Rhomylly Posted February 24, 2004 Share Posted February 24, 2004 central MO, here. I can't speak for the regular jam sessions, but the slow jam sessions are held weekly, in someone's living room (always the same person's, she is not a musician, but she is BRAVE!) We have photocopies of tunes, with the kind of unspoken understanding that it's best if we get away from relying on the sheet music as soon as possible. we go around the room and everyone picks a tune in turn. we usually have 1 PA 1 bodhran/spoons/bones player 4 fiddle players 2 whistle players 2 guitar players 1 concertina player -- me 1 tenor recorder player 1 BA player (rare) it's all Irish or Scottish. we're also starting a song jam. my dream is to combine them all at some point... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Madge Posted February 25, 2004 Share Posted February 25, 2004 Well here in Lancaster I'm spoilt for choice really. If I restrict myself to a 4 mile radius:- Tuesday I can go to the Irish session 5 doors away which I keep meaning to do, but the tunes played have been a restricted sub-set of irish tunes on the couple of occasions that I have gone. They seem to have listened to a lot of Altan records! The musicians are excellent though. I think I shall have to go with the minidisk one night so that I can get a head start. No dots here. Wednesday night we play for the John o' Gaunt Morris practice and all sorts of tunes are played whilst the dancers get their breath back. We sometimes use the dots for infrequently payed tunes. Thursday night is the "everything folkish" session 5 doors away where all sorts of traditions are played, English, Playford, Northumbrian, Breton, Swedish, Welsh, etc. Instruments include English and Anglo, melodian, pipe and tabor, English bagpipes, clarinet, recorders, harp, guitar etc. Occasionaly one or other of the intellectual types will pass round some dots for tunes that they have uncovered during some of their research. No one plays from it there and then but we might go off and learn it for the future. Friday night is the folk session at Halton which includes song as well as tune. Sometimes people sing from printed words (not music), though they might request a starting note from an instrument. This usually starts a debate about do they mean the first note of the tune or the key note of the tune. Sunday night is the folk club in Lancaster which may have the occasional tune thrown in. This is the only session that goes round the room in order, everthing else is "jump in". Seeing as we sometimes decide that the next turn round the room will have a theme it can be useful to have words with you as a prompt! Robin Madge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldpaulson Posted February 25, 2004 Author Share Posted February 25, 2004 Robin: That you have any session five doors down is incredible. BUT TWO?!?!?! You must have lived right in a past life. Sounds like a very lively scene, ldp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted February 25, 2004 Share Posted February 25, 2004 Thursday night is the "everything folkish" session 5 doors away where all sorts of traditions are played,... Sounds like the one I lucked into when I attended a conference at Lancaster U. in '96. It was wonderful! (I don't usually get to play Playford with other people, except at a dance.) Robin, would you have been there, then? Nobody passing notes that time, but I remember one fellow in particular. He arrived rather late, wearing a suit, and brought a silver flute. He played it with styling ranging from jazz to traditional Irish. He also played on someone else's wooden flute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Madge Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 Jim: "Robin, would you have been there, then?" I have only been in Lancaster properly for about two years, but have been there off and on for about four. Could be that the flute player was Laurie Johnson. Small to medium build, Belfast accent with his head growing through his haircut! He has made an off-handed offer to arrange some music for a concertina band at some time, as he runs a brass band and arranges for it. I'm going to remind him some day. Robin Madge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Timson Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 Thursday night is the "everything folkish" session 5 doors away Robin, where is "5 doors away". We're coming up to the area soon to see Anne's mum near Milnethorpe and our mates in Heysham. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 Could be that the flute player was Laurie Johnson. Small to medium build, Belfast accent with his head growing through his haircut! I don't recall hearing him speak, but it sure sounds like the right fellow. I doubt he'll remember me, but tell him "hi", just the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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