Look up this man at http://comhaltasarchive.ie Just two tracks, solo Pinch of Snuff and march/hornpipe with Tommy Sheridan on the box; but these are a world away from what I'm going to refer to henceforth as "McKenna picking." ;) You know, like Scruggs or Keith picking. Barney seems to have laid down the law regarding instrument/technique in a big way, even more than other iconic players of other instruments. But before he came along it seems you just made up your style out of whatever was lying around.
I think Jimmy may have been the banjo player on an old 78 by Frank Fallon's Orchestra, which can be heard on the Topic CD Past Masters Of Irish Dance. You hear the same mad strumming up of chords here and there. Even other Irish players back then didn't utilized these techniques; Neil Nolan, George Derrane, or Mike Flanagan just seem to pick out the tunes, sans much in the way of triplets etc.
To realize where these players or player were coming from, listen to Eddie Peabody: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDMRPtRq44g&feature=related Very over-the-top, and of course this kind of approach probably won't fly at your local session, any more than clawhammering the tunes etc. Still, it's interesting and very different than the norm.
Only found out about Jimmy by searching the Comhaltas site for 'banjo' and as it happens his tracks show up right off the bat. Other players I've listened to so far are pretty conventional. Gerry O'Connor mentioned Jimmy in the intro to the 50 Banjo Tunes book Waltons or whoever published in the 80s, noting that he was one of the only players holding on to the old tuning of CGDA.
Bought a 90 year old Bacon Peerless tenor a couple weeks ago and am having a lot of fun with it. Haven't messed about with stringed stuff since becoming interested in this music 16 years ago, when I gave up on them after getting a set of pipes. Always enjoy a different take on things - I like how Gordon Johnston fingerpicks the tenor, for instance. I already know how to fingerpick guitar/bass and it seems to work on the tenor for me as well.
The player on tape 79 is doing some interesting stuff as well - more of Jimmy? Search for recording_id:79 at the Comhaltas site. He plays an EB chord or something at the beginning of the Tarbolton, for instance, instead of Beed e2BA or whatever.
Mike Flanagan no triplets? Check this out http://www.juneberry78s.com/sounds/mo33013t01.mp3
When he plays the tune solo there's plenty of triplets....not sure when this recording was made but certainly before Barney McKenna recorded with the dubliners?
Even better is Mike's solo recording of the Wicklow hornpipe, which you can hear at the Comhaltas site. Hard to tell but isn't he always playing melodic triplets - i.e., 3)aba instead of 3)aaa? That would make sense as it was a duet with his box playing brother; triplets on the accordion are generally all melodic, to get three of the same note on a push-pull system you'd have to yank the bellows in one direction three times in a row. Easier to just go push-pull-push on one note.
On the Contrary reel I think I hear Mike doing some strummed triplet chords, too. That's on the CD of the Flanagans, maybe it's at the Comhaltas site as well. Their sides were all done in the late 20s, I think; maybe some in the 30s as well.
It's hard to hear but I'm pretty sure they are staccato triplets. I slowed it down on Audacity to make sure.....It's interesting why this style of playing became/developed into the "Irish style." It's also neat to listen to it from the (almost) very beginning and to be able to hear it progress to today. Do you know if Flanagan tuned GDAE or CGDA? I'd guess the latter but it's only a guess.
I think some other folks are likely to post here with more about Jimmy Kelly. I did not know him well but have heard some great stories about him from one of my best friends who grew up with him. Here is some more information from the NE region CCE hall of fame induction:
You can also hear great banjo chording on some early 78 recordings such as some of the P. J. Conlon melodeon tracks (with piano too). I wonder if these Boston musicians may have sounded similar:
There are photos of the Connacht Ceili Band in the book of Brendan Tonra's original compositions, and maybe also in Sue Gedutis' book "See you at the Hall."
Thanks, Paul. Was hoping someone from Boston would chime in. I'm a bit laid up with a sore back today and have been listening to all sorts of old records to try and hear what the banjo was doing. Lots of Conlon sides in the Comhaltas stuff, BTW.
I've never understood why there is such animosity against playing chords on the banjo (tastefully, of course) in ITM when not only do the recordings of older players show chording (in cgda) but many of the well known players today either use chords or double stops on a regular basis as they play on stage.
The Barney McKenna youtube clearly shows him using standard closed chord forms to help emphasize the accordion playing. I have videos of many well known players using chords in class or on stage.
There are plenty of instances when chording works well in ITM. Sessions may not be one of them, but if the chord players are weak or using egregiously wrong chords/timing, a good banjo player can bring the lilt back to the music in that session. On stage the use of chords adds another dimension to the presentation of the music and it particularly works well in small ensembles of two or three, espeically if there is no chord instrument such as a guitar.
I'm not advocating constant chording (although it might be handy in a polka if not guitar is present) but more an expansion of the use of an instrument that has traditionally been a chord source in other types of dance music.
The wonderful Paddy Carty (east Galway flute player) album from back in the 70's or 80's has arpeggiated style banjo accompaniment by Mick O'Connor, somewhat akin to Alec Finn style Bouzouki playing. Very tastefully done, though probably not to everyone's fancy.
Ye Buttermilk,
It's deadly. Cartys flute playing is sublime.
Although I do like it, Its nothing like Alec Finn playing a bouzouki.
He generally plonks one note all along with no ornamentation. Nothing wrong with it either.
They only recorded it like that, cause he couldn't find a guitar.
That site also has another album called 'We're Irish Still' which was made by the Comhaltas branch in Boston and Jimmy Kelly features on a couple track (as well as many other worthies of the Boston music scene). I'm actually surprised that album doesn't seem to be on the Comhaltas archive.
Thanks for adding the link to Bill Black's site! Some rare stuff on there. "We're Irish still" is a great document of some of the community of players in the Boston area at that time. Maybe someone will scan all the pics in the insert sometime and put them up on the web. . .
Thanks thanks thanks a million, Sara! Great stuff there; thanks to Bill too, of course.
I read in Susan G's See You At The Hall book that Jimmy played in Cape Breton fiddler Bill Lamey's band; on that LP he plays with an ensemble doing "Bill Lamey's Jig," also his solo reels include (Argyle) Bowling Green, which another CB/Boston fiddler, Angus Chisholm, recorded on 78 as the Braes of Glencoe in the 30s. Lots of interplay between these musicians, which seemed to spill over into NYC as well, tunes like St Anne's Reel; or perhaps the Tarbolton. The other day I was snooping around on YouTube looking for old records people might have posted; found a 78 by Irish fiddler Patrick Gaffney which was new to me; also CB fiddler Colin J Boyd playing the Tarbolton. Supposedly Coleman picked up that tune from a Canadian; precisely through what medium wasn't specified! Maybe Mikey had Colin's record, assuming it was made back then.
I also have a tape with Sean Maguire playing what he terms the Canadian Barndance; it's a set recorded by Winston Fitzgerald, "Southern Melodies." Southern because he learned it from a 78 of Mississippi fiddle. There's a tune that got around.
Banjo player Jimmy Kelly of Boston
Banjo player Jimmy Kelly of Boston
Look up this man at http://comhaltasarchive.ie Just two tracks, solo Pinch of Snuff and march/hornpipe with Tommy Sheridan on the box; but these are a world away from what I'm going to refer to henceforth as "McKenna picking." ;) You know, like Scruggs or Keith picking. Barney seems to have laid down the law regarding instrument/technique in a big way, even more than other iconic players of other instruments. But before he came along it seems you just made up your style out of whatever was lying around.
I think Jimmy may have been the banjo player on an old 78 by Frank Fallon's Orchestra, which can be heard on the Topic CD Past Masters Of Irish Dance. You hear the same mad strumming up of chords here and there. Even other Irish players back then didn't utilized these techniques; Neil Nolan, George Derrane, or Mike Flanagan just seem to pick out the tunes, sans much in the way of triplets etc.
To realize where these players or player were coming from, listen to Eddie Peabody: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDMRPtRq44g&feature=related Very over-the-top, and of course this kind of approach probably won't fly at your local session, any more than clawhammering the tunes etc. Still, it's interesting and very different than the norm.
Only found out about Jimmy by searching the Comhaltas site for 'banjo' and as it happens his tracks show up right off the bat. Other players I've listened to so far are pretty conventional. Gerry O'Connor mentioned Jimmy in the intro to the 50 Banjo Tunes book Waltons or whoever published in the 80s, noting that he was one of the only players holding on to the old tuning of CGDA.
Bought a 90 year old Bacon Peerless tenor a couple weeks ago and am having a lot of fun with it. Haven't messed about with stringed stuff since becoming interested in this music 16 years ago, when I gave up on them after getting a set of pipes. Always enjoy a different take on things - I like how Gordon Johnston fingerpicks the tenor, for instance. I already know how to fingerpick guitar/bass and it seems to work on the tenor for me as well.
# Posted on September 7th 2011 by KLR
Re: Banjo player Jimmy Kelly of Boston
The player on tape 79 is doing some interesting stuff as well - more of Jimmy? Search for recording_id:79 at the Comhaltas site. He plays an EB chord or something at the beginning of the Tarbolton, for instance, instead of Beed e2BA or whatever.
# Posted on September 7th 2011 by KLR
Re: Banjo player Jimmy Kelly of Boston
Mike Flanagan no triplets? Check this out http://www.juneberry78s.com/sounds/mo33013t01.mp3
When he plays the tune solo there's plenty of triplets....not sure when this recording was made but certainly before Barney McKenna recorded with the dubliners?
# Posted on September 7th 2011 by shanty
Re: Banjo player Jimmy Kelly of Boston
Even better is Mike's solo recording of the Wicklow hornpipe, which you can hear at the Comhaltas site. Hard to tell but isn't he always playing melodic triplets - i.e., 3)aba instead of 3)aaa? That would make sense as it was a duet with his box playing brother; triplets on the accordion are generally all melodic, to get three of the same note on a push-pull system you'd have to yank the bellows in one direction three times in a row. Easier to just go push-pull-push on one note.
On the Contrary reel I think I hear Mike doing some strummed triplet chords, too. That's on the CD of the Flanagans, maybe it's at the Comhaltas site as well. Their sides were all done in the late 20s, I think; maybe some in the 30s as well.
# Posted on September 7th 2011 by KLR
Re: Banjo player Jimmy Kelly of Boston
It's hard to hear but I'm pretty sure they are staccato triplets. I slowed it down on Audacity to make sure.....It's interesting why this style of playing became/developed into the "Irish style." It's also neat to listen to it from the (almost) very beginning and to be able to hear it progress to today. Do you know if Flanagan tuned GDAE or CGDA? I'd guess the latter but it's only a guess.
# Posted on September 7th 2011 by shanty
Re: Banjo player Jimmy Kelly of Boston
Your clips of Jimmy, by the way, make me want to get my chords down (on the banjo) and give the guitarists a run for their money at the local session!
# Posted on September 7th 2011 by shanty
Re: Banjo player Jimmy Kelly of Boston
Kevin and all,
I think some other folks are likely to post here with more about Jimmy Kelly. I did not know him well but have heard some great stories about him from one of my best friends who grew up with him. Here is some more information from the NE region CCE hall of fame induction:
http://www.cceboston.org/KellyFamily.html
You can also hear great banjo chording on some early 78 recordings such as some of the P. J. Conlon melodeon tracks (with piano too). I wonder if these Boston musicians may have sounded similar:
http://www.msp.umb.edu/MassMemories/Hibernian%20Hall/album/photos/photo23.html
http://www.msp.umb.edu/MassMemories/Hibernian%20Hall/album/photos/photo22.html
PG
# Posted on September 8th 2011 by Paul Groff
Re: Banjo player Jimmy Kelly of Boston
And for some more about Tommy Sheridan:
http://www.cceboston.org/TommySheridan.html
There are photos of the Connacht Ceili Band in the book of Brendan Tonra's original compositions, and maybe also in Sue Gedutis' book "See you at the Hall."
PG
# Posted on September 8th 2011 by Paul Groff
Re: Banjo player Jimmy Kelly of Boston
Thanks, Paul. Was hoping someone from Boston would chime in. I'm a bit laid up with a sore back today and have been listening to all sorts of old records to try and hear what the banjo was doing. Lots of Conlon sides in the Comhaltas stuff, BTW.
# Posted on September 8th 2011 by KLR
Re: Banjo player Jimmy Kelly of Boston
Barney playing some chords.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOyvvKLkbCQ&feature=related
this fella's good with the chords too...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0rIs61jgsY
# Posted on September 8th 2011 by Hugo Chavez
Re: Banjo player Jimmy Kelly of Boston
I've never understood why there is such animosity against playing chords on the banjo (tastefully, of course) in ITM when not only do the recordings of older players show chording (in cgda) but many of the well known players today either use chords or double stops on a regular basis as they play on stage.
The Barney McKenna youtube clearly shows him using standard closed chord forms to help emphasize the accordion playing. I have videos of many well known players using chords in class or on stage.
There are plenty of instances when chording works well in ITM. Sessions may not be one of them, but if the chord players are weak or using egregiously wrong chords/timing, a good banjo player can bring the lilt back to the music in that session. On stage the use of chords adds another dimension to the presentation of the music and it particularly works well in small ensembles of two or three, espeically if there is no chord instrument such as a guitar.
I'm not advocating constant chording (although it might be handy in a polka if not guitar is present) but more an expansion of the use of an instrument that has traditionally been a chord source in other types of dance music.
Mike Keyes
# Posted on September 8th 2011 by mikeyes
Re: Banjo player Jimmy Kelly of Boston
The wonderful Paddy Carty (east Galway flute player) album from back in the 70's or 80's has arpeggiated style banjo accompaniment by Mick O'Connor, somewhat akin to Alec Finn style Bouzouki playing. Very tastefully done, though probably not to everyone's fancy.
# Posted on September 8th 2011 by Pot8os
Re: Banjo player Jimmy Kelly of Boston
Ye Buttermilk,
It's deadly. Cartys flute playing is sublime.
Although I do like it, Its nothing like Alec Finn playing a bouzouki.
He generally plonks one note all along with no ornamentation. Nothing wrong with it either.
They only recorded it like that, cause he couldn't find a guitar.
# Posted on September 8th 2011 by Hugo Chavez
Re: Banjo player Jimmy Kelly of Boston
The album made by the Connacht Ceili Band can be heard here: http://www.capeirish.com/tune_vault/index.html
That site also has another album called 'We're Irish Still' which was made by the Comhaltas branch in Boston and Jimmy Kelly features on a couple track (as well as many other worthies of the Boston music scene). I'm actually surprised that album doesn't seem to be on the Comhaltas archive.
Sara
# Posted on September 8th 2011 by SaraG
Re: Banjo player Jimmy Kelly of Boston
Sara,
Thanks for adding the link to Bill Black's site! Some rare stuff on there. "We're Irish still" is a great document of some of the community of players in the Boston area at that time. Maybe someone will scan all the pics in the insert sometime and put them up on the web. . .
PG
# Posted on September 9th 2011 by Paul Groff
Re: Banjo player Jimmy Kelly of Boston
Thanks thanks thanks a million, Sara! Great stuff there; thanks to Bill too, of course.
I read in Susan G's See You At The Hall book that Jimmy played in Cape Breton fiddler Bill Lamey's band; on that LP he plays with an ensemble doing "Bill Lamey's Jig," also his solo reels include (Argyle) Bowling Green, which another CB/Boston fiddler, Angus Chisholm, recorded on 78 as the Braes of Glencoe in the 30s. Lots of interplay between these musicians, which seemed to spill over into NYC as well, tunes like St Anne's Reel; or perhaps the Tarbolton. The other day I was snooping around on YouTube looking for old records people might have posted; found a 78 by Irish fiddler Patrick Gaffney which was new to me; also CB fiddler Colin J Boyd playing the Tarbolton. Supposedly Coleman picked up that tune from a Canadian; precisely through what medium wasn't specified! Maybe Mikey had Colin's record, assuming it was made back then.
I also have a tape with Sean Maguire playing what he terms the Canadian Barndance; it's a set recorded by Winston Fitzgerald, "Southern Melodies." Southern because he learned it from a 78 of Mississippi fiddle. There's a tune that got around.
# Posted on September 9th 2011 by KLR