 |
 |
Sleeve Notes
HILL 16 — The name of the group "Hill 16" was taken from the name of a spectator stand in Dublin's Croke Park. The Park is headquarters for the Gaelic Athletic Association, and the site for Gaelic football and hurling finals. Hill 16 is an actual hill that overlooks the playing field, and is a significant Irish landmark — it is an artificial hill, made from the rubble which was cleared in Dublin after British crown forces shelled the city during the Easter uprising in 1916.
PADDY O'BRIEN comes from County Offaly in the midlands of Ireland, and is an acknowledged master of the two-row button accordion. In 25 years of playing the accordion, music connoisseurs estimate that Paddy has picked up something in the region of 3,000 Irish tunes — jigs, reels, hornpipes, and many rare airs and marches. It was Paddy's phenomenal capacity for tunes and great sensitivity to the music that made him Ireland's senior accordion champion in 1975. Another major feat for Paddy was winning the All-Ireland Oireachtas competitions on four occasions. The Oireachtas competitions are sponsored by the Irish Gaelic League. A frequent guest on Irish radio and television, Paddy has also toured and made television and radio appearances in Britain, France, Germany and the United States (including Garrison Keillor's PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION SHOW). Over the past twenty years, Paddy has been featured on many outstanding traditional recordings with much-acclaimed groups such as the CASTLE CEILI BAND and CEOLTOIRI LAIGHEAN. He is a recording artist for Shanachie Records at present, and has two LP recordings on the Shanachie label ("Is It Yourself?" and "Spring in the Air") which also feature fiddler James Kelly and guitarist Daithi Sproule.
Paddy O'Brien is a musician's musician — full to the heart and soul of the honesty and enthusiasm that great traditional music is all about.
Seán O'DRISCOLL hails from the town of Blarney in County Cork. He comes from a strong musical background — many members of his family are professional musicians. Seán has a remarkably quick ear and an insatiable appetite for good tunes, and he plays the tenor banjo with great gusto and amazing subtlety. Seán has toured and played extensively in Ireland and on the Continent, and has appeared on Irish radio and television. On previous visits to the United States, Seán traveled mostly on the East Coast — it's fortunate now that his music can be heard by Irish music enthusiasts all over the Midwest as well. Apart from his outstanding accomplishments as a banjo player, Seán is also a fine singer and guitarist. His sense of humor and relish for all styles of traditional music are infectious.
TOM DAHILL was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, of Irish ancestry, and Ireland has held a special place in his musical career for many years. Since the early days of the Dayhill's Irish Band in the 1970's, people remember Tom Dahill as the first person to introduce traditional Irish music in many cities and towns throughout the Midwest. It's little wonder then, that people turn out to sing along or dance to the lively tunes of Tom's fiddle and guitar wherever he goes. Performing anything from Irish rebel songs to jigs and reels to unaccompanied traditional Irish songs, Tom's interpretations are filled with feeling and sung with a straightforward style. An avid collector of songs, Tom has a huge repertoire that includes many lesser-known songs learned from older generations of Irish people from Saint Paul. Tom has been an important link between generations in keeping the life in the Irish music of America's heartland. He has recorded three albums and has appeared on Irish radio and television.
A FIG FOR A KISS is from O'Neill's Music Of Ireland and THE TURF-FOOTER was composed by Paddy. Seán learned I'LL BUY BOOTS FOR MAGGIE and THE GORT ROE POLKA from local West Cork people. THE FOUR COURTS is Paddy's own version of this great reel. SPORTING PAT is John Doherty's setting of a fairly well known reel. JACKIE TARR is Paddy's setting of what is a very old Scottish hornpipe, while THE STORMY WEATHER reel came from the great fiddle player, Frank Cassidy of Teelin, Co. Donegal. THE HUNGRY ROCKS is an old Sligo/Leitrim jig that Paddy first heard from Mick O'Connor, who led, loved, and played the flute with the great Castle Ceili Band of the 1960's. Paddy learned CRONIN'S from one of his favorite fiddle players, Paddy Cronin. THE DAMSEL is an old Scottish reel from an unknown (that is unremembered) source. Paddy got O'BEIRNE'S from the great fiddle playing of James Kelly; the tune itself is from Donegal. SHELDER GEO is a reel that Paddy learned from a recording of Aly Bain and Tom Anderson, two great Shetland Island musicians. The source of THE NUPITAL, Paddy says escapes him. The second jig, STROP THE RAZOR, is from James Kelly. Paddy has known MASTER CROWLEY'S reel a very long time, and first heard it played on the piano by Eleanor Kane on an old 78 rpm record. The three part version of DROWSY MAGGIE comes from another 78, by Frank O'Higgans, recorded in the 1930's. This version of CROSSING THE CUMBERLANDS was given to Paddy by a great musician, Peter Ostroushko. The original was composed by the father of American Bluegrass music, Bill Monroe. Paddy learned PADDY TAYLOR'S from Paddy Taylor himself, who played it in the key of D on the silver flute. EDDIE MALONEY'S came from another late great flute player, Eddie Maloney.
® 1984 Meadowlark-101 a division of SHANACHIE RECORDS CORP. DALEBROOK PARK HOHOKUS, N.J. 07423