Browse Content (29 total)
Old Blackbird, The
Looking back in time, one of my special memories of working on this project was the visit I made to Finbarr Dwyer. As I was setting up my recording machine he was playing this, his very own version of 'The Old Blackbird'. I have always loved this…
Port an Deoraí
This lovely and unusual slip jig is played here by Geraldine Cotter. It may also be found in her collection of fifty traditional Irish tunes called Rogha, Geraldine Cotter's Choice.
New Road to Sligo, The
David Reiner composed 'The New Road to Sligo'. It is played for us by Liz Carroll. David told me that he composed this tune 'to tell the story of a musical road trip, from the bold beginning in G minor, to the detour into B flat, to the simpler and…
Lagan River, The
David Curry's broadcasts from the BBC studios in Belfast were eagerly awaited in my home. He broadcast many fine tunes, including this one, which Nicole Rabata and I arranged for flute and fiddle. Not having the tune's original title, I have named it…
Champaign Jig Goes to Columbia, The
During that musical evening at the Gavins' in Balbriggan so long ago, Jimmy Keane, the piano accordion player from Chicago, played this tune. He informed me that it is one of Liz Carroll's compositions, entitled 'The Champaign Jig Goes to Columbia'.…
Road to Durham, The
Cathal McConnell, 'The Great One', gave me this tune, and he also gave it the above title. Recently, I discovered that the other 'Great One', Liz Carroll, had recorded her rendition of the tune on her long-playing record A Friend Indeed. Liz informed…
Biddy from Sligo
The fiddle master Néillidh Boyle recorded this tune as part of a two-jig set in Dublin in 1937. That recording happened to be the very first record of Irish fiddle music that I had when I was growing up. It is performed on this track by…
What Care I for the Minister?
This slip jig from the Scottish tradition was taught to me by Boston harpist Kathleen Guilday. I told her about this project and asked her if she would record it for me. Kathleen was delighted, and graciously agreed to come to Maine to do the…
Young When He's Dancing
This tune was composed by Chicago fiddle player Devin Shepherd. He plays it here with his friend Sean Gavin on flute. Devin named the tune for Mike Doyle from County Wexford, who now lives in Chicago. Mike is an avid enthusiast of the music and can…
Biddy from Sligo / The Connaughtman's Rambles
And as we present this last selection, we come to the end of a long musical journey. It is my hope that whoever reads my stories, anecdotes, and ramblings will get some insight into the tunes' histories, and some new information about them.…
Paddy Cronin's Reel
Paddy Cronin was always very eager to learn new tunes. Paddy loved 'going through the books' with his fiddle in hand. He had a vast store of old tunes and an amazing repertoire, including this reel, played here for us by the lovely ladies of music,…
One-Horned Buck, The
Another tune from the legendary Cathal McConnell. He gave me this tune, and the others in this collection, during that visit to Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, over thirty years ago (see 'Cathal's Reel').
Figuring it Out
I tried as best I could to learn this tune from a tape made in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Paddy Gavin in Balbriggan, County Dublin, almost forty years ago. The tape was damaged a little but one could hear a great session of music played that night by…
Achonry Lassies
Yet another great old tune that was given to me by Chicago fiddle player Johnny McGreevy. The young fiddle player Tina Lech, one of my favourite musicians, plays the tune for us on this track.
Dr. Mick
I have much respect and admiration for National Heritage Fellow Dr. Mick Moloney, a man who has, in my humble opinion, done more to promote Irish music in America than anyone. Through his teaching, music performances, research, productions,…
Flynn's Reel
This is the first tune that Eamon Flynn composed over forty years ago. He plays it for us on accordion with our mutual friend, Miss Helen Kisiel, on piano. The tune may also be heard on Eamon's CD recording Down by the Glenside.
Ladies of Leinster, The
I first heard this reel played by the man who influenced many musicians of my generation, the great Seán Maguire. Seán had a happy knack of transposing tunes to different keys than those that might have been originally documented. The…
Dennis Watson's
Dennis Watson from County Roscommon, now living in Chicago, is a flute player and piper. Shannon Heaton recorded this tune, her own composition, on her recent CD The Blue Dress. She plays it again for this collection and dedicates it to Dennis…
Fourpenny Bit, The
Another tune that Larry Gavin sent to me is this reel. Larry found it in 'The Bible' of Irish music, the O'Neill's 1001 collection of tunes. It is played here for us by the great Catherine McEvoy with accompaniment by her nephew, Paddy McEvoy, on…
Roger Casey's Reel
One of the most gratifying experiences for any musician is to have the opportunity to play for good dancers. Roger Casey from New York, now an Irish stepdancing adjudicator, was an excellent competitive dancer. When he practiced for competitions back…