Hello all,
I’ve just finished Gedutis’ wonderful book on the Boston Dance Hall scene in the former part of the latter century.
The instrumentation of the bands included alto and tenor sax, drum set, bass, trumpet, as well as fiddle, accordion and the like.
I am wondering if there are any good examples of this, or even just single non-trad playing.
check out Seamus O Donnell on alto sax playing with the band At the Racket -you should be able to find it on You tube easy enough. I’m not normally a fan of sax in Irish music, i never much liked it in Moving Hearts
or Sharon Shannons various bands, but this guys playing just blew me away -oops unintentional pun………..
This video has been posted here before. But it’s worthy of being posted again… and again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asLxqOV0rbQ
This old video has also been here before but I think it’s also worthy of another mention: https://youtu.be/Npc2XCNF8kY
Christy Taylor mentions Seamus O’Donnell. Here he is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZBgY9fplCU
Yes, I enjoyed the Gedutis book “See you at the Hall” - viz Joe Derrane and D/C# boxes!
As has been seen here before Traditional Irish Melodica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDs2_pirUmM
(What’s that in Irish?)
Anybody on air guitar
Not Irish Music but not an instrument anyone makes ~ http://www.wimp.com/performedexpressions/
James Ryan on a c-melody sax playing the 2nd tune on this one:
https://soundcloud.com/ward-irish-music-archives/paddy-killorans-pride-of-erin
James Conway with the harmonica is really impressive!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzP0JhjjPMk
James Conway, yes lovely playing -but dont most people now accept the gob iron into the usual
array of ‘Trad Instruments’ ?
@MarcusDisessa: Marcus, I wouldn’t call the harmonica a “non-trad instrument.” I know two harmonica players who frequent a few sessions I go to, and each of them carries a little padded case with tremelo harmonicas in all keys. I’d just like them to blow their D harmonicas instead of their D# jobs, so I have a chance to follow along on fiddle! One of them also uses a Melodica to figure out what key singers are in, then uses the appropriate harmonica to accompany them. Years ago I had a Hohner double sided harmonica. C on one side and G on the other. I looked that instrument up recently to check the price, as I was thinking of maybe buying one - £99.00 ! Probably be more cost effective to buy one of the wee padded cases with the harmonicas in all keys!
And then there’s this . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-tQfNFaeD8&sns=em
@Tracie: I know people are always railing about barriers in music, but that strikes me as a great way to simultaneously play a tune on the flute AND reserve the next seat for your friend.
I would include in the category of “non-trad instruments” the Highland pipes. There are endless examples of ITM tunes being badly mangled on the GHB, but quite a few of ITM tunes sounding very nice.
OK.. Harmonica is kind a common.. but a Hang Drum is very unusual! and by the way.. MAGNIFICENT!
Session
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubnnsEUlYZg
Julia Delaney
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChZMQl9mI0Q
Improvisation with Celtic Harp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-0po8sVWj4
Y’all find some sax on these guys music, Buille, rooted in trad, but expanding the tradition: http://www.vallelymusic.com/buille.htm
An Tara feature the Indian instrument, the sarode: http://www.antara.ie/
Veering off topic a little (or maybe not), it is very interesting hearing how the banjo is used in the Jackie Roche recordings (posted above by Kevin Rietmann) - alternating between chords and melody, and apparentyl in ‘jazz’ tuning (CGDA). Although these recordings were made in the 5os, the banjo playing is still very much in the mould of Mike Flanagan (The Flanagan Brothers), some 20-30 years before - and quite different from the wholly melodic style popularised a decade later by Barney McKenna. It is probably fair to say that, at the time of these recordings of Jackie Roche’s band, the banjo was just as ‘non-trad’ as the saxophone.
Does anyone know the identity of the banjo player?
Some more of Andy on the clarinet …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XZwb-uGh-w
About Highland pipes, here’s what one hears all the time, Highland pipers’ insisting on playing tunes that don’t fit onto the Scottish chanter. This version of Kesh Jig is better than the one I usually hear Highland pipers play, but still I wonder why Highland pipers play something like this rather than any of the thousands of great jigs which were composed for the Highland pipes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaGnTpSeH70
This is the one that strikes me as being the most futile, The Gold Ring. Since most of the parts don’t fit, Highland pipers have all sorts of strange versions, some having only two or three parts.
Yes the piper is just warming up his pipes for the first minute, the tune starts around 1:00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhOT23nN6Ls
Ilse de Ziah - cello
A Stór mo Chroí: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSRmQRDks8M
I once saw a video posted here a few years ago of someone playing trad on a trumpet.
