Why don't they re-release...

McGreevy And Cooley (1974)


While posting out-of-print recordings of folk / traditional artists seems to be a source of much angst for some, I still think it worth while to point out material which is no longer available, but which is of some interest given its cultural weight i.e. old boys (usually) doing old stuff in the old way. I assume that there is little or no money to be made from re-releasing these recordings, but its so easy these days to make things available over the Internet that copyright owners, who I'm sure would like to be seen as keepers of the flame, really have no excuse.

Its almost as if the stuff is being carefully guarded for an inner circle to strip mine when new material is needed for the next CD? Surely not.


Anyway, here are two Chicago musicians, John McGreevy (fiddle) and Seamus Cooley (flute), a recording first released on vinyl on Philo in 1974, then on cassette by Cló Iar-Chonnachta, currently out of print. Seamus is the more famous Joe's brother, but its John's record really; he has the style nailed down in a Joe Ryan meets PJ Hayes fashion, his playing is always interesting and there's a good mix of well-known and unusual tunes. The few duets are reminiscent of Fred Finn and Peter Horan.


Liz Carroll name-checks these two as influencing her formative years and you can hear why.

The Irate Pirate also has a post on Joe Shannon and Johnny McGreevy here.