The Kitchen Sessions » The Kitchen Sessions

TG4 2009 Musician of the Year, Charlie Harris, on The Kitchen Sessions

admin — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:56:08 +0000

Here’s a little memory from one of last year’s Kitchen Sessions - Mickey Naughton’s in Kilclaran, Feakle. It features - among other things - Charlie Harris who has been selected as winner of this year’s TG4 Musician of the Year. Sometimes they get it so right. This is one such time! Charlie was born in Kilfinnan, Co. Limerick, but is a longtime resident of Ardrahan, Co. Galway. He has been travelling the high roads with musical companion Des Mulkere for a long time now. Last year they graced one of our Kitchen Sessions. Have a listen to these two selections from Charlie and Des. The piece opens with the ever-exuberant Des Mulkere talking about Joe Cooley whom he used also play with. Tom Neilan - from Knocklawrence, near Gort - also chimes in with stories and music. There’s less chat from the more retiring Charlie. But oh! the music they make…

Series 2, Programme 6: Pakie Malley of Glendree

admin — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:33:04 +0000

Here it is: the last in the series. Enjoy it. To see pictures from the night while you listen, click here.

Dan Gurney

admin — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 09:50:03 +0000

Here’s a little something to keep you going till the next (and final) Kitchen Session this Sunday. Dan Gurney is a young accordion player from upstate NewYork, who learned the nuts and bolts from Fr. Charlie Coen. He gave us some great music in the Boston Kitchen Session along with his musical companions, Maeve Flanagan (fiddle) and Jimmy Noonan (flute). Now a music student at Harvard (where “they don’t really get the box”!), I caught up with him just after the Kitchen Session to record more music and a bit of chat. I started by asking him why he had chosen the accordion. Have a listen.

Of Jetlag and Electric Fences

Paula Carroll — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:27:46 +0000

Jetlagged for sure! I arrived home the Monday after Willie and Siobhán Kelly’s wonderful session in New Jersey (the passion with which people have talked about the quality of the music in that Session is lovely to hear.) I slept a fair bit that day, and thought I was fine on Tuesday and Wednesday. Got back to work and the usual routine. Then for the rest of the week I was floored! Is it possible to get a relapse of jetlag?!! Anyway, I did get it together for the Session in Glendree, Tulla last Sunday with that gentleman Pakie Malley - son of fiddler Bill, and our genial host (see pic below).

But the local electric fences got the better of our high speed digital broadcast line!! Pakie and I spent the day going up and down the top road in Glendree getting all the neighbours to turn off their electric fences. We even turned off a few ourselves when we couldn’t find anyone at home! But one of them eluded us, and made a live broadcast impossible that day. Technology, how are you! Never mind. Tune in next Sunday 22 Feb for the final Kitchen Session - when Glendree will have been purged of electric current, and livestock may be found roaming the parish of Tulla, kicking their heels up to the music from Pake Houlihan’s kitchen! (Pakie has chosen to host the programme in the kitchen of Pake Houlihan (now deceased) because Pake Houlihan’s was so well known for decades as a great rambling house and centre of music in Glendree)

Series 2, Programme 5: Kellys’ of New Jersey

admin — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 14:31:57 +0000

Sorry for the delay in posting this MP3 here. The Kitchen Sessions crew have been a little jet-lagged!

Paula will post more information about this programme shortly. In the meantime, enjoy the show, and don’t forget to tune in to Clare FM at 5pm today for the final programme in the series, live from Pakie Malley’s kitchen in Tulla. (That show will also be a podcast later.)

Meeting Joe Derrane in Boston

admin — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:44:02 +0000

I had the loveliest day with Joe Derrane on Thursday last. I have been fascinated by his story - he recorded some highly acclaimed 78s in the 1940s, then disappeared from the Irish music scene and was presumed dead, only to make the comeback of all comebacks in 1994. And he’s playing better music than ever now at age 79. I wanted to meet him, so Jimmy Noonan made the call, and Gerry Dunleavy drove me down to Randolph, 11 miles south of Boston. What a gentleman. And what a storyteller. We talked for hours. And he recounted in detail the amazing turns and twists of his musical career: from the heyday of the Irish dancehall scene in Middle St., Boston, through his days playing piano accordion at Jewish weddings, then his synthesizer days at sought-after supper clubs - to his re-entering the world of traditional Irish music in the 1990s after a 35 year absence. And during that time he didn’t even own a button accordion.

You’ll hear the full interview on The Wednesday Session on Clare FM, when the Kitchen Sessions finish. But for now have a listen to Joe talking about the ballroom scene in 1940s Boston. Watch this space - later I’ll post another clip of Joe on how and why he got back into traditional music.

Boston Photographs

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:35:56 +0000

You can view the slideshow on this page, use the link in the bottom-right to view full-screen, or click through to this set on our Flickr site.

(Our recommendation? Start the podcast playing, then play the slideshow in full screen mode!)

Video from Toonagh

admin — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:40:27 +0000

Some highlights of the Toonagh show captured on video. The full audio podcast is here, and you can browse the photographs here!

Series 2, Programme 4: Dunleavy’s of Boston

admin — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:37:04 +0000

The Kitchen Sessions from Boston was broadcast last night on Clare FM - and now here’s the podcast!

Watch this space in the next few days for photographs and stories from “behind the scenes” of this session!

If you use iTunes, click here to subscribe for automatic download of this and future episodes. And don’t forget there’s another chance to hear the show on Clare FM on Wednesday night!

All Set for Sunday and the Kitchen Session from Boston, USA

Paula Carroll — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:13:20 +0000

Great line-up of musicians for the session in Gerry and Toni Dunleavy’s this Sunday 1 Feb – St. Brigid’s Day and Superbowl Sunday!

Breandan Ó hUiginn from Lahinch – the maker of the song Micho Russell made famous – “John Philip Holland”
Tommy Kierse – box player from Liscannor
Kitty de Entramont – a cousin of Micho Russell’s
Flute-player Jimmy Noonan, whose Dad, John Patrick, emigrated from Flagmount years ago. Maeve Flanagan and her dad – whose people are from Ballyvaskin, Miltown Malbay
Larry Reynolds, stalwart of the Boston Branch of Comhaltas.
Roger Burridge, fiddler who played for years round Doolin before heading for the rural pleasures of New Hampshire, USA

And plenty more (just as well it’s a big American kitchen!). Don’t forget if you want to send greetings to anyone in Boston during the programme – do so now to kitchen@clarefm.ie. We won’t be able to take your messages during the broadcast but can include them if you get them in early.