I am going to Boston USA around 12 April 2007 for a couple of weeks. I have searched The Session plus the web, but alas no sessions or events are listed for that period - apart from the Boston Scottish fiddle Club, which I have contacted.
Does anyone know of any sessions I can join (I am a fiddler) or any festivals please? I am willing to travel further afield if there is a special event. Thanks.
It's surprising there's nothing for Boston. I'd have thought at the very least that Larry Reynold's Green Briar sessions would have been posted - I think they run on Monday nights and have been on the go for many years now.
Hopefully my regular Tuesday night session at Sally O'Brien's pub in Union Square in Somerville will still be going next April. We play from 6-9. There's a good one on Sunday afternoons at Mr. Dooley's on Broad St. from 4-7 in downtown Boston. Some friens of mine were running one at the Crossroads Pub on Beacon St. in Back Bay from 9-12 or so, but I haven't seen them in a while...best to call first. Check out Tommy Doyle's in Harvard Square on Tuesday nights around 9 too...I think they've got one.
I think there are a couple in Salem and one in Wakefield as well. Post again shortly before your trip as the landscape can change around here pretty quickly.
The problem is probably that you're searching for Boston, which is geographically quite small. Many of the sessions are in the surrounding municipalities that make up the greater Boston area, but are in the data base under their own names. Search for Massachusetts and you'll find 19 listings. 12 of them are within an hour's drive of Boston (Amherst, Northampton, Greenfield, Falmouth, and West Dennis are farther.) Some of the 12 may be defunct, but at least one (The Burren) is on every night. Also look for Rhode Island. There's at least one session each week in Providence, which is an hour from Boston.
I just had a look at your profile. Are you looking for Irish sessions or Scottish sessions? It looks like your main interest is Scottish music. Other than the Boston Scottish Fiddle Club, I don't know of any regular, organized Scottish sessions, though there are lots of players in the area, probably getting together to play at each other's houses.
Just following up on a couple of items from Steve (thanks for reminding me about Mr. Dooley's; hope the Sally O'Brien sesh is going well!):
*The Crossroads session is, as I understand it, done (management decision).
*Tommy Doyle's in Harvard Square is at best an occasional event at the moment. Hopefully by next April it'll be more regularly occurring, but make sure to check in again when you're about to leave -- if we know you're going to come, maybe a bunch of us can hie ourselves there (starting time is 8 p.m., by the way).
A few additional ones, which you can find via the Web pretty easily:
*The Skellig in Waltham, Tuesday nights -- also run by the Reynoldses. The pub can be _awfully_ noisy, though.
*The Brendan Behan in Jamaica Plain, Saturdays, 4-7:30; tends toward "younger" musicians (in their 20s/30s), terrific stuff.
*PJ O'Ryan's, Teele Square, Somerville, Sunday nights; haven't been to this one in a while, but usually small, quite friendly
It's maintained by Barbara and Robert McOwen, two wonderful folks who do a lot for Scottish music and dance.
As regards festivals, there's the New England Folk Festival Association (April 20-22) will be moving to a new location further away from Boston [http://www.neffa.org/What_is_Festival.html]. Tons of different kinds of music -- American, English, Irish, Scottish, Romanian/East European, Chinese, Israeli, etc., etc. -- played all over the place, whether on stage or informally. Lots of dancing, too.
Just check ahead, and see if the "session" is really open to all, and not a professional group playing traditional music--I have seen pro gigs called sessions at some venues. Always ask before you jump in!
The ones sts and greg have mentioned look like they are of the "open to all" variety.
Like others have pointed out above, search for sessions by state, and you may find some in the general vicinity of the city you are visiting that you might otherwise miss.
Many thanks to you all - this has certainly helped. I note the advice about pro v open sessions and will check all pointers above closer to the time.
I have already booked a workshop with Lisa Scheckenburger "Ten Pound Fiddle" through Elderly Instruments (ANYONE KNOW HER?) and tickets for concert by the Emily Smith Trio from Scotland (ditto).
In answer to GaryAMartin: I really love ANY folk music, gypsy swing manouche and melodies - I find that a range of music styles teaches me new things all the time. I guess the Irish music scene is the most common in QLD and I find myself playing Irish tunes mostly at sessions all over the world, Scottish music from my books/time in Scotland, and manouche at specific workshops here in Brisbane. If you don't know manouche look at Mystery Pacific and Doch websites.
On the road again... Boston in April
On the road again... Boston in April
I am going to Boston USA around 12 April 2007 for a couple of weeks. I have searched The Session plus the web, but alas no sessions or events are listed for that period - apart from the Boston Scottish fiddle Club, which I have contacted.
Does anyone know of any sessions I can join (I am a fiddler) or any festivals please? I am willing to travel further afield if there is a special event. Thanks.
# Posted on November 16th 2006 by jinksy
Re: On the road again... Boston in April
It's surprising there's nothing for Boston. I'd have thought at the very least that Larry Reynold's Green Briar sessions would have been posted - I think they run on Monday nights and have been on the go for many years now.
# Posted on November 16th 2006 by Bannerman
Re: On the road again... Boston in April
Hopefully my regular Tuesday night session at Sally O'Brien's pub in Union Square in Somerville will still be going next April. We play from 6-9. There's a good one on Sunday afternoons at Mr. Dooley's on Broad St. from 4-7 in downtown Boston. Some friens of mine were running one at the Crossroads Pub on Beacon St. in Back Bay from 9-12 or so, but I haven't seen them in a while...best to call first. Check out Tommy Doyle's in Harvard Square on Tuesday nights around 9 too...I think they've got one.
I think there are a couple in Salem and one in Wakefield as well. Post again shortly before your trip as the landscape can change around here pretty quickly.
# Posted on November 16th 2006 by Steve L
Re: On the road again... Boston in April
By using Google I found the Green Briar details and they are on the session section but under Brighton and not Boston!! See http://www.thesession.org/sessions/display/35
# Posted on November 16th 2006 by Bannerman
Re: On the road again... Boston in April
The problem is probably that you're searching for Boston, which is geographically quite small. Many of the sessions are in the surrounding municipalities that make up the greater Boston area, but are in the data base under their own names. Search for Massachusetts and you'll find 19 listings. 12 of them are within an hour's drive of Boston (Amherst, Northampton, Greenfield, Falmouth, and West Dennis are farther.) Some of the 12 may be defunct, but at least one (The Burren) is on every night. Also look for Rhode Island. There's at least one session each week in Providence, which is an hour from Boston.
# Posted on November 16th 2006 by GaryAMartin
Re: On the road again... Boston in April
I just had a look at your profile. Are you looking for Irish sessions or Scottish sessions? It looks like your main interest is Scottish music. Other than the Boston Scottish Fiddle Club, I don't know of any regular, organized Scottish sessions, though there are lots of players in the area, probably getting together to play at each other's houses.
# Posted on November 16th 2006 by GaryAMartin
Re: On the road again... Boston in April
Just following up on a couple of items from Steve (thanks for reminding me about Mr. Dooley's; hope the Sally O'Brien sesh is going well!):
*The Crossroads session is, as I understand it, done (management decision).
*Tommy Doyle's in Harvard Square is at best an occasional event at the moment. Hopefully by next April it'll be more regularly occurring, but make sure to check in again when you're about to leave -- if we know you're going to come, maybe a bunch of us can hie ourselves there (starting time is 8 p.m., by the way).
A few additional ones, which you can find via the Web pretty easily:
*The Skellig in Waltham, Tuesday nights -- also run by the Reynoldses. The pub can be _awfully_ noisy, though.
*The Brendan Behan in Jamaica Plain, Saturdays, 4-7:30; tends toward "younger" musicians (in their 20s/30s), terrific stuff.
*PJ O'Ryan's, Teele Square, Somerville, Sunday nights; haven't been to this one in a while, but usually small, quite friendly
If you're interested in Scottish music, check this page -
http://www.mcowen.net/events.html
It's maintained by Barbara and Robert McOwen, two wonderful folks who do a lot for Scottish music and dance.
As regards festivals, there's the New England Folk Festival Association (April 20-22) will be moving to a new location further away from Boston [http://www.neffa.org/What_is_Festival.html]. Tons of different kinds of music -- American, English, Irish, Scottish, Romanian/East European, Chinese, Israeli, etc., etc. -- played all over the place, whether on stage or informally. Lots of dancing, too.
# Posted on November 16th 2006 by sts
Re: On the road again... Boston in April
See you Mondays at the Greenbriar, next to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Brighton Center. The slow session starts at 7 PM and the regular session at 9.
# Posted on November 16th 2006 by Greg the Piano Tuner
Re: On the road again... Boston in April
Just check ahead, and see if the "session" is really open to all, and not a professional group playing traditional music--I have seen pro gigs called sessions at some venues. Always ask before you jump in!
The ones sts and greg have mentioned look like they are of the "open to all" variety.
Like others have pointed out above, search for sessions by state, and you may find some in the general vicinity of the city you are visiting that you might otherwise miss.
# Posted on November 21st 2006 by AlBrown
Re: On the road again... Boston in April
Many thanks to you all - this has certainly helped. I note the advice about pro v open sessions and will check all pointers above closer to the time.
I have already booked a workshop with Lisa Scheckenburger "Ten Pound Fiddle" through Elderly Instruments (ANYONE KNOW HER?) and tickets for concert by the Emily Smith Trio from Scotland (ditto).
In answer to GaryAMartin: I really love ANY folk music, gypsy swing manouche and melodies - I find that a range of music styles teaches me new things all the time. I guess the Irish music scene is the most common in QLD and I find myself playing Irish tunes mostly at sessions all over the world, Scottish music from my books/time in Scotland, and manouche at specific workshops here in Brisbane. If you don't know manouche look at Mystery Pacific and Doch websites.
# Posted on November 22nd 2006 by jinksy