Star Above the Garter

Murphy/Clifford, Denis Murphy | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 20, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Shanachie
• ASIN: B000000DUX
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #811,964 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Rathawaun/The Hare in the Corn

2. O'Mahoney's/The Stack of Barley

3. The Morning Star/Rolling on the Ryegrass

4. Farewell to Whiskey/The Dark Girl

5. Tom Billy's

6. Dan O'Keeffe's

7. O'Rahilly's Grave

8. Seanbhean Na Gcartai/Tom Billy's

9. The Ballydesmond Polkas

10. The Blackbird

11. The Lady on the Island/Callaghan's

12. The Monster Jig/Munster Buttermilk

13. Knocknabower Polkas

14. Johnny When You Die/Anything for John-Joe

15. An Raibh Tu Ag an Gcarraig

16. Padraic O'Keeffe's/The Scartaglen Jig

17. The Fishermans

18. The Galtee Rangers/The Glentaun Reel

19. Caoine Ui Dhonaill

20. The Star Above the Garter/The Lisheen Slide

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Heart of Sliabh Luachra, May 19, 2006

By 

Matthew H. Mcconeghy "Matt McConeghy" (Rhode Island, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Star Above the Garter (Audio CD)

Denis Murphy (b 1910) and his sister Julia Clifford (b 1914)were born to a Co. Kerry family of "music morning, noon and night." Their teacher was the legendary Padraig O'Keefe. Julia emigrated to Britain and played fiddle all her life, winning the All Ireland title and playing in numerous combinations and venues to an advanced age. Denis emigrated to America and played with a long list of musical heroes, James Morrison, Andy McGann, etc. This seminal 1960s recording includes just their two fiddles, no accompaniment (nor needs any!) This is brilliant and pure Irish fiddling - fine reels, emotive slow airs, and polkas, including the now ubiquitous Ballysdesmonds 1,2,3. There is delicate ornamentation and technically fine playing, but this is not about showing off, this is about how tunes sound when they are played with love, respect, memory and sense of place. This recording is a cornerstone of any Irish music collection.

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely wonderful. Good music well played., January 21, 2010

By 

D. Cottrell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Star Above the Garter (Audio CD)

This album is an inspiration. I'm an amateur fiddler, been playing for less than a year, and this album (and music from Sliabh Luachra more generally) keeps me motivated. Wonderfully dancable fiddle duets and a few moving solo airs. Today's traditional Irish music scene can sometimes get on my nerves as over produced and out-of-touch with tradition. This on the other hand is just an album of straight-ahead, very well played fiddle music. No guitars or basses or dumbeks(which I usually find very distracting if not distasteful in ITM). Just good music, well played.

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Essential, May 16, 2009

By 

ibot (cville) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Above the Garter (Audio CD)

If you want to learn Sliabh Luachra this will get you there. If you can't get to Sliabh Luachra this will take you there. Just absorbing the Knocknabower(Knocknaboul) polkas in their purest form is enough to believe. You MUST have this recording if you love the polka - slide - hornpipe connection. Only Padraig O'Keefe could provide a better lesson...