SEE THE LATEST REVIEWS AND PODCASTS OF ANDY LAMY'S HOT NEW RELEASE, "THE NEW BLACKTHORN STICK" AT THIS LINK: http://www.andylamyclarinet.com/podcasts__reviews/
Reviews
Looking at the album under the various tune types you can’t but be impressed with the slow airs. Here the instrument excels as you might expect, with texture and emotion in abundance. … The New Blackthorn Stick is an outstanding and significant recording that has opened up some new, exciting possibilities in traditional music.
– Tony Lawless, TradConnect (read the full review)
"Revolutions usually don't sound so sweet. On the lovely and lively album The New Blackthorn Stick, Andy Lamy gives the clarinet a new place in Irish traditional music."
– Marty Lipp, Huffington Post (read the full review)
“Why did no one think of this before? Part of the reason must be that his music brings together a musician with the perfect style to the perfect art form. This is a real bank shot of fortune, ability and creativity. There is great imagination at work here, yet it is no gimmick. Drawing support from musicians as great as Tommy Peoples and Gerry O’Sullivan, you know this is no gimmick. It works. It does so beautifully. Yet another door opens for traditional music. Good on you, Andy! A stunning debut.
– Live Ireland (read the full review)
“This very distinctive instrument is not commonly associated with traditional folk instrumentation, but its mellow tone and depth are highly compatible with the actual dynamics of Celtic folk, as well as with the melodic sensibilities of these timeless melodies.
“... a masterfully executed collection of tracks that encompass creativity and musicianship in a very unique and compelling way. 5 stars from Celtic Radio."
– Celtic Radio (read the full review)
"Perhaps the album’s most compelling moment, however, is “An Tiarna Mhaigh Eo (Lord Mayo),” a slow air Lamy took from the playing of the great Donegal fiddler Néilidh Boyle. There, he’s joined by Dermot Byrne (button accordion), Haley Richardson (fiddle), Mike Stewart (viola), Floriane Blancke (harp) and Jonathan Storck (bass), who come together to create a lush, dreamlike musical texture that is easy to get lost in."
– Daniel Neely, The Irish Echo (read the full review)
“The unique sound, the depth of tone and the ability in Andy’s hands give his clarinet indisputable claim to a warm embrace and welcome in that ancient, expressive, graceful, and melodic genre that is traditional Irish music.”
– Tommy Peoples, Donegal fiddle master and member of the Bothy Band
“The New Blackthorn Stick makes an important contribution to the search for new sounds and timbres while staying within the Irish tradition. Andrew Lamy has taken a bold step in introducing new instruments to an old tradition. He is well equipped to take on this exciting task, for he not only has a strong background in classical music, but he has also studied Irish traditional music in great detail and knows the importance of phrasing, ornamentation, and staying within the boundaries of the modal system. He has surrounded himself with top musicians and chosen some very interesting material to work with, and the end result is thought provoking, entertaining, and rewarding.
“Even afterwards, the sensitive arrangement lingers in the soul and allows the mind to drift into a mesmeric state of well being, mystery, and muse,” Lennon says. “This is a well-rounded album that will be around when others have long faded into the ether.”
– Charlie Lennon, prolific Irish tune composer, fiddler and pianist; member of Dog Big Dog Little
“So here I am listening to Andy Lamy’s new album demos very late into the night. I find myself returning to his own tunes over and over again. His compositions are unique yet distinctly familiar too ... and that’s the holy grail right there. They’re totally in keeping with our existing body of tunes, and I’m sure they’ll become favorites at sessions all around the world.”
– Kevin Crawford, flutist of Lunasa
“Andy’s Irish clarinet album is pure joy—full of soulful tunes to stir the heart, this unique album is a must have.”
– Ricardo Morales, Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Clarinet
" the concertizing power of the clarinet shines through, virtuoso and sparkling …both recordings distinguish themselves through technical brilliance."
(Halcyon Trio Compact Disc review)
Klang Punkte, Doblinger Press, Vienna, Austria, 2002
"Andrew's rock-solid technique in the Copland Clarinet Concerto allowed one to forget his mechanics and focus on the balletic gracefulness of his phrasing, the give and take with which he moved his music through the orchestral texture."
Los Angeles Times
"You (Halcyon Trio) have inspired me not only to write what is perhaps the greatest and most unique work of my life, but also delivered an absolutely electrifying premiere performance that was at once insightful, cohesive, and virtuostic to the highest degree. It is a truly great affirmation to hear ones music thus understood and lovingly rendered. Many thanks."
Lalo Schifrin
"Lamy's mellow tone and supple phrasing suited his role perfectly."
The Star Ledger
"Soloist Andrew Lamy made a persuasive exponent of Copland's score....Lamy commands the sweet tone and technical poise this piece demands. The clarinetist filled out the lyrical lines of the opening movement with suave, seemless playing. He turned the cadenza that joins the two movements into a vividly characterized moment, then danced through the jazzy finale."
(Copland, Concerto for Clarinet, Haddonfield Symphony)
The Courier-Post, 2/17/99 Philadelphia, PA
"Andrew Lamy's sustained-tone clarinet solos floated freely, convincing one and all that this was the 'Little Pastoral Symphony.'"
(Beethoven, Symphony #4, NJSO) The Star-Ledger, 11/11/95 Newark, NJ
"The Copland Concerto, featuring Andrew Lamy as clarinet soloist, was the high point of the event, a performance which emphasized Andrew's mature art
(Copland Concerto for Clarinet, The Debut Orchestra)
The Daily Sundial, 10/11/90 Los Angeles, CA
"the woodwinds played superbly, particularly Andrew Lamy's liquid clarinet."
(Bruckner, Symphony #8, The USC Symphony)
Los Angeles Times, 3/23/92
" Clarinetist Andrew Lamy was the model of ensemble perfection" …" the amazingly fragile releases continued to mystify me, especially in terms of the control necessary for clarinetist Andrew Lamy¹s clear high range."
Classical New Jersey Society Journal 01/10/02
"Intriguing and extremely well played selections ..."
Chamber Music Newsletter of the South Bay,
Los Angeles, California, 3/27/02
" Lamy' s clarinet playing resonated perfectly with the acoustics of the hall."
Classical New Jersey Society Journal 4/29/04
