We are delighted to announce our release of this classic CD.
PADDY GLACKIN: GLACKIN
CEFCD060
With:
Tom, Seamus, Kevin Glackin on track 12
Micheal O'Suilleabhain Harpsichord/Arrangements tracks 2, 9, 17.
Produced by Tony MacMahon
A truly magnificent album of traditional fiddle playing which Paddy recorded back in 1977 and which can be heard again--fans had been wishing for a CD reissue for years. Now their wishes have come true. Gael Linn in their project of re-releasing classic recordings from their back catalogue, have bowed to public pressure, and are delighted to announce the re-issue of this essential album. Most of the tracks being unaccompanied, Paddy's clean and energetic playing style and his inventive variations can be savored and studied. Still among my favorites after all these years are the track where Paddy plays "Julia Delaney" and "Mother's Delight" on the viola, and the one where he is joined by his father Tom and his brothers Seamus and Kevin for a powerful fiddle quartet on the great Donegal reel 'The Gravel Walks," with appropriate doubling at the octave.
Born and raised in the small Dublin village of Clontarf, Glackin was weaned on the Donegal style of fiddling played by his father, Tom. Glackin was equally influenced by the playing of John Doherty, an itinerant fiddler from Donegal.
A founding member of the Bothy Band, fiddler Paddy Glackin left to pursue a solo career shortly before the band launched their professional career.
While Paddy's art is essentially that of a soloist, he has been involved in a range of groups and performances, which demonstrate his musical flexibility and his willingness to experiment in placing "authentic" traditional music in new and often quite alien contexts. He was fiddle player with the group "Seachtar" later to become the Bothy Band and also he was a member of "Ceoltoiri Laighean". For many years a much sought after session musician, Glackin's fiddling can also be heard on recordings by Van Morrison, Kate Bush and John Cage.
Paddy Glackin's father, who was his first mentor and guide in the realm of traditional music, came fromThe Rosses in Donegal. His mother was of Mayo ancestry was born and reared in Dublin, as Paddy himself was. The other really formative influence in his musical life has been that of Johnny Doherty, the great Donegal fiddler.
Paddy is one of the more outstsnding of the younger generation of traditional fiddlers; is in keen demand as a soloist at concerts and sessions; he also appears frequently playing with Tony MacMahon, th eproducer of this record; and was a member of Ceoltoiri Laighean. Seamus Ennis
Audio Samples.
Track 1: Top It Off
Track 2: Cherish The Ladies
Track 3: The Wild Irishman
Track Listing.
1. Patsy Touhy's Reel / Old Cuffe Street
2. Sean O'Dwyer of the Glen
3. The Boys of Malin
4. The Duke of Leinster/The Morning Dew
5. The Hare in the Corn/Pagraig O'Keeffe's Jig
6. Bonaparte's Retreat
7. McFadden's Reel
8. Miss Paterson's Slipper
9. Top It Off/The Sunny Banks
10. The Cup of (overdrawn) Tea/John Doherty's Reel
11. Cherish The Ladies
12. The Pinch of Snuff/The Wild Irishman
13. Julia Delaney's Reel/The Mother's Delight
14. The King of the Pipers/Arthur Daley's Jig
15. The Gravel Walks
16. Red Haired Charles
17. The Boyne Hunt
Press Reviews
Celtic Grooves
A truly magnificent album of traditional fiddle playing which Paddy recorded back in 1977 and which can be heard again--fans had been wishing for a CD reissue for years. Most of the tracks being unaccompanied, Paddy's clean and energetic playing style and his inventive variations can be savored and studied--I personally learned a lot from listening to this album when I was learning to play Irish fiddle. Still among my favorites after all these years are the track where Paddy plays "Julia Delaney" and "Mother's Delight" on the viola, and the one where he is joined by his father Tom and his brothers Seamus and Kevin for a powerful fiddle quartet on the great Donegal reel "The Gravel Walks," with appropriate doubling at the octave. A "must-have." Rating: ****
The Irish Post
A truly magnificent album of traditional fiddle playing, which Paddy recorded back in 1977 and which can be heard again — Fans had been wishing for a CD reissue for years and now their wishes have come true. Gael Linn in their project of re-releasing classic recordings from their back catalogue have bowed to public pressure and are delighted to announce the re-issue of this essential album.
Most of the tracks being unaccompanied, Paddy's clean and energetic playing style and his inventive variations can be savoured and studied. Still among my favourites after all these years are the track where Paddy plays Julia Delaney and Mother's Delight on the viola, and the one where he is joined by his father Tom and his brothers Seamus and Kevin for a powerful fiddle quartet on the great Donegal reel The Gravel Walks, with appropriate doubling at the octave. A must-have.
Born and raised in the small Dublin village of Clontarf, Glackin was weaned on the Donegal style of fiddling played by his father Tom. Paddy was also equally influenced by the playing of John Doherty, an itinerant fiddler from Donegal.
A founding member of the Bothy Band, fiddler Paddy left to pursue a solo career shortly before the band launched their professional career. While Paddy's art is essentially that of a soloist, he has been involved in a range of groups and performances, which demonstrate his musical flexibility and his willingness to experiment in placing 'authentic' traditional music in new and often quite alien contexts.
He was fiddle player with the group Seachtar later to become the Bothy Band and also a member of Ceoltoiri Laighean, For many years a much sought-after session musician, Glackin's fiddling can also be heard on recordings by Van Morrison, Kate Bush and John Cage.
The Living Tradition
Paddy Glackin has taken the vibrant repertoire of his father's Donegal and given it a Dublin polish. His debut solo recording still thrills the senses, and reveals the deep roots and broad influences of one of today's finest Irish fiddlers.
Originally released in 1977, there's something essentially 70s about this album. And I don't just mean the haircuts. Unlike Paddy's flowing
locks, it's short by modern standards, but long on tracks because most are only a single tune. Some would probably not make it onto modern
recordings: The Boyne Hunt here is rushed and unappealing, and Sean O'Dwyer lacks the variation and introspection which we seem to demand of slow airs nowadays. Be that as it may, there's a great deal of very fine fiddling here. 'The Pinch of Snuff' is just one of many big reels expertly handled, and the quirky Top It Off' does just that.
This recording also recalls the freshness and energy of The Bothy Band. The opening pair of reels 'Pat Tuohey's' and 'Old Cuffe Street' were
70s favourites. 'Julia Delaney's' is a Bothy Band classic recorded in 1975, and the harpsichord accompaniment by Micheal Ó Suilleabhain on three of these seventeen tracks is very reminiscent of Bothy Band arrangements.
There are some great pieces of neglected Northern Irish music here too. 'The Boys of Malin' and 'The High Road To Linton' are a powerful combination, as are 'The King Of The Pipers' and 'The Swedish Jig'.
'The Hare In The Corn' set is a shining example of solo fiddling and 'The Gravel Walk's demonstrates the power of ensemble fiddles on an old Donegal favourite, with Paddy joined by his father and two brothers.
Much of the material here has since been recorded by Altan, Beginish and others: it's fascinating to hear how it was played thirty years ago. Alex Monaghan
netrhythms.com
One of the most mouth-watering of the latest tranche of reissues to come from the prestigious Gael Linn label is this 1977 solo album by founding member of Seachtar (the group that was later to become the Bothy Band), ace fiddler Paddy Glackin.
It's been one of the label's most-requested candidates-for-reissue, and just one even cursory listen will tell you why at once, for it truly deserves the epithet "essential", in the "if you need just one album of classic traditional Irish fiddle playing in your collection…" category.
Though born and raised in Clontarf village, Paddy's style of playing comes very audibly from his father Tom, steeped in the Donegal fiddle tradition, with further influence taken from itinerant Donegal fiddler John Doherty. Since making this album, Paddy has worked willingly in contexts other than what one might term authentic traditional music (session musician for Van Morrison and Kate Bush among others), but Glackin demonstrates that his art is most manifestly that of a solo player.
It's best, then, that the vast majority of the tracks on Glackin are unaccompanied fiddle solos of one kind or another, with occasional excursions onto the viola (track 13, the luxurious-toned Julia Delaney's Reel/Mother's Delight set, is a model of sensitivity allied to rhythmic impetus). Whether essaying jigs, reels or more unorthodox pieces, Paddy really bows up a storm; his energy is breathtaking, his sense of rhythm and pacing unyielding but perfectly relaxed, his approach to variation inventive at all times and in all manner of moods.
Of the handful of non-solo tracks, three are arranged by Micheál Ó Súilleabháin, who plays along with a continuo part on harpsichord (shades of the Ó Riáda, yet by the late 70s seeming distinctly old-fashioned in this context, albeit thankfully not as prissy!); on the glorious Pinch Of Snuff/Wild Irishman set (track 12) Paddy duets with his brother Seamus, and on The Gravel Walks reel (track 15) the pair are joined by second brother Kevin and father Tom, giving us a real powerhouse virtuoso display of effective octave-doubling (great though the rest of the album is, I'd have loved even more of those multi-fiddle extravaganzas – were there not any extra tracks lurking in the Gael Linn vaults, I wonder??!).
Presentation-wise, it's a real shame that Gael Linn could not have taken the opportunity afforded by this reissue to incorporate into the skimpy booklet the personnel credits track-by-track, for without access to the information given on the press release I'd not have been aware of the identities of the additional fiddlers (and the Gaelic-only note on the back cover strangely omits mention of Kevin altogether). David Kidman
The Stillwater Times: Star Rating: ****
"Paddy is one of the more outstanding of the younger generation of traditional fiddlers; is in keen demand as a soloist at concerts and sessions...
" From the sleeve notes
• This CD is a re-release of Paddy's 1977 debut album. As a master class in traditional Irish fiddle playing, there's probably no finer example than this recording. The arrangements are stripped right down to the bone, with many tracks just featuring Paddy solo…
• Several of the tracks featured here have subsequently been covered by other major artistes. However, Paddy’s undoubted skills as an interpreter of traditional folk melodies, together with his flawless technique, gives an “extra something” to these timeless tunes…
• Of the unaccompanied tracks, “The Hare & The Corn/Patrick O’Keefe’s Jig” and the angular “Bonapart’s Retreat” are the stand out performances. “The Boyne Hunt/Single Jig” shows to great effect that Paddy can also be a “team man”. This track in particular takes off due to the addition of backing musicians that Paddy can interact with…
• While I would be the first to admit that this is a “specialist” album and that it might only appeal to a narrow range of music fans, there is plenty for the discerning listener to enjoy. As well as being a master musician, Paddy has an infectious enthusiasm about his playing and many of the tunes featured will have you tapping your feet and clapping along. There really isn’t any better recommendation than that. Dave Jones
Taplas The Welsh Folk Magazine
I remember buying Paddy Glackin's eponymous LP in Dublin, en route to the fleadh in Ennis in 1977, and carefully protecting it from damage while we travelled around Ireland in an old van. It really is one of the great albums of Irish fiddle music and Paddy's playing, much of which is unaccompanied, still sounds as fresh today as it did back then. He's accompanied by a young Micheal O'Suillebhain on some tracks, as well as his father Tom and brothers Seamus and Kevin on a glorious version of Mickey Doherty's setting of The Gravel Walks.
For some reason the sleeve's artwork is completely different, with a photo of Paddy that's presumably an out-take from 1991's In Full Spate CD and the informative, and often amusing, notes by Seamus Ennis that graced the inner sleeve are missing. But don't let that put you off buying this: if you've never heard it, it's an indispensable object lesson in how to play the fiddle properly.
