The Ollam - low whistle CD

[Goldie]

Hello Everyone I just wanted to give the heads up on a great low whistle album "The Ollam" which I got a little over a month ago. There are few albums out there that I would consider being truly Low Whistle albums, meaning the main lead instrument on every track ** is a low whistle and in this case with pipes occasionally making an appearance to step up a gear.

The Ollam is John McSherry (whistles, pipes), Tyler Duncan (whistles,pipes,guitars,keys), Michael Shimmin ( drums,percussion) with Joe Dart on bass. When I first heard about the project I was looking forward as I like both John's and Tyler's playing so both together should be interesting. Is It?? Yep, right up my street. I came into Irish/folk music from rock, folk/rock, prog/rock. I love trad music but equally folk music with a twist. This has a drum kit with a Rhodes piano laying the foundation for the whistles. I am always a sucker for a good musical drummer too, which Michael is and he can really drive the tracks forward together with the bass, especially in the tunes "three signs of a bad man" and "The devilll for my hurt", saying the latter is an absolute kicka$$ track would be a big understatement. Some parts of the album come across as really epic * and can take you on a journey. A copy went into my car and has stayed in there ever since, a great driving CD.

The whistles work well together and John and Tyler's playing is so tight that at times feels like one player. In "prayer for Tears" it sounds like they each take turns playing the main melody before the pipes come in and I would guess Tyler on the first round and John second time through?
It would be great if they would tour this album but I guess even if they did it may not include mainland Europe

There have been some great whistle albums released in the past year and this is one of them. It could be a nice album to give to friends for Xmas even the ones who might not listen to trad music and which could be a good stepping stone album for them to listen to more whistle music and perhaps get them listening to more folk music in General.

A video about it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UdXLK5tsHo

Where to get it

http://www.johnmcsherry.com/store/#!/~/ ... ort=normal

* I know the word epic can be overused but it does mean long story/poem and some tracks give you that feel in a good way.
** The 1st track is 25 seconds long and is of 2 chords on the piano

Cheers, and if you get it...... enjoy!
Colin

[MTGuru]

Thanks, Colin. I'll add this to our Whistle Recordings sticky list.

P.S. How is Brigitte doing?

[Goldie]

Could be better... Had an operation on her back a few weeks ago but only laying or standing allowed yet, but that is slowly getting better. She unexpectedly had another operation this week for something they found while scanning the back and that we have to wait and see. In between both of those we both had flu...... sometimes it doesn't rain but it pours!

[Viking of Kiev]

Very interesting work. Stylistically, first of all. It is obviously can be called "celtic post-rock" or something like that.
Heard nothing alike yet. Though post-rock is definitely not my style of music I recently discovered that I listen to this album quite often - so unusual it is. Some compositions really rock - very emotional.
Again an album of music of very high quality from John McSherry and the band. Worth listening to.

[csoroz]

.the olllam. homepage.
Some of the post-rock parts remind me a lot of Kaki King.
For example: .bridge of glllass. <> "Doing the wrong thing".

[narrowdog]

I got this CD this week, really really good.
Emotional, surreal in places but also some great driving bass.
As Colin said, it's in the car and has stayed there.
It's on my ipod and on my phone.
Great stuff

[sfmans]

It's just me that was a bit underwhelmed with it then ...

Technically, of course, John McSherry is right up there in the upper echelons of low whistlers, and I would be delighted to have 50% - no, make that 20% - of his ability and expressiveness. The other whistle player, an American called Tyler Duncan who'd I'd not come across before, is no slouch either.

It's just that the drum-kit always seems way too far forward in the mix for me, and some of the post-rock noodling gets a bit .. well ... lengthy ... much prefer the drumming on Kan's Sleeper. In fact for me there's a lot of comparison-points between the olllam and Kan, and Kan, for me, win on every front.

Not a bad album by any manner of means, and some truly great playing all round ... but not, for me personally, one I'll continually return to.

[minor typo corrected]

[FinlayMurray]

Is this album on iTunes? The sample video is awesome!

[csoroz]

Is this album on iTunes? The sample video is awesome!

Yes, it is. There is a link in .the olllam. homepage in the .store. section.

[colomon]

Got this album when Tyler's band Millish played in the next town over this weekend. So far I'm loving it.