Friday, 24th November 2006

Another week. Another couple of sessions. The Wednesday Irish session at the Anchor in Wingham was nearly back to full strength but missing a few still. Another visit from Susannah, the Slovakian Irish fiddler with the hairy boots. She seemed to wonder why we always played just Irish Music in an Irish session! No real answer is there? We did point out that there were other mixed sessions and that Irish tended to be purer. Does anybody else's session tend towards a educational experience for esoteric facts? It seems that every week there is a fairly academic discussion about anything under the sun that isn't usually related to music. Is it a feature of Irish Sessions?

There will be a session (Irish) at the Anchor in Faversham on Sunday - the regular last-Sunday-of-the-month bash. Hopefully, Andybanjo will be back with us if he's well again.

Thursday's mixed lumpy was made all the more lumpy by the thumper and at one point I could have sworn that it was the Kilfenora Ceilidh Band (it's that piano) playing. That caused unbridled mirth in our corner. Gradually introducing more tunes such as Roxborough Castle and a few more Irish-y sets (not too many - just enough to make it mixed). The latest is one of those rare sets of tunes - all in the same key but with enough difference to make it interesting. The set in question is Tripping Upstairs / Father O'Flynn (or Top of the Cork Road) / Paddy Clancy's. Nice - all in D.

Thanks to John for doing a good QA job on my website (see Links), especially the tunes. Paul the banjo spotted a couple of dodgy tabs which were caused by a) the key being wrong (such as Apples in Winter in E Dorian instead of E Minor as it should be) and b) the m2g program doing something weird with E Dorian and sharpening all the G notes! Ho Hum. Must email him.

Friday 17th November 2006

The Wednesday session was sadly depleted because of a mass pilgrimage to Ennis, our spititual home (after Skibbereen of course). From an unpromising start of 2, we had a surprise visit from a very good fiddle player from Slovakia, name Susannah. Apparently Irish sessions are popular in Slovakia - just shows, you can find an Irish session anywhere in the world!

Dagnabit! I spoke too soon. Thursday saw the return of the dreaded thumper which combined with an out of tune instrument somewhere made it hard work. There is an art, is there not, to providing rhythms for tunes which are essentially for dances - reels, polkas, jigs, horpipes etc. Maybe it should be compulsory for all players to experience the dances or maybe I'm just a grumpy old session player. It wouldn't do any harm though.

Friday 10th November 2006

Three sessions this week. The Sunday Irish at the Anchor, Faversham was a little more subdued that previous Anchor Sessions, probably due to being out-of-sequence and therefore not having as big an audience as usual. Still very welcoming and a lovely place to play. Adrian the fiddle made an appearance but left early objecting to the loudness of the pipes. Considering that it's the stalwarts that keep the sessions alive so that occasionals have somewhere to drop in for a tune, I don't have a problem with them leaving early, even if they are good players. I also think session players don't much like having their dynamics changed out of all recognition by one player - it's not session etiquette. The good news is that Andy Banjo is on the mend thanks to some mysterious elixir of Rick's about which it's probably best not to enquire too closely. Good stuff though!

Wednesday at the other Anchor was quite normal with some of the troops getting all excited about going to Ennis so no doubt we'll hear all about that when they return and their playing will have been inspired.

Thursday at the Bear is different every single week. I have never been to two the same. This week, we saw the return of Lizzy the keyboards and we were joined by Chris Care and his box. and Bob Kenwood who regaled us with a few of his finest songs including one about Pantos. Excellent stuff! Management speak cropped up somewhere and Chris is busy working out how to play with blue sky synergy outside the box. On the other hand, he always plays outside the box 'cos that's where the buttons are. Excellent sets, crisp endings - we must be practising for something.

The evening degenerated into 'Whiter Shade of Pale' and Bach's Tocata and Fugue on the Roland pretending to be an Organ (and doing a good job) plus mouth organ, melodeon, mandolin and other assorted folk instruments. It didn't finish until gone 11:45 after Bob and I had swapped mandolins and we'd played a few Irish tunes - me on his Fylde and him on my Breedlove.

Still mercifully free of bangy-thumpy-twangy things, hoorah! Mustn't speak too soon - I know they're out there somewhere.............

Friday 3rd November 2006

Now I know some people actually read this stuff, I am spurred to continue! The Wednesday Irish was much improved by being back in the snug and it was a good night. Remember I talked about session dynamics ages ago? Well missing our lead banjo has definitely altered the whole atmosphere of the Irish session and it feels as though we're settling into a new groove after wandering for a bit. Some of the old craic was back and the banter was good.

The English (mixed-lumpy) at the Bear was as good as you could wish for and complemented this week by keyboard player Lizzy with her Roland (that's the instrument, not a partner). Mercifully free this week from bangy thumpy and twangy things executing random acts of avant garde music on the poor unsuspecting traditional tunes. It won't last.

There will be a session at the Anchor, Faversham this Sunday to compensate for being moved last week to the Three Tuns. Rose and Crown Stelling Minnis, still undecided. Yew Tree Barfrestone, still no news.