Browse Content (35 total)
Message to Séamus
One of America's most distinguished master musicians, North Carolina banjo player, fiddle player, and composer Tony Ellis was out on his tractor one day when he began to hear this barndance in his head. Not knowing whether he'd heard the tune…
Parkersburg Landing
The music of Ed Haley, a fiddle player born in West Virginia in 1883, has for over twenty years given me much enjoyment and pleasure. My good friend Mr. Joe Wilson, former director of The National Council for the Traditional Arts, gave me a tape of…
Harvest Field, The
I had a scratchy old 78 RPM recording of a band from Boston and could barely identify the tune they were playing. I believe the person playing the accordion on the track was Billy Caples, a well-known Boston accordion player and teacher. I sent it to…
Fly by Night
I first heard this hornpipe in the early 1960s, played by Mr. Kieran Kelly, a wonderful accordionist from near Athlone, County Westmeath. The tune has been recorded by a number of musicians and has been given different titles, including 'The Low…
Brian O'Kane's
I have a tape of a wonderful evening of music in the home of the Gavin family of Balbriggan, County Dublin, which includes this hornpipe played by Jimmy Keane from Chicago. I wanted to include the tune in this collection, so I phoned Jimmy to ask…
Grandfather's Thought
This hornpipe from Julia, John, and Billy Clifford is played here for us by Shannon Heaton on flute. The tune may be found on an LP that the Cliffords recorded during their years in London, England, entitled The Star of Munster Trio, Music from…
Bonnie Lass of Headlake, The
I first heard this tune played as a hornpipe by Paddy O'Brien with The Lough Gowna Céilí Band in the early 1960s. In fact, the tune was originally composed as a four-part march by Gordon MacQuarrie of Cape Breton. MacQuarrie, a noted…
North Clare Jig
Paddy Kierse, as Ciarán Mac Mathúna said on his Radio Éireann program A Job of Journeywork, was a lovely old musician. Ciarán recorded his playing of this tune on a visit to north County Clare. Mr. Kierse, from Kilnaboy, near Kilfenora, had…
P.J. Conlon's
The accordion master Peter 'P.J.' Conlon recorded an amazing series of 78 RPM records. He recorded this jig (under the title 'Clancy's Jig'), as did his friend Bill Sullivan, who called it 'Conlon's'. Here it is played on melodeon by my nephew Damien…
Jim Conroy's
Jack Coen had a storehouse of older tunes from his native East Galway. Jack learned this tune from the playing of Jim Conroy, a flute player from his part of the country who was a great musical influence. It is played here for us by the one and only…
Jimmy Hogan's (Number Two)
Another of Jimmy Hogan's North County Clare tunes. It is played here, as was 'Jimmy Hogan's Number One', by Josephine Keegan on fiddle.
Humours of Ballyhaunis
The 'goings on' or happy and fun times in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, give this slip jig its name. I first heard the tune played by the talented musical Quinn family from New York. A version of the tune may be found in O'Neill's great collection of…
First Slip, The
On that night in Ennis in the home of my brother Martin and his wife Pauline (see ‘John Egan’s’), I thought I had captured Kevin Crawford playing a slip jig called 'What Care I For The Minister?' However, in the confusion,…
Ah, a Simple Little Yoke
When I visited the accordion master Finbarr Dwyer at his home in County Clare, he played this jig, which he had composed when he was about ten years old. Finbarr did not think too highly of the tune: he can be heard on the recording describing it…
Limerick Jig, The
Back in the early 1960s, I was very friendly with Mrs. Taylor, the concertina player from West Limerick who lived in London. We exchanged many letters over the years in which music was always a topic. The well-known flute player Paddy Taylor learned…
Celtic Lamb, The
This track comes from the CD To The Dance Floor, released in 2006 by a Rhode Island-based group called The Gnomes. Among its members is Phil Edmonds, the composer of this beautiful tune. Phil and I went to the same school in Killaloe, where we…
Kathleen Coen's
Flute player Mr. Jack Coen, brother of Monsignor Charlie Coen, was visiting his daughter Kathleen in Clinton, Massachusetts. I took a trip down that same day to meet Jack and to play a few tunes with him. Many of the tunes we played that day I had…
Moyasta Polka
Another tune from the repertoire of Mrs. Ellen Galvin. It is played on this track for all of us to enjoy by one of my heroes, Josephine Keegan. Josephine again makes full use of modern recording technology in order to be recorded playing both fiddle…
Roseanne's Reel
The lovely fiddle music of Máire O'Keeffe is once again heard on this track. The tune was passed down from John Lenihan to Maurice O'Keeffe, who in turn gave it to Máire.
Peig and Mick Ryan
Traditional Irish music is on a strong footing, due in no small way to Peig and Mick Ryan from Murroe, County Limerick. At a time when the music was unpopular, Peig and her husband Mick worked diligently to promote Irish music and culture in all its…