Jessie K and her husband, Richard, visited me this morning at my shop in Adare, Ireland. It was their first stop after flying in to Shannon airport at 7am (Irish time).
They stayed for about 3 hours, chatting, playing whistles (that woman is talented++), having breakfast (courtesy of my friend Joe - and also courtesy of them both, given that they had been fed constantly on the 12 hour flight!).
Oh, and singing!! Richard brought his guitar from the hire car and Jessie sang - ‘Crying’ (Roy Orbison) and ‘Crazy’ (Patsy Kline). It’s hard for me to express what I felt about hearing that angelic voice - but suffice it to say that why she is not a MAJOR recording artist is beyond reason!
They are a truely wonderful couple. When they left (hotfoot to meet Hammy Hamilton in West Cork and to start their two week trip around Ireland) I was genuinely both sad at their departure and thrilled that such nice people had stopped to say hello!!
I can only hope they have time to call by on their way back to Shannon (it’s really not that far, Jessie!!)
Steve
[ This Message was edited by: StevePower on 2001-07-26 15:14 ]
Here I am in Kenmare, the morning after arriving in Shannon. Richard and I are still overwhelmed to think about how wonderful you were to us, Steve. Steve is a sweet, gentle, incredibly warm and friendly man with a lovely shop full of books I had never before seen about Irish music, folklore and culture, and a nice selection of whistles (a flute, too), bodhrans, and wonderfully selected CDs and cassettes! I bought a Desi Seery whsitle from him, and as I am in public, even in a B&B sort of, I have not yet gotten to know the whistle intimately, but my first impressions are good. It is a loud whistle. It has that strong pure tone that I love. I would have to say it has the power of a Susato and it also has a lovely richness (no raspiness) to the tone. It’s made of delrin and nickel, and I’ll post pictures for anyone who’s interested when I get home. I also bought a Cillian’s Improved whistle (the last one…but he’ll get more soon) which I like very much for its purity. It is not chiffy. It’s a quiet whistle that is easy to play and definitely an improvement on the basic inexpensive whistle. I bought three books (one with detailed drawings of celtic knots, one of Pub songs, and one of Irish baby names - to name my instruments!!). Steve gave me a lovely Feadog nickel C and he gave Richard a bodhran beater that he was about to buy. Our time together was absolutely delightful, a perfect way to begin the trip. Steve and his friend Joe were incredibly hospitable and generous. In retrospect, I wish we had spent more time there. The visit to Hammy Hamilton was fine, but the visit to Steve was wonderful. I will try to come back around on the way up. I think Richard is set on taking a ferry to avoid driving around the water, but I will try to convince him otherwise…he, too, enjoyed the visit to Steve immensely.
I think we are going to try to get to Dingle today.
Steve, thank you for everything, and I hopr to see you again in a couple of days…if not, sometime in life.
You’d better watch out Steve; your going to be overrun with visitors. I’m planning a trip early next summer and now I can see that I will need to stop by
Hello again! I am in Dingle now. Steve…we are going to press on today, but are hoping to come back and see you on the way down. If it works out, I’ll call in advance.
Last night was amazing! My first Irish session in Ireland. There was a piper running it. Richard told him he could play and I could sing and he was extremely receptive. By the way, he also played Low whistles. Hee hee. Richard played bodhran the whoel time. Well, in the middle or so, he asked me if I wanted to sing a song…I got up there and sang Song for Ireland. I LOVED the response. There’s a line about Dingle in there. He asked me to do another, and another, and another. So I sang 4 songs and for the rest of the evening, Richard was getting free beer (I don’t drink). It was a great night!
Today we are headed toward Ennis…don’t know if we’ll get all the way there or what.
I found an inexpensive whistle that I hadn’t
heard of or seen before. It’s called a Doolin whistle and looks like a Clare two-piece, but the fipple is most certainly different. It is darker green and shaped differently. I think it’s one of the best inexpensive whistles I’ve played…better than a good Generation and a hair under the Cillian Improved whistle that Steve carries. I picked up several of them. One’s going to Dale. I also had the opportunity to try Generationsin a shop in Kenmare. I tried 20 and found 2 acceptable. Having a great time!
Wow! I am so envious that you guys are in Ireland!!! Now I really want to see Steve’s new shop! And yes Steve you know who I am! I ordered a Bodhran Set from you, which was sent out over the weekend. And just to let everyone know, from just talking to Steve over email, he seems really nice and really wants to make his customers happy! And NO this is not a promotion for his shop, just a happy customer’s opinion!
I might be going to Scotland next year for the world championships of Irish dancing aka Oireachtas Rinnce na Cruinne, if my 8-hand team qualifies (please, please, please I really want to qualifie!!) Just to let all you whistlers know, the Worlds of Irish Dance is kind of like the All-Irelands. So maybe I can convince my mom to take a detor to Ireland…wow, this could have possibilities!
Okay enough blabbering from me, and I hope I didn’t offend anyone if my post seemed too commerical or whatever.
Steve and I exchanged some private off the list e-mails. One of the things I shared with him was that I wondered how many American would take to time to look for, or consider buying anything from a store in Ireland. Obviously people are not only willing to check it out online, but seem to be actually going there in person in increasing numbers.
Bully for you Steve (I know that is an English expression - what an equivilent Irish expression be???)
Hello again! Still in Dingle! Ricahrd met a lady bodhran maker who told him he shouldn’t miss last night’s session at o’Flaherty’s. He played with them all night and I had a bit of craic with the people who kept shifting and chaning around me. I think I was mostly surrounded by tourists. Oh well. Still, a bunch of the toursits were from other parts of Ireland. It was LOUD there and there was no singing for me.
The view from the window of our room at last night’s B&B, O’Shea’s, was breathtaking…hills of sheep and a blue sky that faded into mist.
Richard is playing in an afternoon session now at Marina Pub. I don’t know if we’ll leave Dingle today or tomorrow. Ennis is next.
Steve, we met a couple of English tourists this morning who will be in Adare tomorrow…we told them to visit your shop.
We haven’t corresponded or know each other, but I couldn’t help myself but to reply.
There is a wonderful tinwhistle player in Kenmare by the name of John O’Connell who lived in Canada for a while then went home to work with his dad. John studied with the late Al Purcell on pipes and whistle in Detroit.
I don’t know his address but Kenmare isn’t big. If you have left Kenmare and are working your way up the west coast of Ireland and hitting the sessions. Keep your eye and ear open for a tinwhistle and flute player by the name of Justin Manning. Tall, white hair, about 65, he plays a Healy flute, and Sindt whistle.
Justin teaches flute and tinwhistle in Detroit and Windsor Ontario Canada. And is a great player and teacher. Justin is originally from the Gallway area and knows the west coast intimately and loves session playing. And he will be out every night!!!
Have a fun time
Mark Bradley
[ This Message was edited by: MarkB on 2001-07-29 08:18 ]
I have been away from the internet for a couple of days. We stayed in Kilkee and then went through Milltown Malbay and Ennis (Doolin too, for a few minutes - may go back there) and headed to Kinvara where Eugene Lambe had invited us to a session. It was last night and it was amazing. It was a in a small intimate pub called Greene’s. I sang a whole bunch and feel as if everyone here knows me now a bit. I am writing from Eugene’s hosue…he showed me a bunch of flute-making stuff today (I have pictures!) and made dinner for us. We are going to have a bit of an impromptu session tonight. John Prine lives here and a bodhran player (Johnny something who started De Dannan) said he’d introduce us.
Johnny asked me where I got “Song for Ireland” and I told him I got it from Mary Black on a PBS special. He said “Oh…well, I gave it to her.” Cool!
I didn’t meet Cillian, as he was spending time with his family on the weekend. But I saw his wife play flute in a session where Richard played his drum.
Jessie
[ This Message was edited by: JessieK on 2001-07-31 15:36 ]
Jessie, any chance of you getting me John Prine’s autograph? I’m a huge fan! Tell him I saw the gig he did in Limerick last year, he was outstanding!!
Cillian’s wife was here a few months back we Cillian and the children, but she was too modest to even say she played the flute. I love that about the Irish! (there now follows a JP lyric which is hardly relevant, but I like it..)
‘What on Earth’s come over you?
what in Heaven’s name have you done?
you’ve broken the speed of the sound of loneliness,
you keep on running just to be on the run!’
Keep on having a ball!
Steve
[ This Message was edited by: StevePower on 2001-07-31 17:48 ]
Yes, it was Johnny ‘Ringo’ McDonagh. Just saw a picture of him next to his name. A very nice man…asked me for lots of songs.
We are in Rounstone now. Last night we walked into a pub and asked them if there was music. They said no, so we asked if they wanted some. They said sure, so we entertained for over three hours. It was great fun! By 1 AM, we were singing American country songs around a large table with a young country band from Austria. I was dizzy and laughing my head off by the end of the night…you know how strong that still water can be. Hee hee. Really, one would think I’d had tons of Guinness. I think was contact drunk. No hangover, though.
Ok…first bad thing to report. Went to the Rounstone shop (Malachy Kearns’)…they don’t allow people to try the wind instruments…not only that, but they were incredibly rude about it. Hmph.
I played the Seery whistle last night. A great session whistle. I have also discovered another new whistle that everyone would be wise to order. It is so new that it is not yet priced, and the maker is not yet taking orders for it. But…I will certainly keep you posted.
Either Westport or Doolin next. Kinvara was wonderful…I was sad to leave. What a wonderful country.
From reading Azalin’s and Chris’s posts about sessions, I get the idea that it is a different sort of thing for instrumentalists and singers. I think the songs stick out more, because they are a change, and the voice doesn’t really blend in with the other instruments in the same way. I’ve enjoyed the recognition, I must say. This morning I walked into a jewelry store and some guy said “You’re the pub singer!” I liked that. In Nashville, things are very different.
Where’s the latest update on your trip? How am I supposed to experience Ireland vicariously through you and Richard unless you keep us up to date? I want to hear more about how famous the two of you have become so that I can say “I know them!” We miss you guys here in Nashville, but hope you’re still having a great time.
You are very kind, Terry. We are back home now. The trip was amazing. The last night there, John Prine (he has a house in Nashville, and one in Kinvara), played with us in the session (he borrowed Richard’s guitar to perform a couple of his songs) and shared some craic with us. It was great. After I sang an Italian aria, Eugene leaned toward me and said “John Prine clapped for you.” The last few days (well, nights) there (in Kinvara) were musically intense. It is an amazing country, and I can’t wait to go back.
A week from today, I’ll be 25. I’m having an Irish music potluck birthday party. Anyone want to come?
Jessie