2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Matt Molloy bats 1.000, May 21, 1998
This review is from: Stony Steps (Audio CD)
My favorite album by Molloy is "Heathery Breeze," which I'm sorry to see appears to be out of print. So I was prepared to be let down by this album, its immediate successor. Happily, Molloy exceeded even his usual standards: these performances are characterized by agility, sensitive phrasing, a straight-ahead but not perfunctory approach to the tunes, and discreet accompaniment. "The Parting of Friends" is a heartbreaker, but there are plenty of jolly jigs and reels to cheer you up again. A winner.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Molloy's Masterpiece, September 1, 2009
While I have not heard all of Matt's recorded works--the Claddagh records are hard/expensive to come by here in the Colonies--I am very familiar with his five or six most common records. Stony Steps, in my opinion, is his masterpiece. The phrasing is truly wonderful: there is fidelity to the tunes, but that is bolstered by an amazing use of ornament and flourish. This album has a feel unlike any other Irish flute album I know; there are no false shows of dexterity for the sake of exhibiting talent. And the accompaniment by Arty McGlyn is as artful as Matt's playing. It is the perfect match of ability and artistry, and it has rewarded every listen I have given it since it was released over 20 years ago. The final wonderful touch is the fact that Seamus Heaney wrote the liner notes, long before he became world famous for his Nobel prize.
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