This one's for all the New Yorkers or the New York inclined. Once again, if there's a thread on this already, please point me in the right direction so as to save y'alls from repeating yourself. ;)
I'm putting together a list of New York City sessions for a 'zine that I'm writing about busking and Irish music, PLATFORM. I know of some of the NYC sessions, but I'm sure I'm missing a few, and I'm certainly missing details (I haven't been to a lot of them personally, as I only have time to get to one session per week). Here's what I have so far:
Mondays:
+ Mona's, Patrick Ourceau, starts 11:30 pm -12:00 am or so
+ The Baggot Inn, Tom Hanway and Paul Clements, starts 8:30 pm
Tuesdays:
+ Paddy Reilly's, Jon Dillon, starts 8:30-9ish
+ Swift's, Tony DeMarco, starts 9pm
Wednesday:
+ The Scratcher, ?, ?
+ O'Neill's, ?, ? (where's this place located?)
Thursday:
+ Paddy Reilly's, Tony DeMarco, ?
Friday:
+ Concert series at the Blarney Star (not a session, but should be included, IMHO)
Can those of you in the know help me flesh out my list a bit? Make corrections, make additions, what have you. For each session, I need the locale (with street location, if you have it), the session host[s], and the start time.
Does Brian Conway still play a session somewhere? I know he was at Kate Karney's (sp?) for a while, there, on Thursday nights (I think).
Also, any other regular event that you know of that you feel is worth mentioning, please let me know.
The first issue of PLATFORM will hopefully be done at the end of the month.
As far as I know Brian does do a session at Kate Karney's on Thursday night, it starts around 8:00 last I went (years ago) Tony does do Thursdays at Paddy Reilly's. I thought he was doing the Wednesday one at the Scratcher too, but that was a while ago. Right after Fionna Doherty split. I thought tuesday's at swifts were Marie Reilly, Martin Reilly or John Redmon in various rotation. There were some sunday sessions up in Woodlawn/Yonkers on McLean Ave but I don't know if they were any good, who went where etc. Get a copy of the "Irish Immegrant" or ask someone like Meg Farrell she'll be able to tell you all the who, wha,t wheres, & whens you need to know. I know she's active on IrTrad-L & is a fixture in the NY session scene.
Bye for now
~b
Be advised! Some of the sessions I have visited in the past 2 years are miked to "cope with the noise", so they tell me. So they're simply a performance, not a session. Something that has become too common in Ireland too and easily detectable from the often perfunctory playing from musicians you know to capable of much better. Unfortunately, the one at Paddy Reilly's had gone that way too on my last visit. While I could sympathise with the wish to be heard, I thought it was the height of absurdity to see musicians coming in and extracting pick-ups and tiny mikes and god-knows-what gizmos from their instrument cases. Result -- unmiked musicians were drowned out and much tediously earnest inter-pint discussion about microphonic preferences ensued from a flute-player beside me. (Aside: Isn't there a 3 Stooges short called "Microphonies"?) Suppressing any homicidal thoughts, I finally just packed in playing and sat at the bar. Good idea as the music was pretty good. There are still a few truly open sessions around, I believe, but you had better find out. I have been a few times to a pub called Thady Con's on Sunday afternoons -- good standard of music. If you intend to publish a session listing, try to get up-to-date information which shouldn't be too hard at this site.
The Thursday night session at Kate Kearney's is dead, alas. It used to be Don Meade and Patrick Ourceau, joined by others.
There is an amateure session at Dempsey's (2nd Ave and 4th, iirc) on Tuesday nights.
There is a wonderful Session Sunday nights at 11th-Street bar (I don't think it has a real name, and if it does, I've never heard it). The bar is on 11th Street (duh!) between Ave A & B, southside. The session is anchored by a great bouzouki player, Terri, and Killian Valleley (of Lunasa fame) used to play there whenever he wasn't on tour. Last time I went, it was a great piper, Tom Doff??? I forget the name, who was the piper for Riverdance on Broadway (we all have to earn a living, I guess). Great guy. The quality of the music is very good, quite fast, very reely. Amazing young fiddler shows up later. Terri leaves usually around 11:30, but some musicians have just come and it's a whole different session. I never played in it, but was my favorite session to listen to, after Kate Kearney's died.
I think you should get in touch with Don Meade. I bet he has all the info. He writes for the Irish Voice, and you can catch him that way, I am sure. Wish I was still in the City, sometimes...
I think the 11th street bar's official name is the "Re-Bar". If it's the same place I'm thinking of. I have a buddy who lives by it & that's what he calls it.
I think the piper you mean is Ivan Goff. And Don Meade, alas, no longer writes the column for the Irish Voice. He still runs the Blarney Star concerts, though. Who's the fiddler you mentioned -any name or description?
Ivan Goff! That's it. Very smooth, clean player and well in tune. About the fiddler, I don't know her name, only had a few words with her once or twice. You know, "great music, really enjoying it," etc. To which her response was actually cute. She said, "you can't be enjoying it as much as we are." She is blond maybe in her late twenties and quite animated when she plays. Loved her zest. Longish hair. Let me know if you recognize her based on that description. Would be funny.
While I was still in NYC, there was a Saturday night session with Andy McGann at Kate Kearney's, with Don Meade. Anybody know if that is still going on?
If you havent already done so , please check out New York Area Irish Traditional Music and Dance Events at http://www.inx.net/~mardidom/rcnycal.htm There is a link to sessions there.
Brian Conway plays at Dunnes in White Plains on Wed nights from 7:30-10:30 on Shapham Place off Mamaronek Ave and O'Neills in Manhattan on saturday nights from 9-1. This is on 3rd ave between E45 and 46th st. O'Neills also has a sunday 7pm session run by Johnny Cuomo and Bernadette Fee.
Lisa Gutkin runs the Scratcher session on Wed. I think it starts at 10.
Bernadette Fee and Reel Time has a session on tuesday nights at McFadden's beginning at 9. 800 2nd ave and 42nd st.
Puck Fair has/had ? a session on sat night. Dana Lynn and Terry McKee from East Along the Road were/are involved with that one.
I have been to Dunne's a few times. Recently, Brian Conway had Jerry O'Sullivan with him and another time Felix Dolan. What a great opportunity to play with, or listen to, some of the true greats.
NYC Sessions
NYC Sessions
This one's for all the New Yorkers or the New York inclined. Once again, if there's a thread on this already, please point me in the right direction so as to save y'alls from repeating yourself. ;)
I'm putting together a list of New York City sessions for a 'zine that I'm writing about busking and Irish music, PLATFORM. I know of some of the NYC sessions, but I'm sure I'm missing a few, and I'm certainly missing details (I haven't been to a lot of them personally, as I only have time to get to one session per week). Here's what I have so far:
Mondays:
+ Mona's, Patrick Ourceau, starts 11:30 pm -12:00 am or so
+ The Baggot Inn, Tom Hanway and Paul Clements, starts 8:30 pm
Tuesdays:
+ Paddy Reilly's, Jon Dillon, starts 8:30-9ish
+ Swift's, Tony DeMarco, starts 9pm
Wednesday:
+ The Scratcher, ?, ?
+ O'Neill's, ?, ? (where's this place located?)
Thursday:
+ Paddy Reilly's, Tony DeMarco, ?
Friday:
+ Concert series at the Blarney Star (not a session, but should be included, IMHO)
Can those of you in the know help me flesh out my list a bit? Make corrections, make additions, what have you. For each session, I need the locale (with street location, if you have it), the session host[s], and the start time.
Does Brian Conway still play a session somewhere? I know he was at Kate Karney's (sp?) for a while, there, on Thursday nights (I think).
Also, any other regular event that you know of that you feel is worth mentioning, please let me know.
The first issue of PLATFORM will hopefully be done at the end of the month.
Thank YOU!
xo,
E. Bess
# Posted on June 15th 2002 by E. Bess
Re: NYC Sessions
As far as I know Brian does do a session at Kate Karney's on Thursday night, it starts around 8:00 last I went (years ago) Tony does do Thursdays at Paddy Reilly's. I thought he was doing the Wednesday one at the Scratcher too, but that was a while ago. Right after Fionna Doherty split. I thought tuesday's at swifts were Marie Reilly, Martin Reilly or John Redmon in various rotation. There were some sunday sessions up in Woodlawn/Yonkers on McLean Ave but I don't know if they were any good, who went where etc. Get a copy of the "Irish Immegrant" or ask someone like Meg Farrell she'll be able to tell you all the who, wha,t wheres, & whens you need to know. I know she's active on IrTrad-L & is a fixture in the NY session scene.
Bye for now
~b
# Posted on June 15th 2002 by Brad Maloney
Re: NYC Sessions. More Mix, Less Mikes
Be advised! Some of the sessions I have visited in the past 2 years are miked to "cope with the noise", so they tell me. So they're simply a performance, not a session. Something that has become too common in Ireland too and easily detectable from the often perfunctory playing from musicians you know to capable of much better. Unfortunately, the one at Paddy Reilly's had gone that way too on my last visit. While I could sympathise with the wish to be heard, I thought it was the height of absurdity to see musicians coming in and extracting pick-ups and tiny mikes and god-knows-what gizmos from their instrument cases. Result -- unmiked musicians were drowned out and much tediously earnest inter-pint discussion about microphonic preferences ensued from a flute-player beside me. (Aside: Isn't there a 3 Stooges short called "Microphonies"?) Suppressing any homicidal thoughts, I finally just packed in playing and sat at the bar. Good idea as the music was pretty good. There are still a few truly open sessions around, I believe, but you had better find out. I have been a few times to a pub called Thady Con's on Sunday afternoons -- good standard of music. If you intend to publish a session listing, try to get up-to-date information which shouldn't be too hard at this site.
# Posted on June 15th 2002 by LongNote
Re: NYC Sessions
The Thursday night session at Kate Kearney's is dead, alas. It used to be Don Meade and Patrick Ourceau, joined by others.
There is an amateure session at Dempsey's (2nd Ave and 4th, iirc) on Tuesday nights.
There is a wonderful Session Sunday nights at 11th-Street bar (I don't think it has a real name, and if it does, I've never heard it). The bar is on 11th Street (duh!) between Ave A & B, southside. The session is anchored by a great bouzouki player, Terri, and Killian Valleley (of Lunasa fame) used to play there whenever he wasn't on tour. Last time I went, it was a great piper, Tom Doff??? I forget the name, who was the piper for Riverdance on Broadway (we all have to earn a living, I guess). Great guy. The quality of the music is very good, quite fast, very reely. Amazing young fiddler shows up later. Terri leaves usually around 11:30, but some musicians have just come and it's a whole different session. I never played in it, but was my favorite session to listen to, after Kate Kearney's died.
I think you should get in touch with Don Meade. I bet he has all the info. He writes for the Irish Voice, and you can catch him that way, I am sure. Wish I was still in the City, sometimes...
# Posted on June 18th 2002 by Bloomfield
Re: NYC Sessions
I think the 11th street bar's official name is the "Re-Bar". If it's the same place I'm thinking of. I have a buddy who lives by it & that's what he calls it.
# Posted on June 18th 2002 by Brad Maloney
Re: NYC Sessions
Re Bloomfield's message above:
I think the piper you mean is Ivan Goff. And Don Meade, alas, no longer writes the column for the Irish Voice. He still runs the Blarney Star concerts, though. Who's the fiddler you mentioned -any name or description?
# Posted on June 18th 2002 by Zhenya
Re: NYC Sessions
Ivan Goff! That's it. Very smooth, clean player and well in tune. About the fiddler, I don't know her name, only had a few words with her once or twice. You know, "great music, really enjoying it," etc. To which her response was actually cute. She said, "you can't be enjoying it as much as we are." She is blond maybe in her late twenties and quite animated when she plays. Loved her zest. Longish hair. Let me know if you recognize her based on that description. Would be funny.
While I was still in NYC, there was a Saturday night session with Andy McGann at Kate Kearney's, with Don Meade. Anybody know if that is still going on?
# Posted on June 18th 2002 by Bloomfield
Re: NYC Sessions
If you havent already done so , please check out New York Area Irish Traditional Music and Dance Events at http://www.inx.net/~mardidom/rcnycal.htm There is a link to sessions there.
Brian Conway plays at Dunnes in White Plains on Wed nights from 7:30-10:30 on Shapham Place off Mamaronek Ave and O'Neills in Manhattan on saturday nights from 9-1. This is on 3rd ave between E45 and 46th st. O'Neills also has a sunday 7pm session run by Johnny Cuomo and Bernadette Fee.
Lisa Gutkin runs the Scratcher session on Wed. I think it starts at 10.
Bernadette Fee and Reel Time has a session on tuesday nights at McFadden's beginning at 9. 800 2nd ave and 42nd st.
Puck Fair has/had ? a session on sat night. Dana Lynn and Terry McKee from East Along the Road were/are involved with that one.
# Posted on June 22nd 2002 by Fiddlingsally
Re: NYC Sessions
A little slow on the uptake, me... Sally, I hope you see this!
Thanks so much, everyone, for your help. Sally, that link you posted was a Godsend. I was looking for something like that.
Thanks again...
xo,
E. Bess
# Posted on June 30th 2002 by E. Bess
Re: NYC Sessions
I have been to Dunne's a few times. Recently, Brian Conway had Jerry O'Sullivan with him and another time Felix Dolan. What a great opportunity to play with, or listen to, some of the true greats.
# Posted on January 22nd 2004 by oldetimey