I feel like I want to Take a City Bride
Winderslide
This is a tune Donal & I started playing as a Mandolin/Autoharp duet. It is based mostly on the incomparable version on Moonshine’s CD.
After all this time – Aperil 2023
Well, after all this time, lockdown, lockup, pricking about on an epic scale , here I am back again. Eilis moved to Mayo, so no tunes, Carbos closed, Got sick, now better, tentatively playing with Donal on Autoharp/Mandolin duets, and recently WHBs have done the old Phoenix thing and are recording new Album and we have a few gigs Up North in May/June. Its great to be back . I will now post regularly here ……….
USHER FAMILY NOW AVAILABLE FOR SALE
I’m delighted to announce that The Usher Family 3-CD Set is now available to purchase through PayPal at €20 + €5 postage.
Please note that the Album Set will not be available to download.
EVENT: The Usher Family – Traditional Music and Song from Tenure Co. Louth presented by Jim McArdle
Thanks to All
Thanks to all who came to Thursday’s Launch at the Droichead Arts Centre and to Eilis, Wally and Donal for the great music. I’ll be putting up some more Pics & Stuff soon .
The Big Launch
Well Folks, we are delighted to Launch our two Albums tomorrow night – starting at 8pm in Droichead Arts Centre. We have been working on Much Blindin’ Down the Marsh for the last few months and a big thanks is due to Wally, Eilis and Donal for all their hard work. Donal , in particular did some brilliant work on the recording and mastering side and we would like to thank all the Staff in louthlouthmusic offices for all their hard work behind the scenes in preparing for the launch. We also be presenting music from the Madam, I’d Like to Be Tossin Your Hay and Pitcher Hill CDs at the Launch
We are delighted to be able to Launch the Pitcher Hill CD at last. It has lain in the vaults since 2002. It hopefully be a fitting testament to the great Wally Murphy, a brilliant songwriter and musician who will at last get the recognition he deserves in his home town.
DrogPodTwo
This is the first of a number of reminisences of my 30-year involvement with Joe Ryan , the great fiddler and craftsman…. Goin’ Down with Joe (No 1)
DrogPodOne
This is the story of my introduction to music.After I heard Woody Guthrie for the first time, my life changed forever………
Joe and Eddie
In 1981 Joe teamed up with Eddie Clarke to produce one of Irish traditional music’s most important albums, a recording of duets of Fiddle and chromatic Harmonica. Cavan man Eddie has been avid listener at Joe and John Kelly’s Session at O’Donoghue’s on Friday and Saturday nights. The album shows the uncanny closeness of the fiddle and harmonica playing, particularly in the phrasing and rolling. Joe said that Eddie would come to listen every weekend ‘for years’ before the enforced absence of John Kelly on one particular night led a fellow-customer in O’Ds to suggest to Joe that himself and Eddie ‘try a few tunes’. In Joe’s words ‘he knew every tune I started !’
Thus began one of Irish traditional music’s great duets…….enjoy !