
29. Tommy Keane: Uilleann Pipe Player
Includes: introductions; the list of great players Tommy has played with including Jacqueline McCarthy, Pádraic Keane, Siobhán Keane and Maisie-Kate Keane; getting the recording gig for Rum, Sodomy & The Lash; Phil Chevron; Elvis Costello; Red Roses For Me vs Rum, Sodomy & The Lash vs If I Should Fall From Grace From God; the arrangement of Dirty Old Town; Old Grey Whistle Test performance; vari-speeding; the three parts of the uilleann pipes; the chanter; the range of uilleann pipes vs bagpipes; overblowing and octave notes; the three drones; the three regulators; Dirty Old Town; breaking down the solo; the use of colour and vibrato; Paddy Moloney’s vibrato; Liam O’Flynn’s vibrato; who Tommy likes to listen to; the different levels of familiarisation of Irish music; having pipes in different keys; Na Píobairí Uilleann; the renewed popularity of the uilleann pipes; The Old Main Drag; the ending of the Dirty Old Town solo; the Blues; Henry Benagh’s fiddle part; Poguetry In Motion EP; Body Of An American; Planxty Noel Hill; playing live gigs with The Pogues; A Pair Of Brown Eyes; the overblow; tunes which are not pipe-friendly; the recording environment for Rum, Sodomy & The Lash; Elvis Costello witnessing the uilleann pipes; Davy Spillane; Tommy Carney; starting out on the uilleann pipes; Colm Broderick & Liam O’Flynn’s pipes; Pádraic Keane; Páraic Mac Donnchadha, as well as other topics.
Tommy has played with Pádraic Keane, Siobhán Keane, Maisie-Kate Keane, Marion McCarthy, Tommy McCarthy, Tommy Kearney, Pat Mitchell, Liam O’Flynn, Tommy Reck, Bobby Casey, Roger Sherlock, National Theatre Co., Rambert Ballet Co., The Pogues, Clannad, Ralph McTell, Thatch Céilí Band, Druid Theatre Co., Liam Clancy, Shaskeen, Sergeant Early Band, Alec Finn, Iarla Ó Lionáird, The Irish Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra, De Dannan as well as other artists.
Performances
Dirty Old Town in D: 32:47
Dirty Old Town in C: 33:30
Old Main Drag: 46:09
Body Of An American: 52:31
Planxty Noel Hill: 54:04
A Pair Of Brown Eyes: 57:38
A Man You Don't Meet Every Day: 1:11:38
NB Tommy had a lingering cough from a recent cold for this recording. The coughs have all been reduced in the edit for your listening pleasure.
Relevant Links
https://www.tommykeane.com
Tommy's Uilleann Pipe Demonstration
https://youtu.be/JIOMngg94l8
Additional Links
Jaylin Chu’s tribute to the Keane family:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pNiBWcxy_U
The Pogues BP Fallon interview featuring Frank Murray 1985
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWxJyYA697s
Dirty Old Town on The Old Grey Whistle Test
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAbQuCIyilQ
Na Píobairí Uilleann (The Uilleann Pipers)
https://pipers.ie
Pipemakers
https://pipers.ie/resources/pipemakers
Pádraic Keane
https://www.padraickeane.com
The Pogues & The Dubliners - The Irish Rover (Saturday Live) (Live) (1987)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVfzdD9X5MQ
Longplayer
https://longplayer.org
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