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Liam O'Flynn was born in Kill County Kildare to musical parents; his father played the fiddle and his mother played the piano. After his first encounter with the uilleann pipes, the greatest influences of his development were Leo Rowsome, Willie Clancy, and Séamus Ennis. Liam won recognition by winning prizes at the Oireachtas Festival and the Fleadh Cheoil in the 1960s. . He is sometimes billed as Liam Óg Ó Floinn (i.e., Liam O'Flynn, Jr.)
He became a founder member of Planxty in both of its incarnations. The Chieftains were the first to record Irish traditional instrumental music in a group format, but Planxty took it one step further. They brought a punch and vitality to acoustic music that owed more to rock 'n' roll than classical music. O'Flynn brought an emotional excitement to uilleann pipes, which had previously been associated with the strict discipline of highland bagpipers. After Planxty he easily found work as a session musician. He has worked with the Everly Brothers, Enya, Kate Bush, Nigel Kennedy, Rita Connolly and Mark Knopfler. He has also worked on film scores, including A River Runs Through It and Kidnapped. He was adventurous enough to work with avant-garde composer John Cage, but his most natural alliance was with neo-romantic composer Shaun Davey.
The Bothy Band were natural successors to the original Planxty, and one of its members, Matt Molloy, who subsequently joined The Chieftains, played with The Chieftains' fiddler Seán Keane on O'Flynn's album, The Piper's Call, which was performed in the 1999 Proms season at the Royal Albert Hall. He has also worked on projects with Seamus Heaney, mixing poetry with music.
Liam O'Flynn's skills need no explanation. With very few exceptions, this album is entrancing from start to finish. Some highlights are The Gold Ring, and the utterly beautiful air An Bhean Dubh na Gleanna, with a gorgeous orchestral backing scored by Mícheál O’Súilleabháin. The strathspey selection is also beautiful. One of Liam O'Flynn's strengths as a piper is his use of the regulators and aside from one or two touches, they are sorely lacking. All in all, however, this album is a must for any fan of Irish music and uillean piping in particular. This is a truly beautiful album.
Track listing:
1. Humours Of Kiltyclogher/Julia Clifford's
2. Pleasures Of Hope/Rick's Rambles
3. An Droichead
4. Miss Admiral Gordon's Strathspey
5. Sliabh Na mBan
6. Drunken Landlady/McKenna's Reels
7. Muineira De Poio/Muineira De Ourense
8. Bean Dubh An Ghleanna
9. Humours Of Carrigaholt/Major Harrison's Fedora/Untitled
10. Gold Ring
11. Marcha De Breixo/Marcha De Lousame
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