I really love albums which feature just two instruments playing duets. I like the way that the different instruments mix, in fact I like this setting more than a whole group as it tends to get a little muddled sometimes. Harder to hear the melody for me.
So what are some good ones? I’m enjoying Angelina Carrberry and Martin Quinn now
Kitty Lie Over is the classic, I suppose. A more intense, faster example with pipes and fiddle is Davy Spillane and Kevin Glackin’s ‘Forgotten Days’.
Glackin and Keenan doubling ,
Burke and Daly , Eavesdropper.
Mainly I prefer solo albums myself but these are 2 classics.
Na Fir Bolg with Jack Talty and Cormac Begley
Jackie Daly And Seamus Creagh-https://thesession.org/recordings/942
Deadly Buzz and Conversation at the Crosses.
The Southwest Wind - Peadar O’Loughlin an Ronan Browne https://thesession.org/recordings/684
I’ll also second Kitty Lie Over, Conversation at the Crosses, and Daly & Creagh.
https://thesession.org/recordings/27
https://thesession.org/recordings/264
are a couple I’d add to the excellent suggestions above
Paddy Keenan & Paddy Glackin, Doublin, and second most if the above
Lots of my faves already named above. Kitty Lie Over for one. The Southwest Wind is a ‘must have’ in my opinion.
I also like Tommy Keane/Jacqueline McCarthy (The Wind Among the Reeds). Love both Peter Horan/Gerry Harrington recordings. And of course the brilliant Ceol Aduaidh by Frankie Kennedy/Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh.
Tony Mc’Mahon and Noel Hills 1985 album, Cnoc Na Gra, was a good one.
Tommy Peoples & Matt Molloy with Paul Brady released on Mulligan Records I think in 1976 or 1977, I always liked the Frankie Gavin and Alec Finn album Irish Traditional Music from 1976 too although theoretically not a duet album, but Finn brought the standard of bouzouki playing up to an amazing standard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUw-aisBaiA
‘Tis What It Is by Mick Conneely And David Munnelly is my favorite right now
A few more oldies but goodies:
The Branch Line-Jack Coen And Charlie Coen
https://thesession.org/recordings/371
The Star Above The Garter- Denis Murphy And Julia Clifford
https://thesession.org/recordings/1073
The Humors of Lisheen - John and Julia Clifford
https://thesession.org/recordings/143
Fiddle Duets- Andy McGann And Paddy Reynolds
https://thesession.org/recordings/450
Oh, Dreaming up the tunes with Johnny Óg Connolly and Brian MacGrath is also one of my favourites.
Two Gentlemen of Clare - Gerard Commane and Joe Ryan.
Seán Ryan & P.J.Moloney - Traditional Music of Ireland vol.1
Seamus Maguire & John Lee - the missing reel.
Packie Duignan & Seamus Horan - music from County Leitrim.
It wasn’t a whole record, but there is one cut off the Crossroads album, which featured Mairtin O‘Connor, Cathal Hayden and Seamie O’Dowd, where O’Dowd sat out and left the fiddle and box on their own, and it was just magical.
Yip, Tommy Peoples & Matt Molloy’s L .P.
Just changed the whole ballgame I reckon.
f4
You can’t fault anything by Pinky & Perky. They were the duet kings and no mistake.
Tin Whistles - Paddy Maloney and Sean Potts
Contentment is Wealth - Matt Malloy and Sean Kean
Lonesome Touch - Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill
On Common Ground - Cillian Vallely and Kevin Crawford
Callan Bridge - Niall and Cillian Vallely
Also that Noel Hill/ Tony MacMahon thing in 1985 IS the one!
I love you all!
Sean Keane and Matt Malloy. Contentment Is Wealth.
Noel Hill & Tony Linnane
Contentment Is Wealth
Bavan
Seanchairde
“Tommy Peoples & Matt Molloy with Paul Brady”
that would be three people, if I count correctly.
yhaalhouse: < Pinky & Perky. >
We have those two, running our Goverment up in Storment, N. Ireland 🙂
Richard: < that would be three people >
Ah, but you can’t count, Backer’s 😉
‘ Only joking folk’s, ’ Sorry Jermey, First answer’s not really a musical one unless,
you count, ‘’ Dumbbell’s ‘’ - lol.
*Just in a good Fun mood about to go out to play ITM..
f4
In addition to most of the above, I’ll nominate:
Paul Brock and Enda Scahill - Humdinger;
Liz Carroll and John Doyle - In Play;
Maeve Donnelly and Peter O’Loughlin - The Thing Itself;
Liam Farrell and Joe Whelan - They Sailed Away from Dublin Bay;
Ben Lennon and Tony O’Connell - Rossinver Braes;
Catherine and John McEvoy - The Kilmore Fancy;
Liam O’Connor and Seán McKeon - Dublin Made Me;
Meabh O’Hare and Conor Byrne - Bavan;
Ciarán Ó Maonaigh and Aidan O’Donnell - Fídíl;
and,
Paul O’Shaughnessy and Harry Bradley - Born for Sport.
Oh, how could I forget the Jesse Smith/Colm Gannon and Jesse Smith/Emmet Gill. Two superb records.
Richard, I would be willing to stretch the rules to include Malloy, Peoples and Brady! 😉
Nearly forgot :
https://thesession.org/recordings/1026
A few favorites of mine that are missing or under-represented above are all of the Kane Sisters‘ albums, both of Edel Fox’s duo albums (The Sunny Banks with Neill Byrne and the one with Ronan O’Flaherty), Conversation at the Crosses, Two Gentlemen from Clare, They’ll Be Good Yet (Kitty Hayes & Peter Laban), Aggie White & Peadar O’Loughlin, Reed Only (Tim Collins & Brian McNamara), Forgotten Gems (Peter Carberry & Padraig McGovern), Jackie Daly & Seamus Creagh, and both Jackie Daly & Matt Cranitch albums.
And of course as soon as I hit “post”, a new one came to mind. Siun by Siobhan & Una Hogan.
I’ll second GaryAMartin’s suggestion of "Siun’ above. Great tunes. Picked this CD up from Siobhan herself while she was busking in Galway…Love it!
Ronan Browne & Peter O’Loughlin:
Touch Me If You Dare.
Some great tunes, well played.
And my vote, too, for “Contenment Is Wealth.”
Lovely stuff.
Dermot Byrne & Floriane Blancke, Box and Harp.
Liz Carroll John Doyle “Double Play”
at the moment.
Does anyone know of a fiddle and mandolin duet recording? My two favorite instruments!
