Welcome to GreyLarsen.com


This is where you can read about new and current things in the works: Grey's ideas for new projects, tours, recordings, books, and collaborations.

Please share your comments, questions, ideas and feedback with Grey by clicking here.

Les Marionnettes, the follow-up to The Orange Tree CD, is here.

In 1993 Grey and André Marchand recorded The Orange Tree, a ground-breaking integration of Irish and French Canadian traditional music. A couple years later they began to work on their next CD, but shelved the project as their performing and touring went on hiatus. Ever since, they had both been haunted by the wonderful music they had been assembling at that time.

In 2004 they put this new CD project back on the front burner, and turned up the gas up to "high". In late January 2004 they spent a delightful, productive (and very cold!) week recording this new music in André's hometown of Joliette in Québec. They completed the recording in June and released Les Marionnettes in July, just in time for their performances at the wonderful folk festival Mémoire et Racines (Memory and Roots), in Joliette, Québec, July 23-25, 2004.

Les Marionnettes features more traditional Irish gems from Grey's Irish melodeon mentor Michael J. Kennedy (1900-1978), more gorgeous traditional Québecois songs from André's storehouse, and original creations such as Andre's "Exil" and Grey's "Old Drops of Brandy" and "Bobbing for Apples". It's a deeper dip into the well under the orange tree, with André's trademark foot percussion, guitar, and utterly natural singing and Grey's Irish flute, tin whistle, concertina, harmonium, field organ and piano.

If you are unfamiliar with The Orange Tree, click here to listen to a couple of cuts. It was awarded "Runner-Up World Music CD of the Year" by CD Review Magazine, 1993.

Grey's Four Books with Mel Bay Publications

Grey's first two books came out in December 2003 and April 2004. For more details and excerpts, click here. To order one of the books below, click on the title to enter the online store.

1. The Essential Guide to Irish Flute and Tin Whistle

Published December 20, 2003.
480 pages, with two companion CDs. $39.95.

"Grey has, through his research, patience, and diligence, completed a work on Irish flute and tin whistle that I feel is essential reading for anybody interested in getting it right."

- Matt Molloy, flute player with The Bothy Band and The Chieftains

2. The Essential Tin Whistle Toolbox

Published April 2004.
187 pages, with one CD. $29.95.

"An essential set of tools for the beginning and intermediate tin whistle player. I highly recommend it!"

- Joanie Madden, whistle and flute player with Cherish the Ladies

 

3. Celtic Encyclopedia for Irish Flute

4. Celtic Encyclopedia for Tin Whistle

We hope that these two books will be released in 2008.
Each will be approximately 100 pages long, with one CD containing the tunes in the book.

These are tunebooks/CDs in Mel Bay's Celtic Encyclopedia series, customized to the needs of likings of Irish flute players and tin whistle players respectively. Stay tuned for details as publication draws nearer.

Larsen & League's Newest CD: Dark of the Moon

Dark of the Moon

This is Grey's second CD with Paddy League, the follow-up to The Green House, full of upbeat and lyrical renditions of instrumental Irish music, plus a few of Grey's original tunes. As you'd expect, it is full of Irish Flute, tin whistle, concertina, guitar, bodhrán, and harmonium.

Have a listen to a couple of tracks here.

Here are two early reviews. (Read more reviews here.)

The commodification of all things Irish is a relatively recent phenomenon. There was a time, long before Riverdance and U2, when Guinness was hard to find in this country and traditional Irish music even harder. So when Cincinnati native Grey Larsen was studying at Oberlin in the '70s and wanted to learn traditional tunes, he had to be creative. When he heard that some Irish immigrants gathered in Cleveland every week for a private jam, he started showing up.

The result was a musical education no classroom could have provided and a passion for the Irish flute. That devotion resonates throughout Dark of the Moon. Perhaps because it's used less frequently than the fiddle, the flute lends traditional Irish music a slightly different quality -- more ethereal somehow, more emotive. Paddy League's accompaniment on bodhran, the Irish percussive instrument, and guitar is first-rate, but it's Larsen's mastery of the flute that makes Dark of the Moon a worthy addition to any discerning fan's collection.

- Frank Lewis, Cleveland Scene, October 22, 2003

 

No, it's not a Pink Floyd tribute cd. It's Grey Larsen - Irish flute, tin whistle, anglo concertina, harmonium and Paddy League - Bodhran, guitar, anglo concertina playing traditional Irish music. The title of the cd, according to Larsen, was so named because his flute tunes are playing in the dark key of G-minor. The dark of the moon period starts the day after the full moon and continues until the day before the new moon. A time of transition. A time to think about the changes in your world and life, and that is exactly what Grey and Paddy are up to. It is not a dark album. There are moments of pensive acoustic guitars and cues to the listener through the concertina which say, 'Now stop a minute and consider your gifts.' But any cd that contains the frivolity and good-natured folk of 'The Slopes of Mount Storm' (written by Larsen) cannot be conceived as anything dark.

The highlands have never sounded better in this all-instrumental piece of Celtic gold. It is not meant to be dramatic like Riverdance, it is here for you, whatever your mood, and contains some of the best playing of the genre. I'd like to see this cd spun in every bookstore in the land. Stimulates the need to know.

- Ben Ohmart, Musemuse.com, September 20, 2003

 

And, additional liner notes for Dark of the Moon, supplementing what comes with the physical CD, can be found here.

The Making of Dark of the Moon

If you are curious about how and where Paddy and Grey made Dark of the Moon, click here for anecdotes, information, photos, and Paddy's Greek recipe for Gigantes Sto Fourno.

Grey Larsen's Irish Tune Bank - What Is It?

The Irish Tune Bank is a virtual bank where the doors are always open, you don't wait in line, and the vault is kept unlocked. Instead of holding money, it holds "tune packets". If you are interested in traditional Irish music, come check it out and download some of the free samples.

Each tune packet contains:

  • Grey's transcription of an Irish tune with suggested ornamentation (and suggested breathing spots for wind players),
  • His written commentary on the tune,
  • And a sound recording of him playing the tune (MP3 file).

Plenty of free stuff here. Free tune packets, free informational articles. Membership is optional and free, and you can open a free account and earn interest in the form of free CDs.

Terry McGee's Grey Larsen's Preferred model Irish flute

In April 2003, Grey travelled to Canberra, Australia to collaborate with the great Australian flutemaker, Terry McGee. Terry was intrigued by his unusual Irish flute preference. They carefully studied Grey's flute and compared it with a variety of other (mostly English) instruments of the period. Terry was so convinced of this instrument's fine qualities that he now offers his own Grey Larsen Preferred model, based upon his meticulous measurements and examination of Grey's Firth, Pond & Co. flute.

Terry writes of the Firth, Pond & Co. flute:

"It's a delightfully easy flute to play, reminiscent of the pipes or whistle in agility and economy of air. It would suit anyone who, like Grey, values crisp ornamentation highly. Despite the small holes, the flute produces a very impressive volume of sound."

Grey loves Terry's Grey Larsen Preferred flute and recommends it without reservation. It plays just as beautifully as his original Firth Pond & Co. - plus it has superior intonation. He says that if he were to lose his flute, he would go to Terry for a replacement.

 

Grey Larsen Preferred six-key

The photo above shows a six-key Grey Larsen Preferred flute by Terry McGee, in African blackwood and silver. (The B-flat key, operated by the left thumb, is difficult to see in this photo.)

 

Grey Larsen Preferred keyless

The photo above shows a keyless Grey Larsen Preferred flute by Terry McGee, in African blackwood and silver.

Click here to hear Grey playing the Irish reel The Torn Jacket on a Terry McGee's Grey Larsen Preferred flute.

Normally, there is a substantial waiting period when you order a flute from Terry. However, we will keep a limited supply of Terry's Grey Larsen Preferred flutes on hand to sell here, with no waiting period involved.

Terry will keep Grey supplied, as he can, with a small number of Grey Larsen Preferred flutes in these two configurations:

  • Keyless, in blackwood
  • 6-keyed, in blackwood

Click here for more information on these flutes and on buying them from Grey.

A Music Business Consultation Project with Peter Spellman

In 2003 and 2004 Grey worked with a music business consultant, Peter Spellman.

This project was funded in part through an Individual Artist Grant from the Indiana Arts Commission.

Peter Spellman is the Director of the Career Development Center at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He also directs Music Business Solutions. To learn more about him, click here.

Grey became familiar with Peter's work through reading one of his books, The Musician's Internet. He highly recommends this and his other books and ebooks. You can read about them here and order them directly from our Recommended Reading page.

Here's a brief summary statement of the project from Grey's Indiana Arts Commission grant application:

I will engage the consulting services of Mr. Peter Spellman, Director of the Career Development Center at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and author of the 2002 book, The Musician's Internet, On-Line Strategies for Success in the Music Industry. Mr. Spellman will work with me directly (by phone and email) to guide me in increasing my knowledge and effectiveness in using the internet to boost my income and promote and advance my musical career. Specifically, I will learn to expand my online presence at my website, www.greylarsen.com, and elsewhere on the web, increase my fan base, increase physical and downloadable sales of my music, CDs, and music books, to individuals and through online distribution channels, utilize search engines to increase my sales and exposure, increase airplay through internet radio, and find opportunities to license my music for use in television, film, and other media.

Grey's work with World Music Publicist Dmitri Vietze of RockPaperScissors

In 2003 and 2004 Grey worked with publicist Dmitri Vietze of rockpaperscissors.biz.

Dmitridid great publicity work for my CD, Dark of the Moon, as well as my Irish flute and tin whistle books, The Essential Guide to Irish Flute and Tin Whistle and The Essential Tin Whistle Toolbox.

To check out the online press kit Dmitri has prepared for me, click here. You'll find press releases, stories, reviews, audio clips, photos, downloads, and links.

While you're there, check out Dmitri's roster of world music clients.

A Collaboration with Irish Fiddler and Singer Kevin Crehan

In 2003 Grey began to perform with Irish fiddler, sean-nos singer, tin whistle player and storyteller Kevin Crehan. Kevin is the grandson of the renowned and beloved fiddler, concertina player, and storyteller Junior Crehan of County Clare. Kevin received his music directly from Junior and from his father Tony Crehan. In 2003 they performed at the Bloomington Early Music Festival and the Cincinnati Celtic Music Festival. Grey and Kevin are available for concerts, festivals and workshops on a limited basis.

They present the music as it was played generations ago, the way we learned it first-hand from their elder mentors, such as Junior Crehan, Bobby Casey, and Michael Kennedy. Here melody is king. Melody is set free and is complete unto itself, full of rhythmic impulse, lyrical depth and eloquence. What little accompaniment Kevin and Grey employ (with Grey's concertina and harmonium - a very small hand-pumped reed organ) is spare and open. This is how the music lived and evolved for centuries, but, ironically, modern audiences rarely have the chance to experience it this way. A concert with Kevin and Grey can be a revelation to many.

Together they exemplify the the art of unison playing. Joyfully and informally, they share with their audiences stories of the music and the people who have given it life for them, imparting the music a living context of personalities, imagery and history . One comes away from one of their concerts with an enriched understanding of the cradle of traditional Irish culture, and with a wealth of soaring, dancing melodies.

Kevin and Grey have a recording project forming in their musical imaginations. Stay tuned.

Old LPs Finally Remastered and Reissued on CD

Many have been following Grey's music since the pre-CD years. Some of his pre-CD-age recordings have been available on CD for some time now:

But there are now some new CD reissues available.

In 1978 Grey and Malcolm Dalglish made their second recording, The First of Autumn. June Appal Records never issued it on CD. But, in the fall of 2003 Grey remastered the recording, improving its sound, and we offer it to you now on CD, with the original copious liner notes. Click here to hear a few sample tracks, including Malcolm's classic song, Shake These Bones.

Many of us old enough to have amassed LP collections really miss that large space of the LP cover for artwork and lots of liner notes. You may need to use your spectacles to read them, but the original liner notes are all there in The First of Autumn CD's booklet. The same is true of this next recording.

Available to the general public for the first time in 2003, is Snow on the Roof, Fire in the Furnace. This is a compilation of field recordings that Grey and Malcolm Dalglish made in Cincinnati, Ohio (their home town) in 1979. It features elderly traditional musicians that they sought out in senior citizen centers and elsewhere around town.

Snow on the Roof, Fire in the Furnace includes traditional Irish, Lebanese, Appalachian, Blues, German, and Brass Band music. The artists are: The Liberty Cornet Band, Pigmeat Jarrett, Guy Blakeman with Dave Pinson, Wally Bollinger, Vince Sawma, Phil McGing with Grey Larsen.

This must have been one of the first "world music" recordings, made before we had that term. Someone once told Grey that world music is "local music from out there." Well, this is local music from Cincinnati, from the people who settled in Cincinnati from "out there".

Grey and Malcolm produced Snow on the Roof, Fire in the Furnace with the support of the Ohio Arts Council and the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress. (Also available on LP.)

A CD of Michael J. Kennedy?

We hope to find a way to reissue on CD Michael J. Kennedy's 1977 LP "65 Years of Irish Music", which has been long out of print and unavailable. We also have additional recordings of Kennedy which could be added to these tracks to make a more complete collection.

To keep abreast of developments with this project, join my email list.

For some information on Michael J. Kennedy, see the additional liner notes to The Green House, and read the notes to track three. Also, The Green House contains three bonus track recordings of Michael himself, playing melodeon and reminiscing about his youthful years in Ireland, 1900-1923.

Root Crops & Ground Cover?

Fans of the band Metamora (Grey, Malcolm Dalglish and Pete Sutherland) may recall that they sold a cassette at their concerts called Root Crops & Ground Cover, which was tucked into what looked like a seed package. They made several editions of this recording over the years, using both studio and live cuts. It included Pete Sutherland's folk-operetta "Monster", about the Lake Champlain monster, among other concert favorites.

It is out of print and has never been issued on CD, but if enough people express interest in that, we may be able to rectify the situation.

However, several Metamora recordings are available here, including Metamora and The Great Road.

Metamora's 1987 Windham Hill release, Morning Walk, is unfortunately out of print. But a few of the last LPs are available at the store.

Metamora was included on three of Windham Hill's sampler albums, Winter Solstice II (available on CD and LP at the store) and Windham Hill Sampler '89 (available on LP only at the store). The latter contains Grey's original "Through the Woods". Sanctuary is Windham Hill's 20 year best-of retrospective. It includes Grey's original piece, "Siri's Arrival".

Grey Larsen Mastering

Grey is a very experience mastering engineer. He specializes in acoustic music, and has mastered over 100 CDs.

If you are a recording musician, you may want to consider Grey as your mastering engineer.

To learn more about his mastering, and mastering in general, go to the Mastering section.

There are many reasons to master your mixed material.

  • Mastering is the final creative opportunity in the recording process.
  • Mastering enhances each mix globally, improving clarity, depth, and definition. Often it's as if a veil has been lifted, one that you didn't realize was there, making the music more clear and three-dimensional.
  • The careful use of multi-band EQ, compression and limiting improves the frequency spectrum balance and increases the overall volume of the music so that it stands up well next to anything else on the radio. All major label releases are mastered. Why not yours?
  • Though mastering is not remixing, it is often possible to bring out certain elements of a mix (vocals, bass, etc.).
  • Mastering brings a set of experienced and discerning ears to your project for a fresh perspective on how you are presenting your music to your audience.
  • Digital editing can be done in the mastering process. The basics can include fade ins, fade outs, crossfades, and cleaning up noises. Many other possibilities exist as well, such as splicing together parts of different mixes, adding or removing whole sections of music, stretching or compressing time, raising or lowering pitch, adjusting the volume of certain parts of the mix relative to other parts.
  • PQ codes, such as index numbers for the CD and ISRC codes (International Standard Recording Code) are added in the mastering process. ISRC codes place a "digital fingerprint" on each song that can't be removed, identifying you as the song's owner and making digital piracy more difficult.

Ideas for New Music Books

Grey has many ideas for new music books. He'd love to know which of these books you would be interested in owning, how you would like to see them presented, etc. Also, please share your ideas for other books you would like to see Grey do. Contact Grey with your ideas and feedback.

  • A book containing all of Grey's original tunes.
  • A book of Grey's compositions from The Gathering, not just melodies, but full arrangements/scores of some of the pieces.
  • A book of music from Dark of the Moon.
  • A book of music from The Green House.
  • Perhaps a book combining the two above into one volume.
  • A book of music from The Orange Tree.
  • A book of music from Les Marionnettes .
  • A book of music from Banish Misfortune.
  • A book of music from Thunderhead.
  • A book containing more historical transcriptions of Irish flute and whistle players, ones like the transcriptions and commentaries in Section 8 of Grey's book The Essential Guide to Irish Flute and Tin Whistle.
  • A book of the music of Michael J. Kennedy (1900-1978), Irish melodeon player from Co. Galway.
  • A book of the music of southern Indiana fiddler Joe Dawson.
  • A book of Irish music for tin whistle, all to be played on non-D whistles. There are many Irish tunes that are difficult or inaccessible on the D whistle. But when played on whistles in other keys, you can play them along with the other players in a session, and play them at the right pitch level. This would be a collection of such tunes, showing you which key of whistle to use and what to play so that the tune comes out in the commonly-accepted key.
  • Books focusing on the music of one particular flute or whistle player, such as Matt Molloy, Mary Bergin, Seamus Egan, Josie McDermott, etc. These would contain very detailed transcriptions and biographical information.

Songs from Walden Pond, a collaboration with Dillon Bustin

In 1991, Dillon Bustin received a commission from the Museum of Our National Heritage in Lexington, Massachusetts to do a staged adaptation of Walden. He composed a song cycle with monologues, closely following Thoreau's text, and asked me to arrange the music for an ensemble of wooden flute, piano, cello, French horn, and percussion.

I dove into this project with a great passion. Dillon's song melodies and lyric adaptations are so natural and gorgeous, and the lyrics represent to me a masterpiece of wisdom and insight. I found the challenge of bringing this inspired material into full bloom irresistible. In scoring the songs, I called upon my love of classical counterpoint and my decades of folk music experience to produce a score that integrates both. I dearly love this music.

The piece was first presented in Concord over a weekend in October 1993, complete with set, props, theatrical lighting, and dancers. I directed the musical ensemble and played the flute parts (as I will be doing on June 4th) on my 19th century wooden flute, the type of flute that Thoreau himself played.

Also in 1993 we performed the piece, and did a studio recording of it, in Bloomington, Indiana, where I live. That recording has not yet been issued. Since that time, Dillon has performed the cycle as a recital piece from time to time, usually with piano accompaniment, but it has not received the full treatment since 1993.

I feel that this collaboration with Dillon represents some of the very best musical work I have ever done. For years I have been hoping that Dillon and I could bring Songs from Walden Pond to a wider audience. On June 4th, 2005 we once again performed a selection of songs from the piece in Concord, MA with the full ensemble.I hope that performance will be the first step in reviving Songs from Walden Pond.

Grey would like to mix and master the 1993 studio recording and make it available to the world. The scores to the song arrangements are all written out and could be compiled into a full score, and individual parts, which others could use to perform the piece.

Are you interested in funding these endeavors? To discuss this, please contact Grey.