I’ve read about how the big thing in Ireland before the rejuvenation of traditional music was skiffle music. What exactly was it? Is it like rockabilly, or a type of jazz? Is anyone still playing it?
Marc
I did a Yahoo! search to find these links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skiffle
http://www.sbgmusic.com/html/teacher/reference/instruments/jugbands.html
they claim the Beatles started out playing skiffle music:
http://www.sbgmusic.com/html/teacher/reference/performers/beatles.html
http://www.iol.ie/~beatlesireland/beatlesfactfiles/beatlesfactfiles01/SkiffleMusic.htm
http://www.helsinki-hs.net/news.asp?id=20030408IE18
‘Skiffle’ was a mixture of American Folk,Trad. Jazz and Blues with a strong D.I.Y. ethos.
Hugely popular in mid -late 50’s Britain,it provided the impetus for many teenagers to start playing,and eventually forge careers in music- most of the British ‘Beatboom’ and Rock musicians began with ‘Skiffle’(John Lennon was a member of ‘The Quarrymen’).
Perhaps the most influential ‘Skiffler’ was the late Lonnie Donegan-who scored hits in the U.S.A. as well as at home.
Among the Irish musicians that he influenced,was the young Van Morrison.
Van Morrison acknowledged his debt to Donegan,by recording the ‘Live in Belfast’ skiffle album with Chris Barber,and featuring Dr. John on Piano,a few years back.
Skiffle has similarities to American ‘Jug band’ music.
Hmm..‘Skiffle’ U.P.'s ??
Paddy Moloney was in a skiffle band!
I’d forgotten about that! I first read about Paddy’s involvement in Skiffle in ‘The Chieftains’ by John Glatt.
A good book about the British Skiffle movement is the imaginatively titled ‘Skiffle’ by Chas McDevitt,who of course scored a big hit,in the company of Nancy Whiskey,with ‘Freight Train’.
There’s a picture of Paddy with a guitar in one of the books.
Thanks everyone. I’ve actually got some “trad”/hot jazz by Chris Barber.
Hot jazz and Dixie are my favorite jazz styles. I’ll have to look more into skiffle.
Marc
I believe Paul Brady and Mick Maloney were also in skiffle bands before they got interested in folk/trad and formed The Johnstons.