CLADDAGH RECORDS NEWSLETTER August 1997 Claddagh Records, Dame House, Dame Street, Dublin 2, Ireland phone/fax +1-353-1-679-3664. Retail and international mail-order. email claddagh@crl.ie (Finbar Boyle) SOME RECENT IRISH AND RELATED RELEASES RUNAWAY SUNDAY.Altan. CDV 2836. Long-awaited, this is their second album for Virgin, and is a lot simpler production than their previous one - and the better for it. LIVE IN PALMA. Dervish. WHRL OO4CD. Live recording of some of their best-known tracks, plus some new ones. THE GATHERING. Kathryn Tickell. PRKCD 39. New albunm from the gifted young Northumbrian piper. THE MASTER'S TOUCH. Sean Maguire. ARCD 027. This is a curiosity - every tune on it is a set-dance; it's a bit wearing. RHYTHM AND RHYME. Tamalin. GRACD 227. Debut album from young Belfast group. BOSTON COLLEGE GAELIC ROOTS. Various. KM 9514. Live performances from musicians such as Jerry O'Sullivan, James Keane, Paddy Keenan, James Kelly, Sean Potts, Seamus Egan, John Williams, Johnny O'Leary. THE RETURN FROM FINGAL. Seamus Ennis. Many of Ennis's recordings were made when he was past his relatively brief heyday; on this there are ten tracks recorded when he was 21 - they show his true genius. The only comparable examples of his playing are unpublished tracks in the Department of Irish Folklore. Apart from these ten, there are 16 other tracks which were never before released. This is essential listening. TRADITIONAL MUSIC FROM THE LEGENDARY EAST CLARE FIDDLER. Paddy Canny. CICD 129. Paddy Canny is best known from the now deleted classic album he made with Peter O'Loughlin & PJ Hayes in the 1960s - years later, and with over 60 years of fiddling under his belt, he's back - and can show that he's as good as ever. One of the good ones. DAYBREAK AND A CANDLE END. Frank Harte. SPINCD 995. First time on CD for this 1970s recording of Ireland's best-known and most affable ballad singer. The Celtic terror continues with a slew of compilations - CELTIC LOVE SONGS, DANCE OF THE CELTS, CELTIC MUSIC TODAY, TRADITIONAL MUSIC OF SCOTLAND, TRADITIONAL MUSIC OF SCOTLAND. SET ON STONE. The Kilfenora Band. New album from the current lineup. WITH PIPE AND SONG. Tomas O Canainn. Re-release of an album of tunes and songs from the 1970s. THE BEST OF... Finbar & Eddie Furey. Very cheap compilation. The publishers, Music Club, are noted for their excellent choices in compilations and for their presentation, and this one follows that tradition. THE BEST OF IRISH MUSIC. B42CD1. 2 CD set of ballad-type material by artists such as The Barleycorn, Mary Black, Dublin City Ramblers, Paddy Reilly and others. SPORTING NELL. Tommy McCarthy. Tommy McCarthy from Kilmihil is widely known as a whistle player, piper and concertina player. In the heyday of the London Irish music scene in the 1950s and 1960s, Tommy's house was a centre of musical activity, and his family have followed in his musical footsteps. This is his first album and is a lovely, honest example of West Clare music. IRISH TRADITIONAL MUSIC. Turas. No number. Last month I promised you news of yet another brilliant group - this is it. None of the musicians are yet out of their teens, and the music is so good it's scary. Musicians are Liam O'Connor (fiddle), Padraic O'Reilly (keyboards), Padraig Rynne (concertina) and Ronan Ryan (flute, bodhran). Watch these lads!