Jay The Fiddler
For the Love of Fiddle.

Patrick O’Keeffe Music Festival

Deep Freeze Byzantine Festival!

It’s January Fun! Come see us play

http://www.deepfreezefest.ca/

2019 DEEP FREEZE: BYZANTINE WINTER FESTIVAL

Venue Address# 1: Hearth (9210 118 Ave)
Date of Performance: Saturday, January 12, 2019
Time of Performance:2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
Venue Address#2: Pavilion (91 St & 118 Ave) — Kitchen Party
Date of Performance: Saturday, January 12, 2019
Time of Performance:3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
Venue Address# 3: Igloo (92 St. & north of 118 Ave)
Date of Performance: Saturday, January 12, 2019
Time of Performance:5:00 PM – 5:45 PM

New Hip!

On November 29th 2018 Dr. Donald Glasgow replaced my right hip which had previously been shattered in 2013 in a bicycle collision with a van. It’s been 11 days and I am already enjoying the benefits!!

No Ireland This Year :(

Instead of my annual 4 week visit to Ireland to enjoy the wonderful people, music, Guinness & scenery I will be staying put in Edmonton and preparing for an upcoming hip replacement. Sad to break with tradition but my mobility is very limited (I use a cane all the time) and I am trying to get my blood glucose numbers down. I look forward to my next visit in good health when I will easily walk from Renmore to Eyre Square or up the Pound Road.

All Night at Coili’s

When I called into Tig Coili’s in the afternoon to enquire who the musicians would be that night the barman told me “Paul Bradley & Declan Corey”. “Paul is living in Wicklow now” I said, “oh, no he still comes in”. It wasn’t Paul unfortunately , who is one of my favourite musicians, but Declan with Joseph O’Flahery on accordion. A nice surpris was the arrival of Jon Brindley from Lancashire who played fiddle and sang beautifully. In fact when the first session broke up it was he and I who kept it lit til the 10:00 session started.

Also Gerry Mulholland would stand on the bench and sing or compose a recitation on the spot. He had the audience enthralled.

The 10:00 session featured Declan Corey and Ger Clancey on fiddle. Great tunes coming fast and furious with loads of modern compositions. Ithought the 7 hour sessions were done after the POK festival, but apparently not.

Galway is a port city of course so I am including a picture of the docks by night.

Out the back lads, the Gards are out front!

After playing 6 hours in Kearney’s on Monday, Terrance collected me and out to Brosna for the regular Monday night. Terrance and Jackie left early but I was returning with Dick the Dutchman. We were have the most lovely tune, joined by young Patrick Moriarity on box, when the Garda rapped on the window at 2:30 am so the 20 remaining scurried out onto the street. Left my coat in the bar in the rush so had Joe Herlihy drive me out in the morning.

Sunday – One Long Session

Jackie and I called int the Half Barrel. We were meant to play from 3-5. The truth is we started at 4:00 pm and ended at 2:00 am, joined by many musicians along the way. A highlight was when local fiddler Con Moynihan (fiddle)and his nephew from Dublin, Aidan Connolly (fiddle) joined us. Great tunes lads.

Saturday – 3 sessions

First session was at the recently reopened Crown Hotel with Jonathon Roche (box) and Eileen de Poer (flute) Niamh (fiddle) Liam (fiddle). Connie O’Connell was meant to be there but he was double booked at the fiddle workshop.

Next to Browne’s for the annual session with Jackie Daly, Matt Cranitch & Paul de Graie. You could possibly have more fun than playing slides and polkas with Jackie Daly, but I’m not sure what that would be. Replete with corny jokes “that tune was ‘The Bank of Ireland’ but there’s a few notes missing”.

Lastly Jackie & I have our session in the hotel. There was already a bit of a party in the room but we joined in and played til 2:00 am. Jackie wanted to play all the new tunes. We had our Dutch friend Dick playing bodhran with us. Also Charlie Nelligan called in.