Tony MacMahon plays two reels (transposed in D)

[spunnek75]

God bless this man!

[martinmcmutrie]

@synthpathetic sorry you find that sound annoying. I don't at all, and I guess that's just lucky. Actually, there's very little of it on this vid . . . you'll really hear it when someone plays a lower-end Hohner like the Erica though.

[anfiorsceal]

I like the way he uses the bass keys as if they were a backing band -very rhythmically. Good as he is there, I think he's at his best when playing the slow airs ... his playing is so emotional.

[BlackFolkAndPiano]

@anfiorsceal I think so too... in his albums there are a couple of airs which are really awesome

[Pagra50]

Great player. Very emotional and not afraid to voice his opinion. It's his music that I like.

[boscaceoil1]

@synthpathetic personally i think it adds character to the music, plus it reinforces the old style of playing the box, which is definatly how mr.macmahon plays his. just my opinion though :)

Conor

[gtcian]

nise box

[Holm182]

@synthpathetic

You gotta be kidding me?! I LOVE the sound of the buttons on old accordion recording and the breathing on flute recordings! It gives the music so much life and soul!

[PipersGrip]

@Holm182 You said it!

[Holm182]

@PipersGrip

Finally someone from the mustard board who knows how real music should sound! :-)

[satellax]

Unreal player

[daoudonek]

@synthpathetic good point ! I see what you mean, you can sometimes throw a flute player's album through the window when you start listening the breathing noises :)

[daoudonek]

@synthpathetic well… it's part of the music, I think. Besides, the noise is not too present, imho (I mean there is far worse and it does not ruins the energy and the power of MacMahon's playing).

[liamg353]

Traditional Irish music at it's best played by one of the greats on theaccordian , absolutely brilliant.

[lnvanry]

just freaking awesome...

[BlackFolkAndPiano]

i just think these tunes have never been played better than how tony played them... I'm a whistle player, I love irish music by mary bergin, joanie madden etc... but I think irish music is at its best when played by MacMahon

[DJFozter]

what a fucking legend this guy is

[ragajam1]

in my opinion there isnt a hole deep enough for all the acordians, and players but this is amazing, such pasion and power, i fuckin love it i am now squeze box convert, *piano agordian still sucks though

[levieuxtoby]

@ragajam1 How nice of you Listen to Karen Tweed if you want to change your mind on piano accordion

[boxplayer2]

my great aunt has tonys version of toss the feathers as her ringtone. it went off one day at her job (i just so happened to be there) and her boss said"i dont mind you letting that type of music go off, but does it have to be a whole friggin band every time?!" lmao tony is the man!

[nilbud]

Search youtube for

The Savage Eye S01E02 2/3

[kieranmc29]

where can ya get the notes for them tunes??

[tazio2]

Bowe might have the same box but he (or anybody else for that matter) would eat it before they would get the music out of it that mcmahon does.noel hill is the only living exponent playing in the same rarified atmosphere , as joe cooley unfortunately is dead this many a year

[Offtofott]

I subscribe your words.

[cdogse7]

john bowe has the same box!

[celticmarine1]

Wow, love his playing of Toss the Feather. Outstanding!

[wiseoneetest]

i walk into a bar one night and the fellow in this video tape was playing his box with a fiddler and guitar accompianment....after my 4 hr allotment of guiness it was time to leave...the fellow ahead of me at the door leaving as well was talking to his friend..." I dont know what instrument he was playing ,but he played the fuck out of it" and indeed he did.....Mr. McMahon played that box masterfully that night..I considered it fortunate and luck to have ever seen him play live for a night

[whinger1234]

same here must have viewed it over 100 times! fuckin class! inspiring stuff! tried to play ships are sailing on my banjo by listening to the notes but found it impossible! does anyone know where it can be downloaded for free

[splortz]

I must have seen this clip 300 times now. The "Toss The Feathers" reel is sometimes listed as "Killian's" in some trad music books. If you have a bit of trouble finding it, or you find the version of TtF isn't sounding like Tony's, check "Killian's".

Also realize that Tony is playing this thing like a house on fire. It sounds a lot different "at speed". This guy rocks.

[daoudonek]

Just two tunes with the same name ;)

[kgren08]

Pretty sure the first reel is Ships are saling then into toss the feathers . great box playing love his style .

[deslm]

Listening to this guy's playing got me turned onto the old push-pull style...I also remember him snapping at me in a NYC pub for trying to talk to him to soon after coming off stage (he was still in a meditative, trance-like state). This experience was well-deserved...and it taught me a lot about how guys like him approach these tunes. Tony is the man!

[christophigus]

FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!

[splortz]

Makes me want to throw my box into the ocean. :-)

[bcboxplayer]

No matter how many times I hear it, this is still my favourite clip on YouTube.

Love the way he's just in someone's front room. And he's so obviously lost in the music.

Pure class.

[clubcardpoints]

Yep, I hear ya. My favourite> I can actually play it on the piano accordion but this guy makes me look like a complete loser!

[boxcoffey]

Magnificent playing.

[Kurkcaj]

Perfect.

[OztarAntoine]

Best rendition of this awesome tune...

Can't get rid of it, even after all those years...

[northernbjarne]

Exelent play! Can you please upload some other videos?

[castagnari86]

AWSOME!!

[decovamagic]

Mr MacMahon - you are unsurpassed!!!! absolutely INCREDIBLE!!! thank you for giving these masterpieces. I am in awe. absolutely destroyed. how can someone LEARN this, or even approach.... FANTASTIC!!!! thank you so much. you are my hero and inspiration. honestly! alexander

[clarebannerman]

Tony,

Originally from Ennis,County Clare but worked & lived most of his life in Dublin. This clip must be thirty years old. Can be contrary at times---but sure can't we all! Is prone to give a sermon before playing a tune, but a great great box player in the Joe Cooley style.

[boxplayer2]

incredible player from co clare - correct me if im wrong

[hikoraroa]

awesome - Tony McMahon is the total goods. Ships are sailing - fantastic... THEN feel the lift when he shifts into Toss the Feathers... supremo. Sounds like a whole band - and just one man.

[dinn2liam]

Thanks!!you think you could do the other videos of macmahon to concert pitch like this??