Session Obsession

Okay, I have to admit, I haven't been playing much lately. Maybe it's because the weather has been absolutely gorgeous here and there is so much to do outside instead of practicing. So needless to say I have yet to research any tunes or players as I said I would in my last blog entry. I'm sure you were waiting on the edge of your seat, so I'm sorry to disappoint you.

What I do want to write about today is the obsession with sessions that I have. Each Wednesday night a little coffeehouse bar in Burlington, Vermont called Radio Bean, hosts an Irish session at 9pm. The last time I went I got there a bit early to catch the tail end of the Jazz session that plays before us and I was struck completely by the similarities and differences between the two jam sessions and here's what I wrote on a tiny piece of paper at the bar:

I sit here waiting for the Irish session to begin and I am listening to the Jazz session that plays before us. Tonight there is a bass player, guitar player, drummer, trumpet player and two cellists. It's amazing to watch and listen to it as they play only what inspires them at a given moment. Although we have specific tunes we play, it is not so different in that we play the tunes that inspire us and hope that the rest of group hops in and plays with us.

I guess sessions are the same no matter what genre they are in. In essence they are just a forum to express yourself through your music.

So if you're in the Burlington area on a Wednesday night head on over to Radio Bean for the Jazz jam followed by the Iris session. You won't be disappointed.

The history of traditional Irish tunes

It's amazing the things you learn at a session. The other night I was at the weekly Irish session at Radio Bean in Burlington and in between tunes some of the musicians were talking about where they learned a particular tune or that it sounded like a particular musician wrote it and I realized just how little I know about the music I play. So I'm on a quest to learn all I can about the great musicians and composers of Irish music.

I'm starting with one of my favorite CD's, Live at Mona's, because there are a lot of great tunes and musicians on this album. It is a session that was recorded at a bar in New York City called Mona's. What I love most about this CD, aside from the fact that it has amazing tunes on it, is that if you listen closely you can hear people playing pool in the background, a cell phone ringing and at the end of the album you can hear the bar tender calling "last call." It really gives a sense of what a good session sounds like and with headphones on, you feel like you're actually there.

I've been on a quest for weeks now to learn every tune on this CD. It's not an easy task by any means but I've already gotten 4 under my belt and am working on another one this morning. Though I am learning the melody of the tunes, I should be learning the history the tunes I play and the players who I am learning them from. Some of these tunes are hundreds of years old and have been passed down from country to country and from generation to generation...It's all so fascinating and I'm sure when I find out all I can about this music, playing the tunes will be that much more enjoyable.

I'll keep you posted as to what I find...