Heard any good stories, tunes or felt an urge to get creative lately?

Hi! It is my birthday & while that sounds self-serving (& it always is) it’s a great day for me. But I want to hear from some of you that you are experiencing something wonderful in these uncertain times. Please post whatever you like. This is the session so you might want it to be about the session way of doing things (or not). Thanks in advance. Happy birthday to me!

Love & peace,
AB

ps ~ It’s OK to link some tunes from YouTube. That would be as cool as anything because my birthday is cool; if I do say so myself.

pps ~ since it seems like everyone else has gone to bed & there are no replies I’ll exploit Shannon Heaton’s stories & maybe get things rolling…https://shannonheatonmusic.com/episode-24-joe-cooley-meets-clark-kent/

I played my first session since last summer on Sunday. Starting in April, we are back to full sessions at the pub. I have two gigs coming up - one with my singer/songwriter partner and an Irish one with two mates, calling ourselves Good Irish Company. Now looking for something for St. Patrick’s Day. My partner and I were just featured on local Public Radio and have been asked for more recordings, so we are back in the studio in May.

Happy birthday, Ben!

Also resuming a longstanding folk music circle biweekly meet-up. Lotsa music happening.

As it is very cold tonight in Colorado (5F/-15C), I was reminded of what my uncle used to say, “Cold enough to warp your skull and crack your molars.”

He is who taught me my first fiddle tune, “Bumblebee Hit the Fence.” It’s in B flat and it’s a real zinger. Whenever I play it, it creates quite a buzz.

Have a great birthday and maybe play that great tune, Phyllis’ Birthday by Josephine Marsh.

Dia dhuit a Ben
Go maire tú an lá!

Which is
Hi Ben, Happy Birthday!

Saturday last, played in a nice session in Hobart.

Sunday, played at the inaugural Waterfest at Woodbridge in the South of Tasmania, beautiful weather, lovely occasion.

This morning I was asked if I could play for the Irish Ambassador to Australia on Sunday next. Answer YES!!!

And before that, looking forward to playing with my friends on Saturday in Hobart.

I hope you have a wonderful day and may you be blessed with good health, happiness and success as you commence your next celestial orbit!

Keep safe and well
All the best
Brian x

PS I embark on my next orbit next Wednesday
Bx

Heartiest Felicitations Ben. My orbit begins on Sunday!
Our Grúpa Cheoil intends to meet next Wednesday, for the first time in two years, so the excitement is rising and the text messages are flying. There should be loads of new tunes to share after the long absence, so we can’t wait! Have a great day. Paul

This past Monday I played at the session a the Landmark Tavern, NYC. Wonderful group, much more enjoyable than the last one I had been to in Cambridge, MA. Unfortunately I didn’t get the memo that this session was a bit more relaxed and rushed my way through both my sets. Oh well, lesson learned. I got to ask about a Larry Redican tune which I’ve learned but don’t have a name for, in a NYC session, so I thought they’d know what it might be. They didn’t. I ended that set with the Donegal Tinker - what a tune that is - expecting them to play along, but they didn’t. So I ended up with a solo set. It was nice, but not my intention. Long story short: I have much to learn still, but the more sessions I go to, the more I *will* learn.

Keep well.

Out of the blue last night, as I was walking upstairs to practice, Pedro Navaja by Ruben Blades came into my head so I surprised myself very much by being able to work the verse/chorus out quickly on mandolin. I blame FiddleJean and Ceolachan - have started learning Muinera de Chantada, so, not sure what mode/scale its in yet but excited to step out of ITM/old time tunes for a bit.

Happy Birthday Ben!
We have been celebrating a bit here: played our first ceilidh since the first lockdown, on Saturday night. Really exhilarating to be out playing again, for an enthusiastic group of dancers. Our hours spent practising on Zoom, and more recently, back in the church hall, paid off: no major or even minor glitches.
And tonight the Canons’ Gait session in Edinburgh is celebrating its 10th birthday: we’re still on Skype as the pub is undergoing some building work, but hoping for some good tunes. Also having a live session in another venue next Monday.
Here’s a favourite tune, with a lovely video, for you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMc7RFj25qw

play video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQwdy2wPpjU

play video

(That’s not me but hopefully you will enjoy it anyway)

Trish - thanks for the lovely tune and I was pleased to see some images of Orkney, the Italian Chapel and the Merry Dancers (Northern Lights).

Wow! Thanks guys for the replies. It’s exactly what I wished for when I blew out all those candles. A beautiful thread. You & anyone else with a good story, tunes, or anything creative you’re all invited back next year; same time, same channel.

Ben