Tunes

Tunes tunes tunes!! This weekend I was paid a visit by the fabulous Helen Gubbins, a very dear close friend of mine from my Cork days. She primarily plays accordion, but whipped out a fantastic tune on my piano, which promptly became my favorite tune…

…Or at least it was my favorite tune for an hour or two before I got to the session at the Tremont Tavern and heard this new tune by Casey Phillips. Casey is a rock solid player and all-around terrific guy, and he knows approximately 3,424,502 tunes– and as if that’s not enough, he’s writing more! This one in particular completely won me over. I’ll be working on this one for the next few days.

Cockeyed Hen, by Casey Phillips, performed on tenor guitar at the Tremont Tavern, July 27, 2008:

Spelmansglädje

I’m living this bizarre, wonderful life where I dream up wishes and then they happen.  Like that time when I was wishing I could someday have and play a hammered dulcimer… Well in 2001 it was my sincere wish that I could learn more about Swedish music and the very fascinating Swedish folk instrument–the nyckelharpa.  It’s funny that this wish came true in Ireland of all places, but there she was.  Elin Skoglund (at the time, now Anderzon) happened to be the flatmate of my friend Zena.  At the international student orientation, Zena approached me and said I had to meet her new Swedish flatmate, because she plays this really odd, beautiful folk instrument…. And I knew my wish was granted.

So this post is another invitation to my happy place.  If nyckelharpas don’t make your heart flutter like they do mine, there’s the seated dance these two are doing and the joy on their faces–sure to bring a smile.  This is Elin and Edward Anderzon, performing last year in Pennsylvania.  The tune is Spelmansglädje.

Mbira for a Rainy Sunday

I’m sitting on my futon with the hot pink tee shirt sheets and an incredibly soft brown faux fur throw on top. Cymba, my gorgeous new kitten is kneading my chest and purring away. His eyes are closed like he could drop his little head and fall asleep at any moment. I’m so glad I took the time to sew silk flowers onto the bottom edge of my curtains, because now when they’re twisted back they make this bright floral frame for the picture outside. It’s not a particularly nice picture otherwise. Lookout mountain is there, sure, but so is the big muddy field recently cleared for townhouses that have yet to be built. And word on the street says we’ll soon be seeing a cell phone tower planted behind our properties…how’s that for beautification? Maybe when it comes, I’ll go sew silk flowers on it.

But it’s beautiful inside my room. The warm, magenta glow as all the pinks and reds and oranges soak up the daylight, even during this morning’s storm. The minidisc recorder seems to have gotten lost in all the commotion here at the house, so another way to share this track from mbira player Forward Kwenda is to link to this YouTube clip someone else posted. This is the music I want to be hearing when I’m taking my last breaths.

Tadzungaira, “We Are Suffering”, played by Forward Kwenda on his 1997 album, Svikiro.

Blue Skies

I was too busy making mojitos to fuss with the camera (or a fiddle, or a dulcimer) while the big part of the party went on. But when it all died down, I found myself in a fairly odd–but totally fun–jam session with Ken Doyle on Irish flute and Ken Harrison on saw. This is our rendition of Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies”. A rather soulful ensemble, don’t you think?

18th Street “surprise” party for Rick Davis, July 5th, 2008: