New tunes and arrangements by Fintan Vallely, with Caoimhín Vallely, piano; Sheena Vallely, flute; Brian Morrissey, percussion; Liz Doherty, fiddle; Dáithí Sproule, guitar; Gerry O’Connor, fiddle.

Here are new tunes and arrangements on concert flute marking Fintan Vallely’s fifty-seventh year playing music.

With him is his sister Sheena Vallely, also on flute, who as a painter and musician has lived much of her working and playing life in London and Bristol. Framing and highlighting the music with piano melody and accompaniment is their cousin Caoimhín Vallely, a founder-member of the bands North Cregg and Buille. On bodhrán and percussion is Tipperary-born Brian Morrissey, and on fiddle is Donegal player Liz Doherty, of Nomos, Fiddlesticks, The Bumblebees and the international String Sisters. Also on fiddle is Gerry O’Connor from Dundalk, of the band Skylark who played with Eithne Ní Uallacháin as the seminal Lá Lugh; with Fintan he also performs the audiovisual concert shows Compánach and Turas. Guitarist Dáithí Sproule, both a soloist and singer, as well as having been member of the legendary Skara Brae, has toured and recorded with Altan and Liz Carroll.

Fintan is privileged to be buoyed along by the enervating nerve of this company: Sheena’s sympathetic flute pulse, Caomhín’s lift on piano, with Brian accenting moods on bodhráns and shakers. Dáithí is on guitar on track five, Liz is on several sets, and Gerry joins on the finale tunes. The intuitive production and direction input of Niall Vallely (a composer himself, of the bands Nomos and Buille), is greatly appreciated for his patient shepherding of balance, character and vitality in the album.

Read more at imusic.ie…

Fintan Vallely and Mark Simos

Very old and very new selections of music from, and in, the Irish and Scottish traditions, promenaded in vibrant, eclectic humour on flute and guitar. New remastered edition. Read more at iMusic.ie… Back to the Starry Lane by Fintan Vallely and Mark Simos

Back to the Starry Lane by Fintan Vallely and Mark Simos

Music from all the counties of Ireland, with sean-nós step dance and song in Irish and English

Irish-traditional tunes, song and dance performed on acoustic instruments, with Gaelic songs, ballads in English, and old-style percussive step-dance. Two hours of music, song and dance named for each of the counties of nineteenth-century Ireland, music of the island from the pre-electric age. Read more at imusic.ie…

bandcamp link

Tim Lyons and Fintan Vallely sing their own topical Irish satirical and comic songs: satirical lyrics of the modern time about hamburgers, politicians, murder, drink, sex, religion, statues, Jesus, Ben Dunne, false teeth, the weather, potholed roads, and everybody’s scapegoat, that shockingly authentic icon of ‘roots’ music – the bodhrán. Read more…

bandcamp link

This is Fintan Vallely’s first album, recorded while in America in the early autumn of 1979, and released as LP and cassette in 1984. In it his style is raw and fresh, yet rounded and solid. He plays here with Mark Simos (guitar, who plays on his second album also, Back to the Starry Lane, CB Heinemann (bouzouki) and Lori Cole (piano and English concertina). Read more…

Bandcamp Link

All 4 of Fintan Vallely’s CDs together for €50 (postage included).

The Compánach double-CD album and the Turas DVD – audio and audio-visual, both with substantial notes, the two together for €35 (postage included).