All hope is not lost…

From the Fleadh this year 🙂

Part I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1JlCQx4kvU

play video

Part II http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRzT8lZrSWU

play video

Short but sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

If the sound technician turns down the bodhran player’s microphone in the forest…

Love the Ian Anderson action by the alto player (standing on one leg). I’ve never seen anyone but Ian do that. I watched more closely to see if she was resting her foot on the monitor, but it looked more like she was bracing it against the knee of her other leg. Fun.

Does anyone else feel uncomfortable with this? Don’t know whether it’s the strange gyrations of the whistle player.or the rocking to and fro of the rhythm section… or what, seems like they should split a bill with Rusted Root. Not really my cup of tea.

Brilliant!

I’m with gravelwalks on this one. I couldn’t watch it.

For goodness sake! What’s not to like?!
These are good musicians playing a tune really well, in an interesting style.

Urgh, even Flook is a sore point around here.

I’ll try something else.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2FU90Eav3g

play video

Or even their other video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0OkPOf-Txg

play video

I’m probably wasting my time.

I’m just gobsmacked at some of the reactions of you guys. "The whistle player"; "the alto player"; "the bodhrán player". FFS, you’re talking about (including "the guitarist") four musicians at the very pinnacle of Irish music here. Flook are absolutely where it’s at.

I’m tempted to name the musicians in turn and catalogue their many achievements and accolades. But no need. Fortunately, people who know anything about Irish music will ensure that they continue to be given the credit they’re due.

Oh, and Smash - thanks for posting some real class hereabouts.

"I’m probably wasting my time." No. Thanks for the links.

I liked that first clip of Perfect Friction Are their any other Irish bands taking that sort of approach ?

Great to see they’re back at it again.

I’m not sure, I only found out about Perfect Friction after they were on RTE the other night. While the cover of Valerie was a bit…surprising, the other set of reels is great 🙂

As for Flook, well, what can I say? 🙂

Flook simply is.
Take it or leave it, not my cup of tea,
but I do see a lot of people who enjoy them.

Go with it -
I shall quietly enjoy my coffee.
🙂

Wish I had been there for this
bit of progressive, though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPBTF8Sn1fA

play video

Inspiring.
I believe I shall dust off my own harp…

Bit echoey to really hear and enjoy properly, unfortunately, that last. Sounded great stuff though.

Perfect Friction wouldn’t be *my* cup of tea. I can see from the first clip above that they know what they’re about though, although, as for Valerie, I’d infinitely prefer The Zutons. 🙂

Loved the Flook clips. Thanks, Smash, here’s one of my faves of theirs - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP7GH_tLQds.

play video

Re. Sarah’s leg. I asked her about her Ian Anderson impression a good dozen years ago and she told me she wasn’t aware that she was doing it!

I agree, Scutcher. I love that one. It’s beautiful, beautiful music. Funnily enough though, I hate it when it’s played by anybody but them!

Great musicians, all 4 of them, absolutely beyond dispute - but, "what’s not to like ?" - well, the tune.
"Flook are absolutely where it’s at" - not to me, I’m afraid, I’m quite happy somewhere else altogether.
Best of luck to them, and long may they continue.

Of course, I’m quite happy somewhere else altogether for a lot of the time too. Flook are not the only people who are "where it’s at", and quite different people are too, as far as I’m concerned.

As for the tune, well, I don’t play any Flook tunes, which tells you something about what I think of the tunes themselves. But then, I don’t need to play them - Flook play them so well. ;-D

Flook are absolutely brilliant musicians, no doubt about it, but I have just about zero interest in their style of music. Actually I find it rather annoying. Somehow though I think they’ll do fine without me.

I watched a good chunk of the first clip. I lasted about ten seconds into the 2nd clip.
So can ye explain to me why does it bother some of you people so much that some of the rest of us are not particularly into that style of music?
I imagine some of the stuff I listen to (and I’m talking trad stuff here) would drive some of you bonkers. We don’t all have to like the same stuff.
That’s what makes the world go round.

So to recap, Flook, and that kind of stuff… not my cup of tea. Please try not to be offended.

Oh, it doesn’t bother me at all that people may not be into Flook. Horses for courses ‘n’ all.

No, it was the apparent ignorance and lack of respect that got to me. "Turn down the bodhran (sic) player" - but it’s John Joe, FFS! Reference to "the alto player" standing on one leg - but it’s Sarah Allen! One of the best, if not THE best, Boehm players in ITM.

No mention of Ed Boyd, one of the best guitarists in ITM, but then, what could I expect?

And as for "the strange gyrations of the whistle player", I’d find it hard to believe that there has *ever* been a player remotely on the same level as Brian Finnegan, which means, as far as I’m concerned, he can do what he likes.

Now, you might not like what Flook do collectively - the music that they play - but let’s at least have a bit less ignorance and a bit more respect for the great musicians that they are. Whether you like it or not.

Fidkid’s got it right. 🙂

Hey.
I don’t want to pi55 any one off. But I don’t understand any if this.

Smashthewindows,
If you post something does everyone have to like it?
If others don’t like are they not as clued in as you? Hence you wasting your time?

Statements like ‘pinnacle of Irish music’ and ‘where it’s at’ seem like a massive subjective creepy over exaggeration to me. Then going through each of the musicians in the band and either preceding or finishing it with ‘one of the best’ or something similar is just weird. Says who?

If I post this - http://youtube.com/watch?v=_0CTHmQ2Jus

play video

Am I wasting my time?

I will comment:

I posted a Youtube link above of a harper I like, and I said only that I wish I had been there for that IMHO fine performance
(ie., I simply said I LIKED it).

Had I said more (IT IS GREAT, IT IS TRAD, IT THE BEST), I would have expected much the same reception as the OP of this thread received.

Posting anything here at thesession automatically invites responses, be they positive, negative, or merely conversational/speculative (my personal favorite). But the second that you even SEEM to imply something relative is an absolute here, there are far too many sharp minds to let it slip by, whatever your true and honest intent.

In this case, all I believe I see is an enthusiastic fan of Flook saying so -
fair play, honestly spoken, and surely no harm to anyone.*
🙂


*None of the above actually neede saying, I fear, but hey - I get to rant, and a real shrink costs a fortune. 🙂

You’ve mixed up things I said with things that Smash said, Bunty. It’s me that’s "just weird". Apparently.

Ah sorry. I think.
But I still don’t understand any (sic) if this.

I forgot to precede the next chunk with - ‘ethical blend’.
Sorry.

Sorry also you think I’m suggesting you are weird. Maybe you were being funny there, but its difficult to tell in a forum.

Just in case. If you read what I posted again you’ll see that’s not what I said.
Apologies again.

Read what was posted again? But it’s so much more fun to wilfully misinterpret what’s been written, and work oneself into a towering frenzy of self-righteousness…

Who’s doing that then Robert?

Oh, and I’ve read what you’ve written again, Bunty. I forgot the bit where I’m also given to being "creepy" and "over exaggeration". Apologies for missing those as well.

Thinking before typing would have eliminated a significant portion of what has been contributed to this site over the years…

Ooops, I have cross posted with cross posts. That was just a general observation that was triggered by Robert’s comment, and was not directed at any specific contributor to this thread…

Talk about pots and kettles. Here’s Bunty, from a recent album listing here that s/he posted:

‘It is what it is…
Stunning.’

EB, you need to go back to bed. I asked about the alto player because there was a player with an alto flute. Should I have known her name? Absolutely not. She may be famous in your mind, but she most certainly does not rise to the ability of many others whose name I would know. The clip was okay as far as it went. I like that kind of stuff, but I can’t say there was anything impressive or noteworthy about it. I was simply amused that she did the Ian Anderson bit (being a fan - it was because of him that I took up flute), but I will say as an aside that I doubt she has any of his ability however technically competent she seems to be (but that’s just being snarky, since I don’t really know). I will say, however, that I’ll eat a bodhran if she really has no idea that she is doing what she is doing with the leg.

I’ve come late to this thread, I know. I love Flook - the superb musicianship, creativity and, er … the sound they make. I don’t really analyse it any further in terms of its eyteeemminess, lack of or otherwise. Good clips, but sound quality a bit rough, as you might expect from Youtube. On the ‘Rubai’ CD I’m mesmerised with JJK’s playing on ‘Pressed for Time’…

The thread got slighly argumentitive - but not in the direction I expected. No, I was expecting a musical content debate to form, between the progressive liberalists and the Tanseyan diehards, plus everyone else in between 🙂

Ah well, she’s about 10 times the player that Ian Anderson ever was. And I speak also as a fan of Ian Anderson. But no matter.

Most of yous still haven’t grasped the point. Let me flag it up again - what fidkid wrote above is fine. I.E not his cup of tea. I don’t care whether you like Flook or not. Totally immaterial.
However, snark concerning people of Flook’s ability is not so fine. It makes me wonder why they bothered to post at all.

Here’s a thing: there is a very well-known fiddler whose playing I not only don’t like, I don’t even rate it. I have never yet made a comment about him or his playing on this site, because I can’t see how it would help. I’d like others to take that on board. Not that I expect anybody to take any notice of anything I say. No particular reason for them to do so.

Bearing all of the above in mind, I’m finding it puzzling that people seem to think I’m "upset" or that, for some reason, I should "need to go back to bed". What I’m saying is perfectly reasonable.

I’m listening to Thistle and Shamrock on the radio, and Fiona announced a Scandinavian tune "slowed down by Flook." Slowed down? Now, that’s different!

Actually, with the alto flute, it’s rather dark and mysterious, but not scary. I like it.

If you’ve ever been to see and hear Flook live (addressed to anybody) you’d appreciate what Sarah is doing with that alto flute. For some reason, the percussive element is not coming across as well as it might on those video clips - even the better quality one for "Pressed for Time". I’ve never heard anybody else use the flute quite so effectively as a percussion instrument. And the way they fit her percussive elements in with what John Joe is playing is fabulous. But it’s not really coming across in those clips. Maybe you have to be there …

EB, I speak for no one else but myself. I was simply peeved that you have twice put in quotes my reference to the alto player as an alto player. My comment was one of amusement; I did not comment on her playing or the clip per se in my original post. I said go back to bed because you seem to think that we should all know who the alto player is. I don’t - is that okay? And no, there is quite simply no one who can play ten times as well as Ian Anderson. If you were truly a fan, you would know that. I would substantiate that by saying that he would have an easier time duplicating what others do than they would doing what he does. And that doesn’t even factor in his innovations in playing and use of the instrument. But that’s fodder for a different post.

Jim,

What the heck is a ‘Tanseyan’ diehard? I’m not even going to bother to ask what a ‘progressive liberalist’ is since I’m sure you don’t know either.

You do a great disservice to Mr. Tansey, just like many previous posters who’ve dissed the man.

Séamus likes bodhráns. He’ll even play with piano accordionists. However, what he doesn’t like, and I agree with him, is people who mess around with the tunes.

Popcorn?

Ok - wowzers.

You can try reading it again ethical blend. Go on - one more time.
But if you want to take it all personally, rather than an observation of your written comments, then that’s fine too. Good luck with that.

I always did love what Ian Anderson did. It was of its time, and it had a certain flamboyance and raw … something. I grew up with it. I can’t remember whether I bought Stand Up when it first came out and then looked back and bought This was, or whether I bought This Was when it first came out. Whatever, I kept buying their albums for a while, along with Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and the other fellas I was into at the time.

Yep. I loved Ian Anderson’s flute style. Not very good though, was it?

Hi Scutcher,
I didn’t comment on the music on this post anywhere.
I commented on the polarised opinion of a couple of heads over many others.

I stated my opinion of the irish traditional music on the album I posted in the ‘comments’ section of a ‘recording’ section of a forum on irish traditional music. My first one, so I thought you were meant to. I looked at the previous recording ‘Slainte’ had provided. He commented on his own submission. I just thought that was the norm.

Now, if someone really disagrees with my comment on the irish traditional music on the album I posted in the ‘comments’ section of a ‘recording’ section of a forum on irish traditional music, then perhaps you may have a point and I’d be delighted to find out why.

Just for you, I have rectified my intention in the comments.
Still getting used to forum rules here.

Thanks.

"Yep. I loved Ian Anderson’s flute style. Not very good though, was it?"

You are woefully out of date. Here, let me help:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL93nslpGoc

play video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h3m5a4RfDw&feature=relmfu

play video

Ian is the composer of both pieces. Not Tull as you know it. Here’s one more since the season is upon us. You’ll have to ignore the somewhat cheesy orchestration, though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNJY9EyTiaw

play video

Sarah Allen is a very talented musician, she does what she does with "Flook" and adds a huge amount to their original and unique sound, but a bit of perspective is required here.
"10 times the player that Ian Anderson ever was"…..I respectfully disagree, and in my opinion,that’s a really dumb and pointless statement.
"One of the best, if not THE best Boehm players in ITM". Apart from the name of Joannie Madden, which immediately springs to mind, I don’t think I could venture an opinion on that, since in all the times I’ve seen "Flook" live, and from the band’s recordings, I don’t recall ever hearing her play Irish traditional Music. If you can direct me to an example, please do, because I would really love to hear it.

[*Jim,

What the heck is a ‘Tanseyan’ diehard? I’m not even going to bother to ask what a ‘progressive liberalist’ is since I’m sure you don’t know either.

You do a great disservice to Mr. Tansey, just like many previous posters who’ve dissed the man.

Séamus likes bodhráns. He’ll even play with piano accordionists. However, what he doesn’t like, and I agree with him, is people who mess around with the tunes.*]


Scutcher, we all know Seamus Tansey is a fine musician, and no-one is disputing that. However, he is very outspoken in his opinions of music which does not fit in with his thinking on ITM.

There’s a past thread on here where he got himself a bit of unwanted publicity by writing a very rude letter to another musician, (a young girl melodeon player) after a dispute / misunderstanding after a gig that they both were supposed to play at. It was eventually aired on a radio programme. That in iself it not relevant, but in the dialogue that follows, Seamus openly refers to melodeons as being the "grunts and groans of Irish music."

There’s a whole load of other uncomplimentary stuff there too, including words directed at the young girl, specifically about the content of her music.

In the days before the web, he wrote a very strongly-worded and very lengthy letter to Irish Music Magazine, complaining about players who borrow from other genres when playing ITM, and thus ‘bastardise’ it. I don’t have the article to hand, but take my word for it, it is strong, extremely puristic stuff. If his outspokenness is anything to go by, I’m sure he mentioned the musicians by name when he hand-wrote the letter, and the mag editor took them out before publication.

That’s what I mean when I say ‘Tanseyan diehard’. It’s not a disservice, it’s telling it like it is. It doesn’t take anything away from him being a fine musician.

I’m sure you’ve read the ‘Seamus Tansey writes a rude letter and it’s read out on radio’ thread, or whatever its title was, and heard the radio broadcast, but if not, I have an audio copy if you want it. If you agree with Mr Tansey, that’s fine. I have no argument with you 🙂

Ailin might not know who Sarah Allen is, but I haven’t the faintest idea who Ian Anderson is.

One man’s famousest musician in the world is unknown to the next….

I’m collecting names that people have called me. Feel free to carry on, folks.

Jim, you’ve completely misunderstood my post and Séamus Tansey’s opinions.

Gosh! My last was one big cross-post. I wonder how that happened?

"Ailin might not know who Sarah Allen is, but I haven’t the faintest idea who Ian Anderson is."

I don’t remember implying anyone should. However, the OP knows who he is, so your point eludes me, DOCTOR.

Er… why the surliness? I wasn’t slagging you. If anything, I was gently ribbing people who were surprised that you didn’t know who Sarah Allan was.

"I’m collecting names that people have called me. Feel free to carry on, folks."

Cute. Care to share the list?

Or is that a problem in that there aren’t any.

Feel free to carry on, EB.

Sorry, SS. I totally misunderstood your post.

Surliness? Ailin was probably just trying to make you feel at home, DOCTOR. You being a piper ‘n’ all.

Just listened to the "up to date" clips above of Ian Anderson. Now I remember why I gave up on him. Bring back the Tull days, I say.

You mean the days before he learned how to play the flute ‘properly’ ? http://www.j-tull.com/musicians/iananderson/equipment.html (search the page for "For the next twenty, or so, years").

No, I got dibs on the surly.

Thanks for that David. That article is genuinely interesting and helpful. It’s bloody good writing, tbh. I’m impressed.

[*Jim, you’ve completely misunderstood my post and Séamus Tansey’s opinions.*]

Nope. I got them both spot on.

"Just listened to the "up to date" clips above of Ian Anderson. Now I remember why I gave up on him."

Fortunately, he has never had to depend on your good opinion to extend his career to playing with orchestras all over the world after better than 40 years in rock. But whether or not he is for you, I know there are few if any that can do what he does, and in fact, no one has even tried. How many flute players can you name in pop or rock music?

I’ll always remember ‘Thick as a Brick’. Great music and funny cover art. Stuff about raiding a grocery store and threatening staff with a sawn-off spade, or something daft like that 🙂

There’s loads of flute in pop and rock. The classic flute track in rock was always, for me at least, Alan Wilson in "Going up the Country" by Canned Heat. (I didn’t remember his name, though. I had to look that up. And even then, I wondered if they were getting mixed up with Ann Wilson. Apparently not.)

In my 2nd ever discussion here I had the misfortune to use the word "amazing" when posting a video clip about (and my opinion hasn’t changed) an amazing fiddle player. https://thesession.org/discussions/25821/

I know the drill by now round here, people who "can’t watch it" dive into offer their opinion, it spirals out of control about Tanseyism or something or other (I met a militant Burkist once, he had a profitable partnership up in Edinburgh…) and so on. It’s how thesession.org functions.

Anyway, if you don’t like Flook, cool, I’m fine with that. If you do, also, great. I thought I’d share a clip of a successful group playing together once again, having fun, in front of an audience having fun. I even consciously avoided using the term "amazing"!

Here’s some beautiful music on the bodhran instead. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdtw-xWW8Kg

play video

I reckon they practised their scales with a metronome every day ;)

Sorry, it was the whistle dancing that turned me off. Sure, i know who he is and yes, he can do whatever he likes. No ignorance here, just taste in listening/watching. Fine musicians but a bit slick for my taste — same reason I poke fun at Hiromi Urehara but love ELP and Yes.

And that’s where my buck stops with poking fun… at the whole ‘fun’ part. No malice was or is intended.

Flook - An acquired taste - Great musicans but not for my age group I’m afraid.

Last time I saw Flook , could be 15 years ago, Finnegan and McGoldrick were playing blown jobs at 150 miles per hour, Sarah Allen stood on one leg for most of the gig playing strange wooden flutey things about five inches long, and a guy called Jonjo (I think) played tunes on his bodhran that all sounded like water glugging out of a bottle. I didn’t have the courage to click on the link lest I was risking being subjected to the same again.

Steve, do you remember anything about the wooden flutes Sarah was playing?

Flook’s musical approach parallels Bela Fleck’s or Dave Matthew Band; allegedly technical, usually tasteless and ultimately boring and annoying. Both acts have fans who claim they are the most talented musicians in the universe and anyone who disagrees must have the IQ of a rusty turd for not worshiping their magnificent brilliance.

Yawn

"There’s loads of flute in pop and rock"

Is there, now? Well let’s see, there’s Nights In White Satin, the flute ending to Hide Your Love Away, the solo in California Dreamin’, and who can forget Hocus Pocus by Focus? Yep, over the last 50 years there must be as many as ten non-Tull songs that feature some flute. That’s "loads" by anyone’s definition.

I was a bit p*issed, Ben, and was rather occupied that wacky evening with trying to stop one of my mates from angrily smashing someone’s car up outside the gig (don’t bloody ask…), but I seem to remember they were painted. I vaguely recall her saying they were from somewhere tropical. Jeez, don’t press me on this…

Just the fact that each of the musicians played so well together when they disbanded & now seem to play so comfortably together says something about each of them as musicians & all of them as mates. They’re not playing Irish music, so I think it misrepresents Flook’s music to think of it that way at all. No doubt they’re influenced by various traditions & I think they want to respect each of the those traditions.When they play it’s highly interpretative with a bit of blurring the lines of what one might expect & what actually happens. It’s not easily dismissed though since responses to their playing seems to be mostly love it or cannot stand it.

No worries, Steve. We’re good. ;)

Blimey, if I remember correctly, that one in California Dreamin’ is distressingly out of tune…

I’ll come out of curmudgeon mode for a minute and admit that the Flook gig was really good fun. Sarah played in The Barely Works before Flook and they were flippin’ good as well. In both cases, and as is not exactly rare, both bands were a damn sight better live than on CD. OK, none of it is fit for pure-droppers, but one man’s fish is another man’s poisson.

Ailin, you shouldn’t rein in your imagination so much. Sure there’s plenty of popular music which would benefit from good flute playing. The saxaphone & recorder have found disproportionate favour in the mainstream. The rare tasteful flute is all the more appreciated when it’s heard. The whistle too, if you have to dig a little deeper to find flute & whistle it’s not because there’s not some good playing on those instruments with popular music. What about Ciarán Bourke when he played with the Dubliners?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ9p6NreqAU

play video

Ben, you are going in a very different direction than I was. My point is that Ian Anderson set a standard and a level of what flute could be in popular music to the extent that he has become synonymous with the instrument. Everyone fears comparison to him if they give flute a prominent role (or so I assume, anyway). He will be studied and serve as a model long after this Sarah person is long forgotten.

This whole discusssion, from where I sit, is about EB thinking it so odd that I would refer to Sister Sarah as "the alto player," as if any fool should know who she is. Because I commented about her imitation of the Ian Anderson leg raise, he came into the conversation and now EB feels the need to say that Ian was never that good and his present playing is less interesting than what he did in 1968. Somewhere along the line I suggested EB needs to go back to bed and nothing has happened since to change my opinion.

Cheers.

I have to admit I have not given Ian Anderson very much credit. I can only think of a few tunes I’ve learnt from the man. Most of my influences in music have come from other flute players, & musicians on other instruments. Do you have a recommendation of recording which might be good for me to listen to of his flute playing & learn why he is so highly regarded?

It’s hard to isolate Ian’s flute playing since he generally used the flute as part of a larger mosaic. Even though fans clamored for him to play the flute more, his writing tended to feature the band as a whole. He is also excellent on accoustic guitar, so if you are looking for the secret of his appeal, I would say it is a combination of his song writing, singing, instrumental accumen and on-stage persona.

My personal favorite albums include Stand Up, Aqualung, Songs From The Wood and Broadsword And The Beast.

You’ll get the most flute on an album released under his own name called Divinities: Twelve Dances With God. It is an instrumental album with classical and new-age overtones. This is the album that showed just how well he can play flute beyond the humming and raspy effects he emphasized with Tull. I also appreciate that he knows writing instrumental music is not simply writing songs without words. The structure is entirely different. The individual tracks are like movements of a suite as opposed to a collection of tunes. However, this may not be to the taste of someone expecting an instrumental Tull, which this album most definitely is not.

Finally, you can check out these YouTube links I already gave in this thread:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL93nslpGoc

play video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h3m5a4RfDw&feature=relmfu

play video

Ian is the composer of both pieces. Not Tull as you know it. Here’s one more since the season is upon us. You’ll have to ignore the somewhat cheesy orchestration, though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNJY9EyTiaw

play video

I wouldn’t want to listen to them again. Ugh!

Meanwhile, off the top of my head:

Black Sabbath
Led Zeppelin - don’t remember the flute in Stairway to Heaven?
Genesis
Loads by Gong and Steve Hillage
Aretha Franklin

… and I’ve now Googled, and got loads and loads more …

… not that I can see the point …

http://youtu.be/QRJa05_QOM4

play video

Have you read that article I linked Ailin ? And why do you say that Sarah Allen was doing an " imitation of the Ian Anderson leg raise" ? Do you think she was doing it for show ?

Had a listen to Ailin’s links and can’t say I was bowled over in wonder or closed YouTube thinking that Ian Anderson was the greatest flute player, ever. I found some of the tracks a bit boring, to be honest. I’d much rather listen to Flook.

Different tastes and all that…..

Ah, the leg thingie.

I went back to check what you folk were referring to, then picked a couple recent Flook performances at random, including this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=fRzT8lZrSWU&feature=endscreen

play video

If she is doing it to look "cool", it is a dismal fail for me. She is not Ian, and she does not "rock", at least IMHO.

I do, in fairness, recall another personal experience with a musician raising the leg while playing.

A barn dance band I fiddled with for awhile had a caller who would raise his leg a bit for before a tune change or any major break, bcause he could not retain in his mind when the changes came. This way, we were all "with him" if he screwed up.
So, perhaps, to be fair, the lady’s bit of choreography is not simply a silly visual, but, rather, a way of keeping up with the other musicians on stage.

I shall keep looking, and see if there is a pattern to the ratio of sill leg raises to musical changes in the arrangement.

More forthcoming, for all you leg watchers.

She’s a damn good player though and anyone who disagrees with me clearly hasn’t got a leg to stand on.

What’s wrong with the simple interpretation that, due to flute requiring an asymmetric posture but only needing finger movement, it is comfortable and not difficult to balance on one leg. From the way she is tapping her foot in that clip you can see that all her weight is on one leg most of the time.

Ian Anderson comments in that article on the reaction in India to his Krishna-like pose - though in the first several dozen images returned by a Google search Krishna has the toe of the other foot touching the ground.

It’s a flute thing. No need for a fuss.

…and that bloke does the most shight Moon Walk I’ve ever seen…
http://www.bytwerk.com/gpa/images/hitlerpaintings/hitlerart3.jpg

@ - yhaal : that gives a "404 Forbidden, not found, error.

From Steve : [*and a guy called Jonjo (I think) played tunes on his bodhran that all sounded like water glugging out of a bottle.*]

That was funny! There was a music professor at a Doolin session years ago, and he was listening to bodhranist Martin Murphy doing a similar thing. The prof said to Martin, "I just love the way you modulate."

Funny thing is, both statements make perfect sense …poor JJK.

Does this link help?
http://www.bytwerk.com/gpa/images/hitlerpaintings/

‘"There’s loads of flute in pop and rock"

To which Ailin responded:

‘Is there, now? Well let’s see, there’s Nights In White Satin, the flute ending to Hide Your Love Away, the solo in California Dreamin’, and who can forget Hocus Pocus by Focus? Yep, over the last 50 years there must be as many as ten non-Tull songs that feature some flute. That’s "loads" by anyone’s definition.’

To which one should reply - King Crimson, Steamhammer, Marshall Tucker, Herbie Mann in his ‘Memphis Underground’ phase, Genesis, Chris Wood of Traffic, Mike Vickers on Manfred Mann’s ‘The Mighty Quinn’, Johnny Almond with John Mayall’s band, Jack Lancaster of Blodwyn Pig, Black Widow, Hatfield and the North, Soft Machine, Kevin Ayers’ various recordings, Teenage Fanclub, Embrace, Mogwai, Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire, Van Morrison (on ‘Astral Weeks’), Mercury Rev, The Delgados, I-Roy, the BeastIe Boys (on ‘Sure Shot’). Is that enough for you?

Jim Dorans, you’ve still misunderstood me. Séamus’s biggest beef was always about people buggering around with the tunes.

Whoops, that should be Beastie Boys.

[*Jim Dorans, you’ve still misunderstood me. Séamus’s biggest beef was always about people buggering around with the tunes.*]

OK, fair enough 🙂 I’ll add that.

Ailin, I listened to each of the recordings of Ian Anderson. Judging from those I’d tend to agree with Dr SS ~ nothing, for me at least, setting the standard* for flute in popular music. The Christmas bit was fine. Yes it’s plenty cheesy but I think all the musicians in the clip are making the best of a bad (i.e. cheesy) situation. Ian Anderson doesn’t appear to be afraid of a bit of self parody.

* ‘synonymous with the instument’ ~ wasn’t it?

"Ian Anderson doesn’t appear to be afraid of a bit of self parody." I thought that is exactly what he has been doing, all these years—not that it’s a bad thing, quite the opposite.

But then, I only started really paying attention with "Thick as a Brick."

Also, Scutcher forgot Loggins and Messina, and Dan Fogelberg’s album with Tim Weisberg.

Some flute stuff some people may be interested in.

http://source.pipers.ie/Search/searchResults.aspx?searchTerm=Flute

‘Also, Scutcher forgot Loggins and Messina, and Dan Fogelberg’s album with Tim Weisberg.’

No, I didn’t. I deliberately deleted such dross from my memory more than thirty years ago.

Actually, I suspected that might be the case. But the original assertion said "rock and pop"—which would include lots of dross, by definition.

Scutcher - that’s quite a list above. Very informative. Seriously.

Oh, and I deliberately left out the Beatles, despite their being rather partial to a bit of flute. (Yesterday, Fool on the Hill plus many more.)

"What’s wrong with the simple interpretation that, due to flute requiring an asymmetric posture but only needing finger movement, it is comfortable and not difficult to balance on one leg"

No good - not controversial enough, not enough fuel with that theory to start another brush fire of threading here.

That goes for the idea that, as wind instruments frequently draw on diaphagmatic tension and pressure (conscious or un-conscious), she might be merely raising her leg to support contraction of certain abdominal muscles through pressure of the upper thigh on the inguinal crease, even as wind and brass players can be seen to, when they "empty" out on a long last note, tend to bend at the waist to sort of force the last bit out.

Nah, ridiculous.
Easier to assume she is showing off,
and poorly.

She’s vey unassuming & doesn’t seem the sort to showsoff. Brian Finnegan is more likely to *showoff* than Sarah Allen.

Scutcher, thanks for bringing a bit of sense to the side discussion. Hope you enjoy this.
Herbie Mann ~ Push Push
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR64lF2agbM

play video

Never mind the leg - what about the eyebrow thing?

And when recounting the history of flute in pop music, don’t forget to mention how flutes frequently showed up in jazz-rock bands like Blood, Sweat and Tears, and Chicago.

I forgot to mention Harold McNair who, apart from making some wonderful jazz albums, sessioned on all manner of other recordings (Donovan’s albums and singles, John Martyn, Davy Graham, CCS, Alexis Korner, Rosetta Hightower, etc.) and was a member of Ginger Baker’s Airforce.

"Never mind the leg - what about the eyebrow thing?"

Dave:
Perhaps we should avoid the eyebrow thing altogether -
we have young ones here at thesession,
gotta keep it clean.

And Ben -
perhaps I was too broad with the sarcasm. In truth, I really am not all that excited over any performers’ visuals.
(Certainly not enough to seriously pick on the lass.)

Else I might not be such a fan of cauld-wind pipers.
Not a lot of dancing about there, y’know.
Hell, they don’t even MARCH ABOUT, do they?
And they call that entertainment?
🙁

Long live Roberto ryan

Rahsaan Roland Kirk (relatively tame) "My Girl"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV83CVbIw2w

play video

…
"Serenade to a Cuckoo"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q8Ye58uL5o

play video

A very lame version of ‘Serenade to a Cuckoo’ appeared on Jethro Tull’s first album ‘This Was’.

Not exactly a cover tune.

‘Not exactly a cover tune.’

Please explain.

It’s just my opinion. Any tune is of course open to being covered. It’s not exactly what I would choose for a cover tune. So the comment reflects my own shortcomings. If anyone has even the slighest desire to cover Rashaan Roland Kirk I certainly would not dissuade them. I consider Kirk to be brilliant. I realize Ian Anderson, & certainly other flute players, would be inspired to cover the tune; or emulate his playing. Of course!

Rahsaan