News March 19,2012

In case you missed the Thistle and Shamrock show, here's a link that still works! http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=147291255&m=147291951

St.Patrick's Week! Looking forward to Thursday night at Hanafin's Irish Pub in Glastonbury, CT 7-9:30. You never know who will turn up-last Saturday we had 3 pipers-Michael Cooney, Jonathan Warner, and Tony Morse-wow!

Friday March 16 and Saturday March 17, Gypsy Reel will be cranking out tunes and songs at Killarney Irish Pub, Ludlow, VT, 7:30-?. And Gypsy Reel will be at the Sitting Bull Lounge, Okemo Mountain Ski Area, Ludlow, VT, Saturday afternoon March 16, 3-6pm. Whoo-hoo!

HERE's THE LINK for the Thistle & Shamrock show-it will be posted on their website under "Listen Again"-but just for 3 weeks! http://thistleradio.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=572&Itemid=109

MARCH MANDOLIN FESTIVAL MARCH 2-4 I will be performing and teaching -please check out the details on my schedule page, and join us for some mando fun!

Had a blast listening to Fiona Ritchie's "Thistle and Shamrock" show last night! If you missed it, or don't get it on the radio, it should be up on their website soon-www.thistleradio.com Thanks to Fiona for a being such a great interviewer, to Al Petteway for a superb job on the sound, to Margaret Kennedy for keeping us all relaxed and happy, and to Julle Glaub Weems for putting us all together at Traditional Song Week of Swannanoa Gathering in the mountains of North Carolina last summer!

I have posted a couple free tracks on the music page! Bob Perry recorded us live at the All Star Irish Fest, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT, last November. I got to play mandolin, with Jeanne Freeman on fiddle, Loretta Egan Murphy on button accordion, Brendan Dolan on piano-what a thrill! Have a listen!

Just finished recording "Irene's Wake"-cd & dvd-music and images created in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene which caused unbelievable devastation here in Vermont last August. I put together an adapted version of "Waterbound", and there's some great new songs written by Paul Giambatista, one of the singers in the Mount Holly Folk Club, which I started 3 years ago as a hometown singing group-good stuff! Our local tv station, LPCTV, did the video. There will be 2 release parties this weekend-an acoustic concert Friday 2/17 at The Ludlow Town Hall Auditorium at 7pm featuring Gypsy Reel, The Pleasants, Salt Ash Seranaders, and M,ount Holly Folk Club; and an electric concert Saturday 2/18 at The Outback in Ludlow featuring Rick Redington and The Luv and Dank and the Funkstix (both-$10 donation at the door to benefit flood victims and LPCTV). See you there!

Happy New Year! The winter is shaping up quite nicely. I'm hosting a Thursday night Irish Traditional Music Session at Hanafin's Pub in Glastonbury, CT, which is like having St.Patrick's day every week! I'm doing a radio show at Wesleyan University called "Finding Bliss" with Laura Agnelli 1/17 at 5pm, and will be featured on NPR on Fiona Ritchie's "Thistle and Shamrock" the week of February 9 (check your local listings for exact time.) I'm playing at the Ale House in Troy, NY 2/1, at the Ludlow, VT Auditorium with a great lineup of musicians for a CD/DVD Release Party for "Irene's Wake" 2/17, and will be teaching at the Northeast Mandolin Festival in Concord, NH 3/2-4; details of these and lots of other shows on the Schedule Page! Also adding some new photos. Hope to see you soon!

Older Posts from 2011: Coming up November 3, 5:30-7:30pm, a special event- November First Thursday at the Butler-McCook House and Garden, 396 Main St, Hartford, CT 06103-"History Happy Hour" with an Art Exhibition Opening featuring works by Janice Warren www.braodbrookart.com and music by Claudine Langille. It's free admission with a suggested food & per drink donation of $5. Come and enjoy all the treats at Hatford's oldest house! www.ctlandmarks.org

REVIEW OF GYPSY REEL 7/17/11- 30th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT AT LUDLOW BANDSTAND in the7/20 issue of VERMONT JOURNAL by Anne Gardner calls Gypsy Reel's music "sometimes lively, sometimes poignant, but always beautiful."

Just back from three great weeks in North Carolina-one in Montreat as Musician in Residence, with a spot in the great new musical by John Currie, "Windows on the Women;" one at Swannanoa Gathering Traditional Song Week (watch for an upcoming interview with Fiona Ritchie on The Thistle and Shamrock on NPR!); and one at Swannanoa gathering Celtic Week-super music! Currently playing with Gypsy Reel in Vermont and at the PV O'Donnell Wednesday night session in Hartford, CT. Looking forward to Nova Scotia in August. Check out the fabulous new release-book and cd-from Otis Tomas, "The Fiddletree" (www.fiddletree.com) Adding new titles to Music page and Photos page-check "em out! And please sign my guestbook.