Tag Archives: irish traditional music

Irish Folk Musician, Chris Lucas, Johnny Foxes

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The Irish music coming out of Johnny Foxes one winter evening was some of the best traditional Irish folk music I had  heard on my whole trip to Ireland some fifteen years ago. The Irish musician Chris Lucas was playing at Johnny Foxes and he was terrific. We got to talking and I have Chris get me a cd so I could submit it to a couple of fellows who distributed Irish music in the states. Chris handed over the recording and with a, you are so full of it shrug, returned to playing his classic Irish folk music. I put the cd in my bag and when I got home made some calls on his account, a few months pass and one of the cd distributors ask if he would be willing to do some personal appearances, that it’s a tough business, no guarantees yadda yadda yadda. So nothing ventured nothing gained, I call the number on the cd case and it’s disconnected, I try to find him in Dublin phone directories, no luck, google him for Irish folk musician Dublin, nothing. I call back my friend at the distributorship and he tells me that it was probably a long shot anyway, let it go.

So time passes and “Troubled Times” by Chris Lucas is one of my favorite Irish music cds and gets full play at the St Patrick’s celebration I have each year. Other lovers of Irish music ask me were they can get a copy and I have to let them copy mine, which kills me because I like musicians to make money on their talent, not have it recorded and given away. My daughter while at Providence College, DJ’d an Irish music radio show on the college station, and wouldn’t you know my copy of Chris’s cd ended up on her playlist, It did sound nice hearing it on the Irish radio station.

Paddy Barry's

Irish Music-Paddy Barrys

Each year on occasion I would google a search for Chris Lucas Dubliner, Irish Music, Irish folk singer, but nothing would turn up. Now this will show how small the world is. This year just before Christmas I’m at Paddy Barrys Pub in Quincy Ma., the best little pub in Massachusetts, and there are several local musicians in attendance. I’m talking with Paul Kenney, An accomplished Irish Musician in his own right, about nothing in particular,when I ask Paul what part of Ireland he is originally from. Paul tells me he’s from Dublin and goes on to talk about some of the parts of Dublin and has some funny stories to tell, so I ask him if he ever heard of an Irish musician named Chris Lucas. “Oh Chris, he grew up two house down from me in Dublin” , I nearly fell off my stool, I ask Paul where has he been for the last 15 years, and he tells me he’s still playing and that he was over in the Boston area a few years ago. I finally did manage to find a youtube video, but I wasn’t sure if it was him, he seemed a lot older than he was 15 years ago.

Cheers

Beginners Irish Music

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Irish music at a beginners session can be reenergizing. A lot of the stories in this series have been about tight Irish music sessions and outstanding talented Irish musicians playing  hot Irish jigs and reels. It is sometimes good for the soul to go to a beginners session and bathe in the rawness of the Irish music and appreciate the love and yearning of the not yet so talented players. I dropped in to the Irish Cultural Center in Canton Ma. last night to talk to Joe Kilcommons of Kilcommons catering, the man bakes the best Irish soda bread on the south shore, and happened upon the “slow” session.

ICC Pub

Every friday night the Comhaltas sponsors  both a slow and advanced session, the slow or beginners session always is held first, earlier in the evening, and usually sparsely attended. Being the parent of a successful Irish musician, I had attended my fair share of slow sessions back in the day, but hadn’t been to one in over a year. The players missed their fair share of notes and on an occasion you could tell some were lost, as they stretched to play a different or new tune, but there is a certain joy that comes through when a newer player hits the irish music correctly. It kind of reminds me of the little leaguer who finally learns how to hit the ball, all the frustration and failure turns to happiness and pride.

   ~ Boston

The other nice thing I find about this slow session is the lack of ego you have to wade through. They ,the Irish musicians, know they are learning and aren’t quite full of themselves yet. A lot of times at the advanced sessions you can run into some Irish music snobs who think they are pretty good. They usually turn out to be nice players, but not nearly as good as they think they are. Then there are the truly gifted players who usually don’t think they are nearly as good as you think they are. The point being ,for pure enjoyment a slow session can really hit the spot. The beginners session also is a little less attended, you can have a quiet conversation, and get a seat at the bar, and have a little elbow room to spare.

If you are a beginning player of traditional Irish music,remember the rules of playing in an Irish session. and if you are looking for a low key, fun, enjoyable traditional irish music performance go to the slow session at your local irish cultural center or participating Irish pub.

Cheers.

An Irish music tradition

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You never know when an Irish music outbreak may happen. I was visiting my Dublin cousin recently when I was asked if I wanted to attend an 80 th  birthday celebration for his wife’s aunt. Now she was actually turning 85, but when she turned 80 she didn’t want a party celebrating her being old, however, since she made it to 85, she thought it would be ok to acknowledge her 80 th birthday. So we drop by the local pub off license and purchase some libations for the festivities and arrive at a house packed with relatives and fans of the birthday girl. I figure we’ll hang around for an hour or two, go back to the house and plan the next days activities. Well nothing in Ireland ever ends early, just when we thought things might be winding down, everyone grabs a chair makes a big circle in the parlor and a major sing song starts. Thirty  people one after another start belting out Irish music, pop tunes, golden oldies, anything people liked, they sang. So this is where the boy scout training comes in handy, you know, be prepared. You will be asked to sing a tune, It’s good to know an American song like Johnny Cash or Neil Diamond (no really, Neil Diamond). There’s something about being proud of where you are from that rubs off on the crowd. Once the traditional Irish music and traditional irish songs start, they seem to feed on one another. Traditional Irish music is by definition an irish tradition and it was a lot of fun being included in this family sing song. I broke one of my rules and sang a Furey Brothers song “It’s a long way from Clare to here”. When I was done some chap from the other side of the room yells “I thought you said he was a yank”, Part compliment for belonging and part rank for not choosing a song from where I’m from. When the majority of the crowd ask you if you know another one, is when you know you are accepted.

You don’t have to be an expert to participate in the Irish music, just be sincere. If you flop the folks will be entertained as well, and for the most part the worst that happens is some good natured ribbing of your Irish music talent, just follow the rules for singing an Irish song,relax and have fun.

Cheers

Irish music and friends

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Irish music by it’s very nature promotes fun gregarious times. There is nothing to compare to the joy of being in an Irish pub and finding an Irish music session or performance band sprouting up. The impromptu singing session especially at the end of a long week really rejuvenates the soul and re-energizes the spirit.( a few guinness doesn’t hurt either). One of my favorite Irish pubs, O’Donoghues of Dublin, is famous for such Irish music sessions. My cousin and I stopped in around dinner time, it was off season(January) so we really had no expectations of Irish music, just having a social pint and catching up on family business. We sat next to the bar (which is impossible during the peak tourist season) ordered two creamy pints of guinness and settle in for a quiet chat.

The next thing we know a local Irish music session sets up next to us and the crowd starts to form. The fellow that ran this Irish music session was named Kieran, and he made fun of my Boston accent, and I wanted to know why his parents named him Karen. He was a howl, and led a lively mix of tunes and Irish songs and stories. The game of give and take is a lot of fun especially in Dublin, by the latter parts of the night the craic was great fun, we had several foreign contingents joining us. Nothing says an Irish holiday like the mixture of Dubliners, Americans, Australians, New Zealanders, Scots and Pakistani’s. I sometimes felt like c3po in Starwars, being the universal accent translator for each group, the Pakistani to American to Irish being the hardest. By the end of the night we were exhausted from talking, laughing, singing, and we made our way home, I’m always amazed how much work is involved in having a fun night out.
Gogarty's
After a relaxing day around Dublin, mostly spent walking around Trinity College and a little time spent on Grafton st. I meet up with my cousin for a bite. Now you may find this hard to believe but after spending an unexpectedly long night out, we were a little weary of what we consumed. We decide to have a pint of black to see if this will settle our stomachs before dinner. We end up in a less traveled classic Dublin pub called Neary’s . It was very nice and quiet, no crowds, no Irish music, as we fight our way through the first sip, a Scottish chap steps in and orders a hot whiskey, he pauses a second, and with a hearty bellow proclaims  ”Wasn’t the Craic mighty last night lads”. Which just goes to show it’s a small world and Dublin is an even smaller, comfortable city. We enjoyed re-hashing the night before, the interesting people, the tight Irish music, the good times to be enjoyed in general. The next time over I have to make time to visit Scotland, the Scotts are a lot of fun and unique. It’ll have to be during golf season though.
Cheers.

 

 

Ireland favorites, The gift of irish music.

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These days we are bombarded with technological wonders that are great fun, the huge flat screen, the video guitar heros, Madden 2012, the list goes on and on. I sometimes think that Dr. Seuss was so far ahead of his time, as the who’s blew their who hoovers and slang their slew slunkers, but my favorite gift came in the form of Irish music. What better way to pass the time than a compilation of diverse Irish tunes, songs, and music.

Here’s a track list;

  1. The Auld Triangle-Ronnie Drew
  2. Kennedy’s Set-The Ivy Leaf
  3. Wild Mountain Thyme-The Border Collies
  4. Pound a Week Raise-Liz Carroll and John Doyle
  5. Pat’s Set-The Ivy Leaf
  6. Reels- Liz Carroll and John Doyle
  7. Boys of Barr na sraide-Niamh Parsons
  8. Whiskey in the Jar- Thin Lizzy
  9. Fairytale of New York-The Pogues
  10. The Lonesome Boatman-The Fureys
  • If you’re in the mood for classic folk music try the Ronnie Drew road to Irish music, it’ll take you down the Dubliners way past Luke Kelly boulevard, it’s a gravelly well travelled road.
  • If you’re in the mood for classic trad music put together by young American Irish musicians, then look for the Ivy Leaf, rumor has it their debut cd is to be released in January.
  • The more established award winning Irish music duo of Liz Caroll and John Doyle fills the air with traditional Irish music, jigs and reels played flawlessly.
  • Niamh Parsons, pure emotion.
  • The classic Rock band of the eighties Thin Lizzy, Irelands best rock band ever pays tribute to their Irish lineage with the classic Irish folk music song Whiskey in the jar. I had a discussion with an Irish fella at Paddy Barry’s bar in Quincy, Ma. about rock music not being Irish music. He’s thinking U2, I tell him to check out folk classics by the “boys are back in town” guys-Thin Lizzy. Phil Lynott always awesome, (why can’t rock guys manage to keep themselves alive, ie. don’t overdose on heroin.)
  • Ireland’s modern day Irish rock/folk/trad fusion band the Pogues, with the European Christmas song, The Fairytale of New York.
  • Finbar Furey plays the classic Irish air after the narrative, The Lonesome Boatman,most airs are soft and almost mystical, Finbar’s air pushes the seams and just, lets loose.I was listening to the local radio station in Boston one friday when the DJ. leaves with a tease. He says “I can’t tell you who, but some one special will be at Mr.Dooley’s Bar tonight.” he goes on to say that he can’t say who, but you will want to be there. Now the night before, U2 finished their last concert in Boston, soooo putting 1 and 1 together I conclude that Bono is going to be at Dooleys. We head into Dooleys, ask the waitress what time Bonos playing, and am pleasantly surprised when instead, Finbar Furey shows up and plays a few irish music classics. The same night Dooleys poured their millionth pint and some one received a free trip to Ireland. A side note, never take friends with you who drink rum and coke when a Guinness might get you a free trip,….. NO I’M NOT BITTER.
Photo

Enjoy the Irish music, avoid politics.

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Attending the Irish music Fleadh in Tullamore Ireland was an Irish music extravaganza. The town which is in the exact middle of Ireland swells to over 100,000 traditional Irish music lovers. Did I mention that it was about Irish music, well any way you would think every conversation would be about tight tunes and sweet singing, but there is always somebody trying to drag you into a political conversation. Here are some examples.

Outside of the old harbor bar in Tullamore which of course is called something else now stands a regular irish fellow. I’m supposed to meet someone (at the formerly named) harbor bar and I ask him if he knows were that is. The first words out of his mouth refers to the iraq war and w.m.d’s, I deflect the question and try one more time to find the no longer named harbor bar. That was a mistake, never give them an opening, do not discus politics, the proper response should have been “I am ignorant of all world events , have a good day.” Now it is probably harder with my political leanings, being that I love America, the constitution, free markets, and individual freedom. But anyway, the fella throws the next salvo about the imperial tendency of the American military industrial complex and I take the bait, what a mistake.      Ireland is a beautiful place and the people are the salt of the earth but it also is european and has its fair share of full fledge social/communist zealots. We get into the whole left right battle until I just can’t take it any more and just have to walk away, disgusted and pissed off. The funny thing is the bar this old fart is arguing with me in front of, is the formerly named harbor bar and the person I’m meeting is not there.

Just so you know , he knew I was American because of my accent. As I wasted my time, energy, and good nature with Karl O’Marx the 70 degree day changes to Forty. I walk around the block getting cold now (because we Americans wear shorts) when my mood is saved by a wise cracking Galway kid and his girlfriend. I learned that pegs are a reference to legs, as in, “check out the pegs on that guy”. Now normally I would let this go, but hey, I’m pi- , er upset. I ask the guy why he’s checkin out some fifty year old guys legs, but I think it’s nice for his sister to take him out on the town. Luckily they were good natured, and we have a good laugh and a short chat. My faith in Ireland a little restored I head into a crowded Anne Kellys Pub. My faith is fully restored when a cheerful fellow hears me order a pint, invites me to his table and wants to know what part of Boston I’m from. We had a nice chat.

Now just so you don’t think its a right wing conspiracy against any descent, My cousin comes down from Dublin for a night. We have great conversations being that our political leanings are opposites. We head out to Eugenes bar and search for a place to sit and are lucky enough to find two stools in a side bar. We’re catching up on old times when we get invited into a conversation with a couple seated next to us. Jimmy doesn’t see it coming, they start talking about the the evils of the capitalist system  and blah blah blah.  I ask about the great Irish music, where’s there a nice place to eat, what a lovely town Tullamore is, anything but politics in Ireland. Jimmy takes the bait, which is really funny, because Jimmy is really left leaning  arguing with a couple that is farther to the left. It starts to get a little heated and I interrupt to remind Jimmy we have to head to De Bruins bar, thank the couple for a stimulating conversation, and move our seats. Jimmy’s reaction–Wow. There very rarely is give and take in these conversations, since you are on vacation avoid politics, unless you enjoy never ending conflict.

The nice part about this encounter is that we left Eugenes and headed down to Joe Lees bar and caught a really good session. Since we left the conversation before the point of ruination, we did have a good story to laugh about. The Tullamore Fleadh was a great take, The traditional Irish music was tight, and the crowd was for the most part enjoying the craic. There was one fellow who sang an amazing version of the parting glass, after all when you go to a Fleadh you’re there for the Irish music.

Cheers

Ireland favorite. the irish music at the Fleadh.

The 2012  AlI Ireland Fleadh is in Cavan.

 

Irish music in January, try Ireland, Aer Lingus special deals.

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Irish music favorites like O’Donoghues pub by St. Stephens Green can be crowded noisy places in July, the tourist crowd can sometimes make it hard to get a feel for these old famous pubs. But consider a winter trip to Ireland. Aer Lingus has special deals in January and February that make it fairly reasonable to take a short vacation. For around $500. you can travel round trip. Places to stay normally have deals and the tourist crowds are minimal. To enjoy a January trip to Ireland, Go to Dublin, book a room in a nice downtown hotel, Try Wynn’s in Dublin 1, or book a room overlooking St Stephen’s Green. Pick a few things to do in the afternoon. Go to the Leprechaun museum on Jervis st., take a bus to Malahide castle on the outskirts of Dublin county. Stay closer to the city and check out Dublin castle, or Kilmainham Gaol (jail) and the G.P.O famous for the easter uprising of 1916. or maybe relax and have a nice cup of tea in the lounge and plan a day of shopping, the choices can seem endless.

My choice would be to find out the traditional music being offered in the pubs of Dublin. Again O’Donoghue’s is a must especially in the winter when it won’t be crowded to the gills. Check out the Quays down in the Temple Bar section of Dublin, and ask the hotel personnel what places they like. A word of caution, what a Dubliner thinks you want and what you actually want may be very different. The old separated by a common language effect applies here. You mostly want to know what sections of the city are sketchy and need to be avoided. There really aren’t many, again this varies person to person, and my favorite places tend to be non touristy old pubs.

Maybe stay in Dublin for the first two nights and plan a destination spot for two more nights, not too far away, try Wicklow. Maybe a day out to Glendalough, or an overnight in Enniskerry.  Even stay in a Dublin B&B close toThe famous Johnnie Foxes, they have great Irish music year round. If you find yourself with some time take a ride to Bray harbor just south of Dublin, and have a creamy pint in one of my favorite Irish places, the Harbor bar in Bray.

The weather will be cold and grey but not bone chilling, you can still stroll the streets of Dublin and feel her heart beat. The colder weather does have some advantages, you might be more inclined to have a baileys or maybe a nice hot whiskey.

Hot whiskey

  1. 1 1/2 oz. Jameson irish Whiskey
  2. 1/ oz. lemon juice
  3. 2 spoons of sugar
  4. 2 or 3 cloves inserted int a lemon wedge
  5. 4 oz. boiling water.
Make sure glass is heat proof no need to get fancy, use whatever you would for a cup of tea. I like to have the lemon and sugar in the cup, then add the Jameson Irish whiskey then top off with hot water
Irish favorite Dublin in Late January,
Cheers.

How to sing an Irish song

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How do you sing your favorite Irish song? The Irish traditional music by definition is music which is passed down the generations by word of mouth. The best way to sing an Irish song is by listening to others sing it, copy, and adapt. The same song will have different words depending on who recorded it. Learn the version you like best, listen to the structure, envision the reason for the song. There is an art of learning by ear and understanding the nuances of the tune, and the feeling of the song. It can be intimidating to music students to abandon the sheet music and figure out the main structure of the tune using your God given talents. An Irish song can be sung by reading the notes and surgically hitting the right notes, but the feeling will be off. Learning to sing an Irish song by using sheet music is  like finding your way around the mall using a road map. You do need to be a little careful and not imitate too much. For example;  I am a Bostonian, I love to sing irish songs. I sing without my Boston accent and hopefully without an Irish accent. The artists I listen to all sing with an Irish accent, you will find yourself slipping into an Irish accent on occasion. As long as you are not trying to be something you’re not, no one will hold it against you.

Tips on singing your favorite Irish song;

    1. Learn the song by ear
    2. Relate to the feeling of the song
    3. Learn the words
    4. Pick a song you can handle
    5. Let her rip, it’s not about being perfect, sing

 

Niamh Parsons sings Irish music with pure passion, awesome.


Just so my instrumental friends won’t get too mad at me, tunes refer to instrumental Irish music and song refers to singing Irish music.
Cheers.

Traditional Irish music

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I love traditional Irish music. I also love Irish folk music,yes there is a difference. The Irish folk music scene was renewed with bands like the Wolfetones, the Dubliners, the Clancy brothers with and without Tommy Makem. Pub tunes that had survived the ages or reported on the ills of the day were reborn and reworked into the classics we belt out on St. Patrick’s Day. These ballads and pub songs are more folk music, songs such as Molly Malone, or Fiddler’s Green are songs meant for a sing song at the pub or social gathering. The Irish traditional music, sometimes referred to as trad, is more instrumental rather than vocal. The jigs and reels, hornpipes and slow airs playing tunes that have been played in Ireland since the creation of Irish musical instruments. The session as it is called is usually trad music, the session can be planned or sometimes just start up on a whim. The session is for the Irish musicians and the Irish music, not for the audience. This was a hard concept to grasp at first, but the playing of the music, the coordination of the different players, the tightness of the music is what is trying to be achieved.

Irish music featuring Caroline O’Shea of the group “The Ivy Leaf”.

There are several irish traditional music festivals and contest or “fleadhs” held in Ireland. These are excellent events to plan an Irish tip around if you love Irish traditional music. The all Ireland Fleadh is the culmination of the different Irish music competitions in Ireland and internationally. I’ve had the pleasure to have attended the Fleadh held in Letterkenny County Donegal Ireland, and two Fleadhs in Tullamore County Offaly Ireland. The All Ireland fleadhs attract Irish musicians and Irish music lovers the world over. Turning a town’s population from 10,000 to 100,000 overnight. Every pub has music and the sessions are mighty. Your job as a visitor is to sit back enjoy the music and applaud the musicians, if you are a musician there are rules to the session. The most important is not to intrude on the music, play with tho other players, wait your turn to start a tune and compliment the session don’t command it. But at the All Ireland Fleadh entertainers are everywhere and you never know what will catch your fancy. Keep an ear out for a story telling session, storytellers compete at the fleadh and if you happen to be there when they let loose their craft, well they are funny as hell, I mean belly laughing funny. The last one I remember had something to do with a donkey, and meatballs, gassy digestion and a confessional.

At the culmination of the fleadh the different regional champions take turns playing traditional tunes in front of a judge. The public can listen quietly, and there is a lot to choose from. Each instrument has its own category, along with singers, storytellers, whistlers, lilters, and more, after they all play the judges post the results and a champion is crowned. The most sought after title in the Irish traditional music scene is the ceili band champion. The ceili band competition is the biggest draw and the highest honor.

When planning a trip to Ireland go to the All Ireland Fleadh:

Plan ahead to find a B&B within walking distance to the town.

Expect crowds at night which grow as the competition day gets nearer.

Arrive a day or two early and get your bearings, stay a day or two later. No need to rush.

Leave the car at the hotel or B&B, take a taxi after your nights out.

Enjoy the Finest Irish Traditional music in the world. Cheers.

Irish pub tutorial

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Durty Nellie’s Pub in County Clare, Ireland. I learned the greatest lesson on travel at this venerable old bar. Now Durty Nellie’s is a tourist trap with its close proximity to Bunratty Castle and there’s nothing wrong with that. But you’ll still find in the back a small bar where a traditional Irish session will occasionally play. It was in this part I received my lesson. A less touristy bar may not have been as instructive.

Durty Nelly's

Durty Nelly's Ireland

 

My wife and I celebrating our second anniversary (some 20 years ago). We arrived at Shannon airport and booked a B&B which by luck was near Durty Nellie’s. On arriving to the pub there were several pre-teens wailing and canvassing the tourists, looking for donations, contorting their faces and looking as pathetic as possible. We entered the main room and I asked about these poor unfortunates, the woman in charge laughed “Oh those little devils, lookin for some bob, would you be havin dinner?” We decided to have our first drink in Ireland in the less crowded bar in the back.

I made the first and sometimes fatal mistake of an American tourist–I was excited and wanted to tell everyone: The O’Shea’s are in Ireland! There are several lads at the bar and I’m asking about things and they’re polite enough, when I see an old man at a table gesturing me to his table. I go over,still excited about finally visiting the olde sod, and these words of wisdom, which I have kept first in my mind on every trip since, are spoken——-

“You might enjoy yourself more if you just sit down with your pretty bride and enjoy your drink.”

I realized at that moment I was a touristy tourist, a New Yorker in Cape Cod, a Masshole, a flatlander, pick your tourist slur for your region. BUT, I took his advice, and sat down with my wife and had a conversation, went back to the bar for pint #2 and a glass for Maureen, and talked about where we would go and see, and then went back to the bar for pint #3.

As the barman served the creamy pint, one of the lads I had tried to infringe upon earlier leaned over and said “It’s good to see you can follow directions, there is some music comin in. Would you and your wife like to join us?” I asked them if it wasn’t any trouble we would, the rest of the night was a lot of fun along with some good natured teasing.

So remember tourist are nice when they follow the local customs -see pub etiquette_. Cheers.