Jackie Daly
Encyclopedia
Jackie Daly is an Irish button accordion
and concertina
player. He has been a member of a number of prominent Irish traditional-music bands, including De Dannan
, Patrick Street
, Arcady, and Buttons & Bows.
Born and raised in the area known as Sliabh Luachra
, Jackie Daly is one of the foremost living exponents of the distinctive music of that region. Among his early musical influences were his father, a melodeon (one-row accordion) player, and local fiddler Jim Keeffe, under whose tutelage he began playing at "crossroads dances".
After working in the Dutch merchant navy for several years, Daly decided to become a professional musician on returning to Ireland in the early 1970s. In 1974 he won the All-Ireland Accordion Competition in Listowel, County Kerry
. To qualify, he was obliged to play a B/C instrument, at the time the only system sanctioned by the competition organizers, but immediately afterwards returned to his chosen C#/D system. In 1977, his first solo recording was released by Topic Records of London as volume 6 of their Music from Sliabh Luachra series.
Jackie Daly's musical career is notable for partnerships with several fiddlers, beginning with Seamus Creagh. Their 1977 album, Jackie Daly agus Séamus Creagh, brought Sliabh Luachra music to a wider audience and, with its tight unison playing, set the standard for future accordion and fiddle recordings.
Another influential partnership has been with Kevin Burke, on whose 1978 recording If the Cap Fits he made a guest appearance, and with whom he made another highly regarded fiddle-accordion duet album, Eavesdropper (1981). Along with Andy Irvine
and Arty McGlynn
, in 1986 Daly and Burke formed the band Patrick Street
, with whom Daly played until 2007.
In the intervening years Daly made three albums with fiddlers Séamus and Manus McGuire, as Buttons & Bows. He also collaborated with fiddler Máire O'Keeffe, notably on the album Re-Joyce: Tunes and Songs from the Joyce Collection (2003).
In 2010, with fiddler Matt Cranitch
, Daly released The Living Stream, a recording of chiefly Sliabh Luachra music.
Jackie Daly was the first of a series of accordionists with De Dannan, appearing on four of their albums between 1980 and 1985. It was his work with this band that is thought by many to have paved the way for the accordion to become a concert-stage, rather than principally a dance-band, instrument in Irish music.
In 2005 Jackie Daly was named Ceoltóir na Bliana (Musician of the Year) in the Gradam Ceoil awards of the Irish-language television station TG4
.
Button accordion
A button accordion is a type of accordion on which the melody-side keyboard consists of a series of buttons rather than piano-style keys. There exists a wide variation in keyboard systems, tuning, action and construction of these instruments...
and concertina
Concertina
A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It has a bellows and buttons typically on both ends of it. When pressed, the buttons travel in the same direction as the bellows, unlike accordion buttons which travel perpendicularly to it...
player. He has been a member of a number of prominent Irish traditional-music bands, including De Dannan
De Dannan
De Dannan was an Irish folk music group. They were formed by Frankie Gavin , Alec Finn , Johnny "Ringo" McDonagh and Charlie Piggott as a result of sessions in Hughes's Pub in An Spidéal, County Galway, subsequently inviting Dolores Keane to join the band...
, Patrick Street
Patrick Street
Patrick Street is an Irish folk group.The band was formed in Dublin in 1986 with Kevin Burke on fiddle, Jackie Daly on button accordion, Andy Irvine on bouzouki and vocals, and Arty McGlynn on guitar...
, Arcady, and Buttons & Bows.
Biography
Since the mid-1970s, Jackie Daly has been a highly influential figure in traditional music, widely credited with having rehabilitated the image of the accordion and establishing it as an acceptable instrument for inclusion in the line-up of concert groups. He launched the move away from the musette tuning of the 1950s and 1960s towards a sweeter sound with lighter tremolo. He has also fostered a significant upswing in the popularity of the C#/D accordion, which is played in the older "press and draw" style (in contrast to the B/C accordion, the predominant tuning system among Irish traditional accordionists, which is played "on the draw").Born and raised in the area known as Sliabh Luachra
Sliabh Luachra
Sliabh Luachra is a region in Munster, Ireland, located around the River Blackwater, on the County Cork/County Kerry/County Limerick borderland.-Music and literature:...
, Jackie Daly is one of the foremost living exponents of the distinctive music of that region. Among his early musical influences were his father, a melodeon (one-row accordion) player, and local fiddler Jim Keeffe, under whose tutelage he began playing at "crossroads dances".
After working in the Dutch merchant navy for several years, Daly decided to become a professional musician on returning to Ireland in the early 1970s. In 1974 he won the All-Ireland Accordion Competition in Listowel, County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
. To qualify, he was obliged to play a B/C instrument, at the time the only system sanctioned by the competition organizers, but immediately afterwards returned to his chosen C#/D system. In 1977, his first solo recording was released by Topic Records of London as volume 6 of their Music from Sliabh Luachra series.
Jackie Daly's musical career is notable for partnerships with several fiddlers, beginning with Seamus Creagh. Their 1977 album, Jackie Daly agus Séamus Creagh, brought Sliabh Luachra music to a wider audience and, with its tight unison playing, set the standard for future accordion and fiddle recordings.
Another influential partnership has been with Kevin Burke, on whose 1978 recording If the Cap Fits he made a guest appearance, and with whom he made another highly regarded fiddle-accordion duet album, Eavesdropper (1981). Along with Andy Irvine
Andy Irvine (musician)
Andrew Kennedy 'Andy' Irvine is a folk musician, singer, and songwriter, and a founding member of the popular band Planxty. He is an accomplished player of the mandolin, bouzouki, mandola, guitar-bouzouki, harmonica and hurdy-gurdy....
and Arty McGlynn
Arty McGlynn
Arty McGlynn is an Irish guitarist born in Omagh, County Tyrone. In addition to his solo work, he has collaborated with different notable groups such as Patrick Street, Planxty, Four Men and a Dog, De Dannan and the Van Morrison Band. He played guitar on the critically acclaimed 1989 Van Morrison...
, in 1986 Daly and Burke formed the band Patrick Street
Patrick Street
Patrick Street is an Irish folk group.The band was formed in Dublin in 1986 with Kevin Burke on fiddle, Jackie Daly on button accordion, Andy Irvine on bouzouki and vocals, and Arty McGlynn on guitar...
, with whom Daly played until 2007.
In the intervening years Daly made three albums with fiddlers Séamus and Manus McGuire, as Buttons & Bows. He also collaborated with fiddler Máire O'Keeffe, notably on the album Re-Joyce: Tunes and Songs from the Joyce Collection (2003).
In 2010, with fiddler Matt Cranitch
Matt Cranitch
Matt Cranitch is a well known Irish fiddle player.Dr. Cranitch is a founding member of Na Fili. He is a graduate in electrical engineering and music from University College Cork, lectures at the Cork Institute of Technology on subjects of electronic engineering and music technology...
, Daly released The Living Stream, a recording of chiefly Sliabh Luachra music.
Jackie Daly was the first of a series of accordionists with De Dannan, appearing on four of their albums between 1980 and 1985. It was his work with this band that is thought by many to have paved the way for the accordion to become a concert-stage, rather than principally a dance-band, instrument in Irish music.
In 2005 Jackie Daly was named Ceoltóir na Bliana (Musician of the Year) in the Gradam Ceoil awards of the Irish-language television station TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
.
Solo
- Jackie Daly: Music From Sliabh Luachra, Volume 6. 1977
- Many's a Wild Night. 1995 (with Maire O'Keeffe, Paul de Grae & Garry O Briain)
Duets
- Jackie Daly & Séamus Creagh. 1977
- Eavesdropper. (Kevin BurkeKevin BurkeKevin Burke is an Irish fiddler considered one of the top living Irish fiddlers. Born in London to parents from County Sligo in 1950, Burke took up the fiddle at the age of eight, eventually acquiring a virtuosic technique in the Sligo fiddling style. In 1974, he moved to Ireland, where he formed...
& Jackie Daly) 1981 - The Living Stream. (Matt CranitchMatt CranitchMatt Cranitch is a well known Irish fiddle player.Dr. Cranitch is a founding member of Na Fili. He is a graduate in electrical engineering and music from University College Cork, lectures at the Cork Institute of Technology on subjects of electronic engineering and music technology...
& Jackie Daly) 2010
De Dannan
- Mist-Covered Mountain. 1980
- The Star-Spangled Molly. 1981
- Song for Ireland. 1983
- Anthem. 1985
Buttons & Bows
- Buttons & Bows. 1984
- The First Month of Summer. 1987
- Grace Notes. 1991
Patrick Street
- Patrick Street. 1986
- No. 2. Patrick Street. 1988
- Irish Times.
- All in Good Time. 1993
- Corner Boys. 1996
- Made in Cork. 1997
- Live From Patrick Street. 1999
- Street Life. 2002
- On the Fly. 2007
Other
- The 3rd Irish Folk Festival in Concert. (Live, with Séamus Creagh and other artistes) 1976
- Sail Og Rua. (with Dolores KeaneDolores KeaneDolores Keane is an Irish folk singer and occasional actress. She was a founding member of the successful group De Dannan, and has since embarked on a very successful solo career, establishing herself as one of the most loved interpreters of Irish song.-Background:Keane was born in a small village...
& John FaulknerJohn FaulknerJohn Philip Faulkner is an Australian politician. He has been a Labor member of the Australian Senate since 1989, representing the state of New South Wales. Following a period serving on various Senate Committees and as Deputy Whip, he was a Minister in the Keating Labor government 1993-96...
) 1983 - An Bodhran/The Irish Drum. (Colm Murphy, featuring Jackie Daly, Mairtin O'Connor and Aidan Coffey) 1996
- Re-Joyce, Tunes & Songs from the Joyce Collection. (with various other musicians) 2003