Discography
Solo Recordings
Niall Ó Callanáin & Band
Live
Phoenix Productions PPCD 102
 |
The idea for this project came during a tour to promote my last album Strings & Things. I wanted to capture the energy and vibrancy of the band performing live and so we arranged to record a show in The Spirit Store, a small intimate venue in Dundalk. This resulting recording, I think, encapsulates the feel and dynamic of the live setting. This is a warts and all recording; it’s about capturing the moment. All the scratches, squeaks, thumps, thuds, heavy breathing and various noises are all part and parcel of every gig. |
Special thanks to the lads Jimmy, Kevin, Mario and Martin for playing their hearts out and for helping bring my music to life.
I hope you enjoy listening to us as much as we had fun playing to you.
All tracks composed and arranged by Niall Ó Callanáin
and published by peermusic Ireland Ltd.
The Band
Niall Ó Callanáin Bouzoukis
Jimmy Faulkner Guitar
Kevin Shields Flute / Whistles
Mario N’Goma Percussion
Martin Curry Bass
Recorded live in The Spirit Store, Dundalk, Ireland, 2001
Live sound engineer: Derek Turner
Mixed in Tumbleweed Studios, Dundalk, Co. Louth
Produced by Niall Ó Callanáin
Engineered by Derek Turner and Jason Varley
Mastered by Robyn Robins, Mid Atlantic Digital, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh
Sleeve design by Paula Murphy
Band photos by Colm Keating
Track
Listing
Niall Ó Callanáin & Band Live
Phoenix Productions PPCD102
| 1. |
Groove and Reel |
(6:42) |  |
| 2. |
The Otter |
(4:42) | |
| 3. | Four Course (Bouzouki solo) |
(7:31) | |
| 4. | The Rower, The Soporific | (5:08) | |
| 5. | Hail and Hearty (Bouzouki and Whistle duet) |
(4:33) | |
| 6. | Valhalla Adventure | (8:28) | |
| 7. | Fairwater (Bouzouki solo) |
(5:01) | |
| 8. | Chasing Rainbows | (7:26) | |
| 9. | No Resolution (Bouzouki solo) |
(3:19) | |
Media Quotes
“Ó Callanáin is one of the best (if not the best) Irish bouzouki players of our times and a well sought-after player on the traditional Irish music scene today.... It's brilliant!” Mich Gulbrand Nielsen, Danish/Irish Soc. Newsletter
“Niall Ó Callanáin 's music flows like a clear stream full of subtle nuances. It’s a feast of ideas and technical expertise.” John O'Regan
“The bouzouki.....in the right hands it still shimmies with the best of them” Siobhán Long, The Irish Times
“....a great job of capturing the energy of the onstage interplay between the musicians” Sarah McQuaid, Hotpress
“This recording breaks new ground and will be seen as the benchmark for future generations of Irish bouzouki players.”
Strings & Things
Pressure IRE9802
 sleeve design by Sharon Tempany |
Strings & Things is
Niall's first solo album. Released April 2001 the album is a collection
of his own compositions, which he plays on a variety of stringed
instruments along with some guest musicians. |
All tracks published by peermusic Ireland
Ltd.
The Musicians
Niall Ó Callanáin, acoustic and electric bouzoukis, bouzouki
effects, guitar, mandolin, bass
Máire Breatnach, fiddle, viola
Máirtín O’Connor, button accordion
Kevin Shields, flute, whistles
Mario Ngoma, percussion
Recorded in Tumbleweed Studios, Dundalk, Ireland
Produced by Niall Ó Callanáin
Engineered by Derek Turner
| 1. |
(Tune For) A Fond Millenium |
|
| 2. |
5 Ramps and a Rumblestrip
(Jigs) |
|
| 3. | The Otter | |
| 4. | Soporific
(Hornpipes) i) The Rower ii) The Soporific |
|
| 5. | Groove and Reel | |
| 6. | Spirit
of Oriel dedicated to the memory of Eithne Ní Uallacháin |
|
| 7. | Mary’s Abbey | |
| 8. | The Piper’s
Crutch (Slipjigs) i) The Smoking Drummer ii) The Piper’s Crutch |
|
| 9. | Stepping Stones | |
| 10. | Toda Pils and Toda Klop (Polkas) | |
“Strings & Things is one of those quietly inventive albums that recognize the music’s sense of place and its application in today’s world. It is also a collection of sweetly beguiling tunes bulging with melodic power and hypnotic strength.” John O’Regan, Folk Roots
“Why should we have to wait for so long for this fine CD?” Mich Nielson, http://mich.homepage.dk/
“...exciting and attractive music...” Danny Saunders, The Living Tradition
“...sit-down, compositions that explore, and bridge between, Irish traditional, rock and other nations’ folk music idioms.” Fintan Vallely, The Sunday Tribune
Floor
The Banjo
Pressure IRE9801
|
Floor The Banjo is a 3 track single released in 1998. An experimental recording, it uses sampled bouzouki sounds and effects with well known tunes in traditional music. |
The
Musicians
Niall Ó Callanáin, acoustic and electric bouzoukis, all bouzouki
effects, noises and scratches
Máire Breatnach, fiddle
Gay McKeon, uilleann pipes
Clare McKenna, whistle
Gerry Kavanagh, bass guitar
Tony Perrey, programming
Programmed in Flat 1 Programming, Rathmines, Dublin, Ireland
Recorded in The Mill Studio, Swords, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Mixed at Pulse Studios, Dublin, Ireland
Produced by Niall Ó Callanáin and Tony Perrey
Engineered by Tony Perrey assisted by Maeve Buckley
| 1. |
Fahy’s Composed by Paddy
Fahy (P.R.S.) |
|
| 2. |
Eavesdropper Based on
the traditional tune Eavesdropper, |
|
| 3. | Sloreal
Based on the traditional tune Tom Ward’s Downfall, arranged by Niall Ó Callanáin (peermusic Ireland Ltd.) |
|
To hear sound samples
and download tracks in RealAudio/MP3,
visit 