy Boots for Maggie/Martin O'Connor's/Jim Keeffe's
13. I Thank You Ma'am, Says Dan
14. The Connaughtman's Rambles/The Mug of Brown Ale/Willie Coleman
15. The Donegal Fiddler
16. Spike Island Lasses/The Silver Spire
Other Genres:
"For around 10 years, Pittsburgh Irish-music super group Hooley has carried the torch of traditional music in this area. The band's debut CD, Cuts From The Turf, is a quietly masterful labor of love, self-produced and self-released by Hooley with a careful eye on everything from the beautiful packaging to the folk-geek-satisfying liner notes. Most importantly, the music on Cuts From The Turf is wonderful almost without exception. The tunes and songs chosen here (only one song was written by the musicians) fall within a fairly strict traditional music framework of instrumental dance tunes, sean-nós songs (a style of unaccompanied singing) and ballads--no 'Whiskey In the Jar' here--and are played with a healthy dose of respect for that tradition, both in the musicianship and the recording's production. While no recording can capture the sublime communication of a pub seisun, Hooley attempts it here with all the rough-edged fiddle barbs, pipe pops and other reality checks that remind the listener that this is living, breathing music, not a polished studio style.
"On the instrumental tunes, which make up the bulk of Cuts From The Turf, Hooley offers a diversity of tune styles. Of particular effect: three slides played by flautist Richard Withers, including one ('Put The English On It') written for his Pittsburgh-based Irish immigrant mentor; Oliver Browne's fiery fiddle reels ('Charlie Lennon's') that start the disc off; the beautiful and haunting 'The Butterfly,' on which Bruce Foley's low tin whistle and Les Getchell's bodhrán mesh into a primitive, tribal imitation of nature.
"The songs on Cuts From The Turf benefit greatly from inventive arrangements and Foley's and Ray Werner's pure tenor voices, but are more naturally prone to the teary-eyed nostalgia that is part and parcel of Irish song. 'The Boys Of Barr Na Sraide,' for example, is arranged into a Chieftains-esque full-band number, and Foley sings with the same off-the-cuff immediacy that characterizes the album's performances. But the song hits so many Irish lyric catchphrases (English oppression, emigration, how great things used to be and will be again) that it doesn't seem right on this subtle disc. More proper is the sean nós romp 'I Thank You Ma'am, Says Dan,' in which Werner's deadpan unaccompanied singing offsets the silly, double-entendre lyrics."
Justin Hopper, Music Editor, Pittsburgh City Paper, March 13, 2002
LINER NOTES
1. Charlie Lennon's Reels
Two compositions of the great Galway tunesmith and fiddler Charlie Lennon.
2. Put the English On It/Patrick O'Keeffe's/Connie Walsh's
Three slides. The first is an original tune by Richard Withers honoring the wonderful Sligo flutist Mike Gallagher, who immigrated to Pittsburgh in the '40s.
3. The Boys of Barr na Sraide
by Sigerson Clifford of Cahersiveen, County Kerry
Boys of Barr na Sraida translates to "high end of the street." One of Bruce Foley's favorite songs, it is a powerful combination of haunting melody and poem that recollects the important events and people in a man's lifetime. Hunting for the wren is a traditional event carried out on St. Stephen's Day (Dec. 26) by young friends and siblings. Bruce sang this song years ago for the late Michael O'Shea. He was rewarded with a 1935 penny Michael brought with him when he emigrated to Pittsburgh from County Kerry.
4. Tuar Mor Polkas
We've been playing these tunes for as long as we can remember. Originally learned by Bruce Molyneaux from the recordings of Sliabh Luachra fiddle master Patrick O'Keeffe.
5. Dr. O'Neill's
A jig and a big tune, in five parts. It's the first tune in O'Neill's collection.
6. Down by the Tanyard Side
A traditional ballad from the classic Irish Street Ballads collected and annotated by Colm O Lochlainn.
7. Lad O'Beirne's/The Boy On The Hilltop/Martin Wynne's
Three reels. The first comes from James "Lad" O'Beirne, a great fiddler originally from Killavil, County Sligo. The second Richard learned from various sources. The third is by the great fiddler and composer, Martin Wynne.
8. The Butterfly
One of the few traditional tunes that actually sounds like its name. Bruce's low whistle here captures its flight. Les Getchell's bodhrán helps it soar.
9. The Boy in the Boat/Crowley's/The Glass of Beer
Three reels, and favorites around Pittsburgh ceilis.
10. Fiddler's Green
By John Conolly. Bruce Foley says he always thought this was a traditional ballad and was genuinely surprised to discover it was composed in 1966. It was a favorite ballad in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where he sang at the festivals and in the pubs and everyone knew the chorus.
11. The Little Stack of Wheat
A favorite hornpipe, and one the Folan sisters love to dance to in the old style.
12. I'll Buy Boots for Maggie/Martin O'Connor's/Jim Keeffe's/Mickey Chewing Bubblegum
Four polkas. The first two were learned from Boys of the Lough, the third from the playing of West Cork accordion master Jackie Daly and and fourth from its composer, accordion player Terry "Cuz" Teahan, a Castleisland, County Kerryman who found his way to Chicago.
13. "I Thank You Ma'am," Says Dan
From the collection of Colm O Lochlainn. One of the many traditional songs that can best be sung sean-nós, and one of Ray's favorites.
14. The Connaughtman's Rambles/The Mug of Brown Ale/Willie Coleman's
Three jigs you may recognize, for they're well-loved.
15. The Donegal Fiddler
A song by Ray Werner inspired by Northern fiddlers such as Teelin's Con Cassidy, Ardara's John Gallagher and others who kept alive the cherished Donegal fiddling style and flow of original tunes. Oliver Browne teases us with the A and B parts of Jackson's Reel between verses and puts them together at the end.
16. Spike Island Lasses/The Silver Spire
Two of our favorite reels.
BIO
Oliver Browne (fiddle)
Dublin born and bred in a rich musical tradition (his brother Peter is a respected uilleann piper, along with his cousin Ronan), Ollie has earned the reputation as one of the finest fiddlers playing today and has played with the best. His session playing in Clare, Donegal and especially Belfast decades ago is still revered.
Bruce Foley (uilleann pipe, tinwhistle, guitar, vocals)
A gifted singer, musician and regarded by many to be one of the most accomplished in the US. Bruce has performed with The Irish Tradition, Paddy Reilly, James Kelly and regularly Guaranteed Irish. The resident expert on uilleann pipe, Bruce has twice hosted the East Coast Tionol (annual gathering of pipers).
Les Getchell (bodhrán, bones, other percussion)
One of the most highly-regarded traditional Irish percussion players around, Les has studied and played with the best. Les has taught bodhrán at music camps Ashokan Northern Week in Saugerties, New York and Augusta Irish Week in Elkins, West Virginia. When not playing Irish, Les plays West African percussion.
Bruce Molyneaux (mandolin, banjo, bouzouki)
An authority on traditional Irish music, Bruce is a sought-after banjo and mandolin player. His grandmother was a concertina player from County Kerry, and introduced him to Irish music. So, it's Bruce who usually slips in a fine polka or slide.
Ray Werner (concertina, vocals)
Ray has been hooked on this music ever since he stumbled upon The Willie Clancy Festival some years ago. With a particular affection for the sean-nós style, Ray is occasionally Hooley's songwriter, when they have a bent for the original.
Richard Withers (flute, tinwhistle)
Richard's remarkable flute playing has earned for him a stellar reputation, both for his playing and his repertoire. He plays a wonderful flute given to him by the late Mike Gallagher of Tubbercurry, Sligo, his mentor. Richard is also a gifted composer. His "Put The English On It" is a lively salute to Mike.
Maggie and Sally Folan (step dancers)
As you guessed, they're sisters, and dance as only sisters can. Dancing since the age of four, they have been spreading the gospel since by teaching a hundred plus children in a group called The Irish Reelers, regulars at regional folk festivals and Irish events. In addition to step dancing, Maggie and Sally also teach set and céilà dancing. Their spirited dancing in the old (sean-nós) style is a highlight of every Hooley performance.
The sean-nós style of step dancing is the framework on which the modern style of step dancing is based. Unlike today's competitive version, as popularized in such productions as Riverdance and Lord of the Dance, sean-nós step dancing is highlighted by legs together, feet close to the ground, little traveling and a more relaxed upper body. It is always danced in harmony with the tune, the feet picking out a rhythm, moving with the notes.
For more information, including lyrics, visit www.hooley.info.
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.hooley.info
Track List:
1. Charlie Lennon's Reels
2. Put the English On It/Patrick O'Keeffe's/Connie Walsh's
3. The Boys of Barr na Sraide
4. Tuar Mor Polkas
5. Dr. O'Neill's
6. Down by the Tanyard Side
7. Lad O'Beirne's/The Boy On The Hilltop/Martin Wynne's
8. The Butterfly
9. The Boy in the Boat/Crowley's/The Glass of Beer
10. Fiddler's Green
11. The Little Stack of Wheat
12. I'll Buy Boots for Maggie/Martin O'Connor's/Jim Keeffe's
13. I Thank You Ma'am, Says Dan
14. The Connaughtman's Rambles/The Mug of Brown Ale/Willie Coleman
15. The Donegal Fiddler
16. Spike Island Lasses/The Silver Spire
Other Genres:
- WORLD: Celtic
- FOLK: Traditional Folk
- TYPE: ACOUSTIC