CLADDAGH RECORDS NEWSLETTER July 1998 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) http://indigo.ie/~claddagh/ 1798 THE FIRST YEAR OF LIBERTY. Frank Harte and Donal Lunny. HBCD 0014. Probably the best 1798 commemorative album; carefully-chosen songs performed brilliantly. ADIEU TO LOVELY GARRISON. Rosie Stewart. SCD 1041. Great album of unaccompanied song in English from possibly the best traditional woman singer in Ireland today. OUT OF THE GROUND. Sean Garvey. HS 010. Great album of well-chosen songs and tunes by the Caherciveen singer, banjo and flute player. Sean also reveals a little known aspect of his music he is an excellent guitarist. LEITRIMS HIDDEN TREASURES. The McNamara Family. LHTCD 1. Twenty years ago I knew a Leitrim flute player who worked in Dublin. I was aware that he had a family back in Leitrim that he visited every weekend. This is that family, with their father Michael McNamara, and its the best album Ive heard in ages. Over 70 minutes of really unusual South Leitrim music on pipes, fiddle, concertina and flutes, much of which has never been recorded before. Beautiful old settings of familiar tunes like The Banks. Magic hornpipes I could go on, but let me just say that all of you need this beautiful music. POPULAR IRISH CEILI DANCES. Johnny Connolly. SC 2021. The great Connemara accordion player plays for popular dances such as The Stack of Barley, The Walls of Limerick, The Siege of Ennis, The Bridge of Athlone and more. CAROLANS DREAM. Garry O Briain. CEFCD 179. Album of lesser-known Carolan pieces. A MANDOLIN ALBUM. Paul Kelly. MALGCD 110. As it says. A nice mixture of old and new tunes on instrument that has been very little recorded in the Irish tradition. LAUNCHING THE BOAT. Siona. DOORLA 001. Great Sligo/Leitrim music from a very young group who really understand what theyre doing and thats refreshing. Damian OBrien (fiddle), Oliver Loughlin (piano accordion), June Ni Chormaic (flute) and Kevin Breheny (keyboard). SALTY HEAVEN. Luka Bloom. 491294 2. First album in a long time. FIRE IN THE KITCHEN. Various. 09026 63133 2. Compilation of Canadian Celtic acts, including The Rankins, Leahy, Ashley MacIsaac, Barra MacNeils and more. FOXGLOVE. Moving Cloud. GLCD 1186. Second album from the Clare group (Paul Brock, Siamus McGuire, Maeve Donnelly, Kevin Crawford and Carl Hession). Augmented by guest musicians Gerry OConnor, Trevor Hutchinson, Johnny Ringo McDonagh and Garry S Briain. TO HELL WITH THE BEGRUDGERS. Seamus Tansey & Jim McKillop. SUNCD 30. The egos have landed! Mighty music from the Sligo flute genius and the greatest man who ever lifted a bow. SESSIONS FROM THE HEARTH . Various. SFH 001. Peculiar session from the National Folk Theatre in Tralee. Some of it good, some of it very good. Features Deirdre Scanlon (songs), Eamonn de Barra (flute), Fergal O Murchu (accordion) and more. AN CEOLTOIR FANACH. Cathy Custy. No number. Concertina album by one of the well-known Clare family. Good playing, some peculiar tunes. Shes joined by Tola Custy, Mark Stevenson, Frank Custy, Teresa Custy, Eoin ONeill, Mary Custy, Kevin Griffin, and Mossy Griffin. THE MASTERS CHOICE. Various. BMCD 568. Accordion compilation, featuring Joe Derrane, Jerry OBrien, Bobby Gardiner. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. Theresa Larkin & Noel McQuaid. RMCD 001. Tunes on various instruments. LEGENDS OF IRELAND. Various artists. R2 75202. Another compilation with tracks from The Clancy Brothers, The Dubliners, The Johnstons, Mellow Candle, Shane MacGowan and others. ONE NIGHT IN HARLOWS. Rig The Jig. NEWD 411. Good session music on uilleann pipes, tin whistle, accordion, banjo, fiddle. Musicians are from Roscommon Michael Banahan, Noel Carberry, Brendan Doyle, Johnny Duffy, John Freeley. As is common with groups nowadays, the songs are non-traditional. LIBERTE 98. Derek Warfiekl. SHCD 52046. It seems that the whole country has been rushing into the studio to celebrate the anniversary of 98. This one is by a member of the Wolfe Tones and sounds like it. THE SONG TRADITION. Tommy Makem. SHCD 52045. Traditional songs mixed with ones composed by the singer. DANCING IN THE WIND. Claire Roche. No number. Poems by WB Yeats set to music and accompanied on the harp.