I thought some of you might be interested to know - Chicago's own Isaac Alderson has just won the senior All-Ireland titles on flute, whistle and uillean pipes. CCE is pretty sure this is the first time any American has taken three titles at once. For those of you who don't know him, Isaac is not only an awesome musician but an awesome guy. He's also 18 or 19!!! This is a tremendous accomplishment!
Best,
Chris
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
I was lucky to hear Isaac play with Surreel in Alaska in the summer of 2001. It was one of the best concerts I've been to -- they are all fantastic players, and the energy was great. I'd highly recommend attending if Surreel ever plays near you. I'll post the track list for the live CD recorded on their Alaska tour.
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
I e-mailed with Isaac not too terribly long ago, on a different subject (the benefit cd for Kirk Lynch). I think Surreel may still exist but is on a sort of hiatus while they all got busy...could be wrong, though.
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
What a coincidence - I just came to the site thinking... I should submit a thing about Isaac winning all those titles, to discover it's already being discussed. My husband and some friends and I just went (for the first time, just for fun, to laugh at ourselves) ceili dancing tonight at the Irish American Heritage Center here in Chicago. During the break, the guy with the mic talked about someone winning three titles at All-Ireland. A few minutes later, he was in there being forced to perform for all of us! So he had a flute and played about 4 tunes strung together and did it wonderfully. I don't know him, but I had met him a few years back as we both waited to have a private lesson with Larry Nugent (okay, "I knew him before he was big"). When I went in Larry said "have you heard Isaac play? He's GOOD." Guess so!
Colleen
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
Isn't ceili dancing fun, Colleen!? That's how I first got into this whole Irish thing -- started with ceili, got into stepdancing, got into the music, and now I'm studying for my TCRG...
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
It was really fun Zina. (I don't know if I'll ever drag my husband back though, punk rock guy that he is I think I enjoyed watching the old people more than dancing (or laughing at) myself! When I hear Irish music, I want to PLAY it! Dyin' to go to a session. The TCRG - is that the Irish dance teaching degree/license thingy? I've step-danced for about 5 years now, that's very admirable to go for the teaching! I feel like I'll never stop learning.
Colleen
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
Well, I wouldn't be doing it (because it's going to be a huge pain in the fundament) except that it'll help my school that I teach for out a LOT. (Yes, the TCRG certification is a teacher licensed by An Comisiun.)
We have only one TCRG, and she's spread real thin -- she has to see each of the students at least once a month, and it's really hard on her. So another TCRG would be good, and two would be better. (Her younger sister is also studying for it.) I'm learning the sets now -- and then the 30 ceili dances will come after, I suppose.
But I have a fondness for the ceili dances. Figures is my favorite thing in competition, too -- I love getting them very exact, with every line in place and every catch on the beat.
In fact, I suppose I'd better go and go over the set of Miss Brown's Fancy before I forget it.
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
Isaac proably would have won a *fourth* title in the slow air category on the pipes, but apparently his pipes broke down at the appointed time. Reminds me of the scene from the movie 'the Blues Brothers' where Jake and Ellwood get to their final destination after a massive car chase thru the streets of chicago and their car falls entirely to pieces when they arrive...
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
This year the New York Times were doing a feature on the Fleadh Cheoil and were looking for an American angle on the festival. The timing was perfect when Isaac struggled into the Fleadh Office on the Sunday afternoon with his three large trophies and an interview was arranged straight away. Many congratulations Isaac on your tremenduous achievement in taking three Senior All-Ireland titles and also your willingness to talk to the media so soon after such a daunting feat.
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
I think it was the end of a great few weeks in Ireland for Isaac to win and having known him for the past three or four years I think he is truely worth the accolades. A great session musician, congrats again Isaac.
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
Hi all,
Seems I jumped in on the chat a little late, but here I am.
A friend recently told me people were talking about me on the 'net here, so I figured I'd check and say hello.
Thanks to everyone who sent me their congratulations. It was a wild summer and I have never felt more elated than I did after the competitions were all over. Needless to say the night afterwards was both wonderful and difficult to recover from.
Some people asked about my recording with Surreel, and about the band itself. We went on three short trips of music: one in Chicago, one in upstate NY, and one in Alaska. We did make a recording of one performance in Chicago, and one of our performances in Fairbanks and Anchorage, AK. We never made more than twenty copies or so of either CD, and they were very rough and all entirely live recordings with no editing and little mastering. For those curious, the band included myself on pipes and flute (as well as the occasional song), Daniel Lowery from Texas on flute and whistle, Dan Sheffield from Cincinnatti on box and concertina, Caitlin Warbelow from Fairbanks AK on fiddle and bodhran, Sarah Wilfong from Chicago on fiddle, and Ryan McGiver from NY on guitar. We haven't had the time since summer 2001 to do any shows but there is talk of a reorganized effort at doing the band thing again.
For now I'm putting all my energy into a recording and touring project with fiddler Chris Bain from Chicago, and Tyler Duncan from Ann Arbor on guitar. I'm considering a solo project as well. We'll see what happens. Tyler, Chris, and I have our first real show together on February 14th in New York City at the Blarney Star (www.blarneystar.com). Hope to see some people there!
If anyone would like to contact me regarding anything at all, feel free to do so. ubuilleann@yahoo.com
Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
I thought some of you might be interested to know - Chicago's own Isaac Alderson has just won the senior All-Ireland titles on flute, whistle and uillean pipes. CCE is pretty sure this is the first time any American has taken three titles at once. For those of you who don't know him, Isaac is not only an awesome musician but an awesome guy. He's also 18 or 19!!! This is a tremendous accomplishment!
Best,
Chris
# Posted on August 30th 2002 by ChrisLaughlin
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
This is truly amazing. 3 senior titles!
# Posted on August 30th 2002 by glauber
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
I should have mentioned, thanks go out to David Migoya for these good tidings.
Chris
# Posted on August 30th 2002 by ChrisLaughlin
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
Way to go, Isaac!
# Posted on August 30th 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
I was lucky to hear Isaac play with Surreel in Alaska in the summer of 2001. It was one of the best concerts I've been to -- they are all fantastic players, and the energy was great. I'd highly recommend attending if Surreel ever plays near you. I'll post the track list for the live CD recorded on their Alaska tour.
Does anyone know if the band "Surreel" still exists? Their website hasn't been updated for over a year. http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~sheffiel/surreel/
Sarah
# Posted on August 30th 2002 by x
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
I e-mailed with Isaac not too terribly long ago, on a different subject (the benefit cd for Kirk Lynch). I think Surreel may still exist but is on a sort of hiatus while they all got busy...could be wrong, though.
Zina
# Posted on August 30th 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
What a coincidence - I just came to the site thinking... I should submit a thing about Isaac winning all those titles, to discover it's already being discussed. My husband and some friends and I just went (for the first time, just for fun, to laugh at ourselves) ceili dancing tonight at the Irish American Heritage Center here in Chicago. During the break, the guy with the mic talked about someone winning three titles at All-Ireland. A few minutes later, he was in there being forced to perform for all of us! So he had a flute and played about 4 tunes strung together and did it wonderfully. I don't know him, but I had met him a few years back as we both waited to have a private lesson with Larry Nugent (okay, "I knew him before he was big"). When I went in Larry said "have you heard Isaac play? He's GOOD." Guess so!
Colleen
# Posted on August 30th 2002 by cdavick
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
Isn't ceili dancing fun, Colleen!? That's how I first got into this whole Irish thing -- started with ceili, got into stepdancing, got into the music, and now I'm studying for my TCRG...
Zina
# Posted on August 30th 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
It was really fun Zina. (I don't know if I'll ever drag my husband back though, punk rock guy that he is
I think I enjoyed watching the old people more than dancing (or laughing at) myself! When I hear Irish music, I want to PLAY it! Dyin' to go to a session. The TCRG - is that the Irish dance teaching degree/license thingy? I've step-danced for about 5 years now, that's very admirable to go for the teaching! I feel like I'll never stop learning.
Colleen
# Posted on August 30th 2002 by cdavick
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
Well, I wouldn't be doing it (because it's going to be a huge pain in the fundament) except that it'll help my school that I teach for out a LOT. (Yes, the TCRG certification is a teacher licensed by An Comisiun.)
We have only one TCRG, and she's spread real thin -- she has to see each of the students at least once a month, and it's really hard on her. So another TCRG would be good, and two would be better. (Her younger sister is also studying for it.) I'm learning the sets now -- and then the 30 ceili dances will come after, I suppose.
But I have a fondness for the ceili dances. Figures is my favorite thing in competition, too -- I love getting them very exact, with every line in place and every catch on the beat.
In fact, I suppose I'd better go and go over the set of Miss Brown's Fancy before I forget it.
Zina
# Posted on August 30th 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
Isaac proably would have won a *fourth* title in the slow air category on the pipes, but apparently his pipes broke down at the appointed time. Reminds me of the scene from the movie 'the Blues Brothers' where Jake and Ellwood get to their final destination after a massive car chase thru the streets of chicago and their car falls entirely to pieces when they arrive...
Congrats Isaac!
# Posted on August 31st 2002 by Brendan
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
This year the New York Times were doing a feature on the Fleadh Cheoil and were looking for an American angle on the festival. The timing was perfect when Isaac struggled into the Fleadh Office on the Sunday afternoon with his three large trophies and an interview was arranged straight away. Many congratulations Isaac on your tremenduous achievement in taking three Senior All-Ireland titles and also your willingness to talk to the media so soon after such a daunting feat.
# Posted on August 31st 2002 by Bannerman
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
The New York Times article mentioned above can be found at the following link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/28/arts/music/28ARTS.html?ex=1031561993&ei=1&en=a539a1d5042667e3
# Posted on September 1st 2002 by Brendan
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
I think it was the end of a great few weeks in Ireland for Isaac to win and having known him for the past three or four years I think he is truely worth the accolades. A great session musician, congrats again Isaac.
# Posted on September 2nd 2002 by Dceol
Re: Isaac Alderson wins 3 Senior All-Ireland Titles
Hi all,
Seems I jumped in on the chat a little late, but here I am.
A friend recently told me people were talking about me on the 'net here, so I figured I'd check and say hello.
Thanks to everyone who sent me their congratulations. It was a wild summer and I have never felt more elated than I did after the competitions were all over. Needless to say the night afterwards was both wonderful and difficult to recover from.
Some people asked about my recording with Surreel, and about the band itself. We went on three short trips of music: one in Chicago, one in upstate NY, and one in Alaska. We did make a recording of one performance in Chicago, and one of our performances in Fairbanks and Anchorage, AK. We never made more than twenty copies or so of either CD, and they were very rough and all entirely live recordings with no editing and little mastering. For those curious, the band included myself on pipes and flute (as well as the occasional song), Daniel Lowery from Texas on flute and whistle, Dan Sheffield from Cincinnatti on box and concertina, Caitlin Warbelow from Fairbanks AK on fiddle and bodhran, Sarah Wilfong from Chicago on fiddle, and Ryan McGiver from NY on guitar. We haven't had the time since summer 2001 to do any shows but there is talk of a reorganized effort at doing the band thing again.
For now I'm putting all my energy into a recording and touring project with fiddler Chris Bain from Chicago, and Tyler Duncan from Ann Arbor on guitar. I'm considering a solo project as well. We'll see what happens. Tyler, Chris, and I have our first real show together on February 14th in New York City at the Blarney Star (www.blarneystar.com). Hope to see some people there!
If anyone would like to contact me regarding anything at all, feel free to do so. ubuilleann@yahoo.com
All the best,
- Isaac Alderson
# Posted on November 13th 2002 by izsmack