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From Distant Shores - The Hammers
From Distant Shores: Irish Music From Canada - The Hammers
CD 2009 New Folk Records
1. Reels: : Bill Harte's Reel / Billy McComiskey's / Rolling In the Barrel
The first two tunes were learned from the playing of banjo player Brian Fitzgerald with whom Paul studied while in Sligo some years ago and who has been a great influence on Paul's playing. The third tune was learned from the playing of East Clare concertina player Mary MacNamara.
2. Jigs: My Love in the Morning / Contentment is Wealth / Maid On the Green
Susan learned these tunes from the playing of Fintan Vallely, Matt Molloy and Mary Bergin.
3. Reels: Mother & Child / Drag Her �Round the Road / The Bird in the Bush The first tune was learned from the playing of the great accordion and concertina player from Chicago, John Williams, the other two tunes we have learned from various sessions over the years.
4. From Distant Shores (Slow reel: Feadoir An Meara Harrison) When learning this popular session reel, we were transported by the beauty of the tune, and decided to keep it as a slow melody, and name it as our title track for this CD.
5. Jigs: The Stone in the Field / B�mis ag �l / Sonny Brogin's The first tune was learned from the playing of Donal Clancy a wonderful guitarist, the second tune came from one of our favourite bands Teada, and the third we learned years ago from an old LP by the Irish band Oisin.
6. Bianco Fiore / Flax in Bloom A Renaissance piece paired with a slowed down reel
7. Reels: Rainy Day / Ah Surely / The Gneevgullia Reel Living in Winnipeg, so far away from good players, made learning to play Irish traditional music very challenging, so we relied a lot on recordings. The first, and for some time the only, recording of tin whistle we could get our hands on was Mary Begin's. These are three tunes learned from that CD. In later years, Susan was thrilled to be able to meet and study with Mary Begin at an Irish Music Camp in the Catskills and was able to thank her for her inspiration, and influence.
8. Solo Guitar: The Fiddler of Dooney One of our favourite CDs of the last couple of years is by Sean Doyle, father of the great guitarist John Doyle. He is a lovely singer and has some beautiful songs. This is a solo guitar version of one of those songs.
9. Reels: Concert Reel / The Mountain Top / The Ivy Leaf
The first tune we have played for many years and is a popular session tune. The second was learned from the playing of Sean Potts and Paddy Maloney, the third was learned from the playing of Mary Bergin
10. Reels: The Green Gates / Over the Moor to Maggie / The Funny Reel (Paddy Fahey)
The first tune was learned from the band Teada, the second tune was one of the first tunes Paul learned and comes from an Oisin recording, the third tune is from Brian Fitzgerald.
11. Slow Air: Dear Irish Boy
This beautiful tune was learned from the playing of Fintan Vallely a great flute and whistle player.
12. Jigs: The Hag at the Churn / Jimmy Doyle's Favourite / Pull the Knife and Stick It We have played the first tune for many years at sessions, the second tune was learned from the playing of accordion player Con O'Driscoll, and the third comes from the playing of Jacqueline McCarthy, one of Susan' s favourite concertina players.
13. Reels: The Laurel Tree / Connaught Heifers / Swinging On a Gate
Susan learned the first tune from Mary Bergin at the Catskills camp, the second tune comes from the playing of Sean Potts and Paddy Maloney and the third tune was learned from the playing of Jacqueline McCarthy
14. Two Flings by Junior Crehan
In Winnipeg for the last few years, we have held an annual Irish Festival where we bring in traditional Irish musicians f rom Ireland and the US. A couple of years ago, we were thrilled and honoured to host the Mulcahy family from Ireland. Not only were they wonderful performers and teachers they were lovely people and we really enjoyed having them. We fell in love with this set of tunes fromm their first recording and so included the set on this recording.
Paul and Susan Hammer have been performing and teaching music for many years. Over the last 15 years they have brought their infectious brand of music to thousands of students across Manitoba through the Manitoba Arts Council's Artists in the Schools program. They have performed throughout Canada and the U.S. including at the Milwaukee Irish Festival, the Winnipeg Folk Festival, the Winnipeg Irish Festival and for CBC radio and television.
Paul and Susan's music brought them to the distant shores of Ireland where Susan became the first Canadian recipient of the TTCT teaching diploma in Irish traditional music from Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, and Paul studied with renowned Banjo player Brian Fitzgerald in Sligo.
With the release of From Distant Shores, Paul and Susan bring their special blend of music to an ever-increasing audience. They hope you enjoy listening to this recording as much as they had fun creating it.