Various Artists: Masters of Their Craft
A re-issue of the classic 18 track compilation of Folk Music from such eminent artists as Clannad, Planxty, Moving Hearts, Liam O'Flynn, Christy Moore, Davy Spillane, Stockton's Wing and Shaun Davey 'Masters Of Their Craft' is a compilation release on the Tara Music label containing eighteen tracks from some of the foremost artists and groups in the world of Irish music. Over the last thirty years Tara Music has been privileged to have recorded and worked with artists such as Clannad, Planxty, Shaun Davey, Stockton's Wing, Christy Moore, Moving Hearts and many more. This compilation portrays these artists performing at their best, with their music spanning genres from World Music to Contempory Irish and Folk. Much of the music on this album has successfully pushed the musical boundaries of Irish traditional music to a more contempory level. Examples of this would be depicted by: Shaun Davey composing music for Irish Uilleann Pipes and Orchestra, and composing such tracks as "May We Never Have To Say Goodbye" for such high profile occassions as The Special Olympics in Ireland in 2003 - Andy Irvine for the introduction and integration of Bulgarian dance tunes into Planxty's repertoire - or the fusion of Irish and Spanish pipes music with Liam O'Flynn and Carlos Núñez, with a more contemporary aspect being contributed on the track "An Droichead" (The Bridge) by special guest Mark Knopfler - such examples are many.
Chicago American News
COMPENDIUM ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Masters of their Craft from Tara Records
Irish-based Tara has been a Hallmark of excellence for decades in Irish music so you would guess that any album of their best would be fabulous. You would be right. You must have it. Thanks, Tara.
Watch video clips on You Tube here.
Audio
Track 1: Liam O'Flynn: An Droichead
Track 2: Planxty: The Good Ship Kangaroo
Track 3: Rita Connolly: Amiens
Track : Stockton's Wing: Beautiful Affair
Track Listing
- Moving Hearts - The Storm
- Rita Connolly - Ripples In The Rockpools
- Planxty - Smeceno Horo
- Stockton's Wing- The Rossclogher Jigs
- Shaun Davey - Dia Do Bheathasa
- Liam O'Flynn - An Droichead (The Bridge) feat Mark Knofler
- Planxty -The Good Ship Kangaroo
- Davy Spillane - Daire's Dream feat. Bela Fleck & Jerry Douglas
- Clannad - An tUll
- Christy Moore - The Crack Was Ninety In The Isle Of Man
- Liam O'Flynn - Muiñeira de Poio; Muiñeira de Ourense feat Carlos Nunez
- Rita Connolly - Amiens
- Clannad - Mhórag's Na Horo Gheallaidh
- Davy Spillane - Atlantic Bridge feat. Bela Fleck & Gerry Douglas
- Stockton's Wing - Beautiful Affair
- Christy Moore - Black Is The Colour Of My True Love's Hair
- Nollaig Casey & Arty McGlynn - Jack Palance's Reel
- Shaun Davey - May We Never Have To Say Goodbye
Press Reviews
Songlines Jan/Feb 14 Reviews Europe
Various Artists:
Masters of Their Craft
* * * *
30 Years of music from the Seat of Kings
Home to an artist roster that has shaped the sound of contemporary Irish folk music.
Tara Music (formerly Tara Records) celebrates its 35th anniversary with an essential
18 track compilation. Early tracks from Christy Moore (with an account of “The Crack was Ninety in the lsle of Man’), Planxty (the Bulgarian accented delirium of Smecceno Horo) and Clannad (the characteristically haunting 'Mhorag Na Horo Gheallaidh') offer potent reminders that this was a label that hit the ground running with sure sense of direction.
Evidence of Tara‘s enthusiasm for situating Irish traditional music in a wider context is provided by contributions from Béla Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Carlos Nunez and Mark Knopfler on three Davey Spillane penned tracks. There's a brace of Liam O'Flynn offerings too — ‘The Bridge’ and ‘Muineira de Poio/ Muineira de Ourense' — all of which overlay Ireland's ancient pipes with thrillingly modern production.
Elsewhere there's the pared back purity of Stockton Wing's 'Beautiful Afair', the amplified experimentation of Nollaig Casey & Artie McGlynn‘s ‘Jack Palance‘s Reel‘.
Shaun Davey's manicured ‘Dia Do Bheathasa' and two tracks by Davey‘s wife Rita Connolly who possesses a voice that surely deserves greater attention. Michael Quinn
Folkwords web site
‘Masters Of Their Craft’ pretty much sums up what you get with this compilation album from Various Artists on the Tara Music label. It’s is an anthology of 18 tracks from some iconic names and bands in Irish and roots music. In a lifespan of some 30 years Tara Music has recorded the work of music maestros such as Christy Moore, Moving Hearts, Rita Connolly, Clannad, Davy Spillane, Planxty, Shaun Davey and Liam O’Flynn - and this album showcases some of their best known work.
So what do you get? Well from the rousing might of ‘The Storm’ by Moving Hearts and the cautionary tale of ‘Ripples In The Rockpools’ delivered by Rita Connolly, through the rabid Bulgarian dance frenzy of ‘Smeceno Horo’ from Planxty along with their definitive version of ‘The Good Ship Kangaroo’ to the haunting ‘Daire's Dream’ by Davy Spillane. There’s a live recording of Christy Moore singing the wonderful ‘The Crack Was Ninety In The Isle Of Man’, Clannad delivering the immortal ‘Mhórag's Na Horo Gheallaidh’ and the echoing simplicity of ‘Beautiful Affair’ from Stockton’s Wing. I could go on but if you know Irish music and Tara Music then you’ll already know these 'masters'.
Will avid fans of Irish music have most of the tracks on ‘Masters Of Their Craft’ on the original albums? Undoubtedly. Then again, is it worth adding this group of gems to your collection? Possibly. And if you are new to the genre is it a good starting point? Probably. There’s also an added bonus of some comprehensive notes about the artists with details of the original albums. Reviewer: Tim Carroll
Fatea Web Site
Whilst you can argue the toss about the title, there are female vocalists and female lead bands on this compilation. it's very difficult if not impossible to argue against the thrust of its intent. "Masters Of Their Craft" is an album that brings together a collection of Celtic musicians that not only influenced the sounds of their fellow musicians at the time, but that of the subsequent generations, the link that bound them together, the record label Tara.
There have always been exciting Irish bands and singers. I'm fortunate to have grown up at a time when it's been possible to have easy access to these musicians, but it hasn't always been so. There was a time when it was difficult for Irish musicians to get heard outside of Ireland and if they wanted that to happen, they had to migrate to other shores. Even if they did so they were generally part of a local scene, that you had to be in the know about. The music was still considered 'minority' and it found difficulty getting airplay.
Tara was a major catalyst in changing that. It was a label that fought hard to open up other markets for its acts and when your acts include the likes of Christy Moore, Clannad, Stockton's Wing, Planxty and Rita Connolly, amongst others, you have the quality to behind you to allow you to walk the walk and walk they did.
Tara were a label that were able to back their artists and get them heard. In fact they were so successful that ultimately many of those acts ended up signing to the majors and it does make you think where Tara might be today had it been able to hold onto all on the roster.
Well leaving the speculation to one side, what is a fact is the sheer quality of those acts. The most disappointing things about this compilation is that it is only 18 tracks. It's a wonderful compilation and a great introduction to the scene at the time, if you're just starting to explore the genre. Hopefully this is the start of an exploration of the Tara vaults and that rarer or previously unreleased tracks will follow. Neil King
