Jay The Fiddler
For the Love of Fiddle.

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Jay’s Irish Session

We will be at Tan Violin Shop
8749-53 avenue Edmonton, AB, Canada
Most Sundays. Just show up. (email to be on the invite list and to confirm we are on)
1-4 pm
The First Hour will be slower and accommodating.
Our 3 rules are
1) Keep it Irish
2) Instrumental only (no singing)
3) $5.00 entrance fee.
Come have fun!
Slán
Jay
•
FREE SHEET MUSIC!
In the interest of promoting this exciting music I have produced 3 booklets with common Irish Session Tunes.
Where possible I have transcribed them from legendary recordings to try and provide the “best” versions that are heard in pub sessions in Ireland.
Please read and memorize these tunes for maximum enjoyment.

Week A First Hour Tune Booklet

Week B First Hour Tune Booklet

Week C First Hour Tune Booklet

Fun at Fort Edmonton Opening Weekend 2022

https://www.fortedmontonpark.ca/

 

May 21st, 11 am – 2 pm – 1846 Fort

May 22nd, 11 am – 2 pm – 1846 Fort

May 23rd, 11 am – 2 pm – 1885 Street

Admission Prices

Daily Admission Tickets
Adult (18-64)            $26.20
Child/Youth (3-17)     $20.90
Senior (65+)             $20.90
Family (2 adults & up to 4 kids)     $95.00

Plus GST. Includes train, streetcar, midway rides & games.

Jay Kuchinsky Trio at The DeepFreeze Fest this Saturday!

Come to the Carrot Cafe 2:00 pm Saturday January 22nd

at 118th avenue and 94th street .

My trio featuring Ihor Nedoshytko on accordion and Tim Rutter on guitar

will be playing lively traditional Ukrainian Music from recordings of Alberta Bands  in the 1950’s & 60’s.

https://www.deepfreezefest.ca/

Carrowkeel: 6000 year old passage tombs.

Jay took me to the Carrowkeel passage tombs Co. Sligo. What can I say? Where can I start? The were built 4000 years before Christ. We hiked up the mountain and even that view was spectacular. One tomb is accessible and neither is there an interpretive centre nor an admission fee.

Jay says the faeries will dance to your music. I pull out the fiddle and play “The Kid on the Mountain”. Very magical indeed.

Thursday 2-11-17 Farewell to Eire

I’m up earlyish and cook my own Irish fry of fried eggs, potatoes, black pudding, toast & coffee. Now it’s time to get all that Irish tea into my luggage. I try my best not to forget anything and bid farewell to Ton and Barney & Lucy (the dogs).

I call in on Jackie and immediately Annie offers me a bowl of her famous soup. Jackie is visibly drawn from his treatments. I tell him stories about my travels and the tunes in town and who I played with him. He asks many questions and I am often able to remember  a name for him. That man from Clare who played the fiddle and composed many tunes. “Junior Crehan?” “That’s him!”

I play tunes and chat with him for a good hour and a half. Then It’s time for his nap. Get well Jackie Please!!!!!!

I am finishing my trip in Ennis at the Fafa session with Blackie O’Connell & Siobhan Peoples. The plan is to play till 3:00 am like last week, hit the Chipper then car back to the airport. No Guinness for me. Good-bye Ireland, Hello Canada. (+13 in Kerry today -15 in Edmnonton).

Ennis is home to many wonderful statues – you can even do a statue tour.

 

Saturday POK full on!

Saturday POK full on!
Session 1 is in The Crown led by Derek Hickey (box). A lovely quiet session with many young players and loads of hornpipes. Derek tells me he was in Edmonton in March with De Dannan. That would be the Alec Finn De Dannan as opposed to the Frankie Gavin De Dannan. Also at the table are Eileen De Paor (flute), Aidan Coffey (box) and John Kelly (flute).
Session 2 is at Peter Browne’s: my annual seen with Jackie Daly, Matt Cranitch and Paul de Grae. Super fun as usual with powerful rhythm, loads of Sliabh Luchra sets and Jackie’s irrepressible humour – both musically and linguistically.
Session 3 is the heated beer gardens in back of McCarthy’s with Georgia and her young crowd. Musicians include Greta Curtin (concertina), Darragh Horan (guitar), Jessie Healy (fiddle). I walk the 3 km to Tony’s. I’m almost there when Georgia and Greta pull beside me. “Put on the tea!” I yell.

McCarthy's beer gardens with Greta Curtin (concertina), Jessie Healie (fiddle)

Friday Night in Galway

Had a mighty time in the Crane Bar with Mick Creehan (whistle), Pat O’Donnell (banjo), Mike (pipes), Mike (bodhran & spoons).  Rob Fuller & I walk into town from Renmore and meet up with his friend Liam.

Gerry & Christine from Switzerland are in the crowd. We often are visiting at the same time so we are busy catching up. “How is Georgia?” “Oh she arrives on Thursday.” And we leave on Tuesday.”

Walking home on Lough Atalia Road a tall cyclist pulls up beside me. “Oh you startled me”. We begin to talk. He is Al (“You can call me Al”) Bailey from Trinidad, a filmmaker.

ristine & Gerry Marti

Back to his place for a bowl of soup at 3 am. We actually have loads in common; bicycles, bike repair, music films. And he knows who Mark Messier is and cites Mark as the top man in hockey. I agree. “How could you possibly know that?” “There was a woman once. She wanted me to know important things about Canada.”

Serendipity? I’d say so.

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