This album of field recordings from the late 1970s, was the first anthology to be issued of Irish traditional music in America on wind instruments. It was a timely project as there had been such a wonderful tradition of great flute, tin whistle and uilleann pipe playing in Irish music in America from the mid nineteenth century onwards – sadly most of it undocumented. Since the time of these recordings, a whole new generation of accomplished young Irish American tin whistle and flute players and uilleann pipers has emerged, as the music enjoys an extraordinary renaissance on the concert and festival stage all over the world. The players of today inherit a great tradition forged mostly in the homes of the musicians who kept the flame alive when there were few who cared about the old music. This anthology celebrates the strong foundation on which this renaissance was built.