CITYFOLK MONTHLY - November 2007

The traditional instrumental music of Ireland has been present in the United States since before the states were united. The first Irish immigrants, often called the Scots-Irish, came to this country before the American Revolution and brought their fiddle tunes with them. Most of this first wave of Irish immigration entered through the port of Philadelphia, where many of the immigrants stayed.

Those who moved on tended to go south and west, settling in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee and the Carolinas, and opening up the Appalachian, Blue Ridge and Shenandoah mountains for settlement. When people speak of the Irish roots of bluegrass and country music, this is what they have in mind.

The second great wave of Irish immigration to the U.S., which took place between 1820 and 1930, saw an estimated 4.5 million Irish arrive on these shores, and they too brought their music with them. During the 1840s, almost half of all immigrants to this country were from Ireland. Many were farm families driven out by the deplorable living conditions and starvation that became widespread with the Potato Blight of 1845. Lacking the means of the earlier immigrants to buy property on the frontier, a larger percentage of these people stayed and found work in cities, creating large immigrant communities in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Chicago.

By the early years of the 20th century, there was an active ballroom circuit in those cities, catering both to second- and third-generation Irish-Americans and more recent immigrants. These dancehalls provided music and a place to meet other Irish immigrants socially, and the largest of them, like the Inisfail Ballroom and the Galway Hall in New York, held as many as 4,000 dancers. These dancehalls also provided employment for many Irish musicians.

Some of the leading dancehall bands of the first decades of the century were the Flanagan Brothers and the Pride of Erin Orchestra (both in New York); the Stars of Munster (Chicago); Dan Sullivan’s Shamrock Band (Boston); and the Four Provinces Orchestra and Erin’s Pride Orchestra (Philadelphia). Young Irish accordion master David Munnelly, who performed with his band at the most recent Cityfolk Festival, is one of the few modern musicians who draws his primary musical inspiration from these bands, particularly the Flanagan Brothers.

The patron saint of traditional Irish music in the United States is Francis J. O’Neill, the police chief of Chicago from 1901-1905 and one of the earliest collectors of Irish dance tunes played by fiddlers, pipers, flutists and other folk instrumentalists. O’Neill, a native of County Cork who left Ireland at age 16, bounced around some before ending up in Chicago, where he joined the police force in 1873. An accomplished flutist, O’Neill was an avid participant in the Irish music sessions in Chicago. His contributions to the music took two forms.

Once O’Neill became police chief, he hit upon a novel idea that assured plenty of players for the local sessions he attended—he packed the police department with as many musicians as he could hire. An itinerant Irish musician passing through Chicago was pretty much guaranteed a spot on the force if O’Neill liked his playing. Fiddlers, flutists and pipers were so prevalent in the department a contemporary writer described it as “the most musically uniformed body of men anywhere.” Piper Tom Ennis was one of the best-known of O’Neill’s musical patrolmen.

Besides helping to stock Chicago with Irish musicians, O’Neill made his biggest mark with two books of traditional Irish tunes he collected and published. O’Neill wanted to leave a written record of the music he loved, so his initial goal was to transcribe all the tunes he knew from his childhood. The project grew from there until O’Neill had collected more than 2,000 tunes from musicians in Chicago, representing all sections of Ireland. The chief couldn’t read music so the actual transcribing fell to the unrelated Sergeant James O’Neill, who had some classical training on the violin.

The tunes were published in Music Of Ireland (1903) and The Dance Music of Ireland (1907). The books are still in print and remain to this day the standard source of traditional Irish instrumental music. O’Neill’s first collection of tunes is known in Irish music circles simply as “The Book.”

Irish music, both traditional and newly composed, has been a staple of the American recording industry since the industry began. The earliest known recording of traditional Irish music in the U.S. was made by uillean piper James McAuliffe in 1899. Widespread recording of Irish musicians began in 1916, when Columbia had a hit by James Wheeler and Eddie Herborn, a banjo and accordion duet from New York, and all the other labels went searching for their own Irish musicians. The record companies wouldn’t begin recording blues and country musicians until several years later.

The 1920s and 1930s are seen now as a golden age for traditional Irish music on records. The record companies marketed Irish music as “ethnic music,” and as the Irish were then the largest and most prosperous ethnic group in the U.S., virtually every label had an “Irish Series” for both traditional instrumental recordings and songs, which tended toward the vaudeville-music hall end of the spectrum.

Some of the most widely recorded musicians of this era are fiddlers Michael Coleman, Packie Dolan, Jimmy Morrison and Hugh Gillespie; flutist John McKenna; and such ensembles as Dan Sullivan’s Shamrock Band and the Flanagan Brothers. The best-selling Irish artists from this period were probably singers John McGettigan and Pat Quinn. Farewell To Ireland, a four-CD box set, contains a particularly good overview of the Irish recordings of this era.

These records, especially those of traditional tunes, were important far beyond their value as entertainment. Traditional music in Ireland had just about vanished by this time, victim of a two-pronged campaign of suppression by the Catholic clergy, who opposed the sinfulness of the music, and the British government, which objected to its Irishness. Add the fact that much of the Irish population, and most of its musicians, had fled for greener pastures elsewhere, and the result was a country practically devoid of its traditional culture.

Many of the records made in this country made it back to Ireland. When times changed and the situation was right for a revival of traditional music in Ireland, the American-made records of Coleman, McKenna, Gillespie and the others—and the two books edited by Francis J. O’Neill—provided the repertoire, the instruction and the inspiration for a new generation of musicians and singers. If not for the Irish in America, much of the Irish musical tradition would have faded away into oblivion.

The standard-bearer for Irish-American music in the modern age is Mick Moloney, a musician, scholar, record producer, mentor and recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship. Born in 1944, in Limerick, Ireland, Moloney began playing tenor banjo when he was 16, later adding guitar and mandolin. He toured and recorded for five years with the Johnstons, an extremely popular Dublin band that also included Paul Brady.

Moloney came to the U.S. in the early 1970s for graduate studies in folklore. Since earning his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Moloney has been an active advocate for traditional Irish music on numerous fronts and has been especially important for his work documenting the history of Irish-American music in the U.S. He’s recorded with such musicians as fiddler Eugene O’Donnell, accordionist James Keane and singer-guitarist Robbie O’Connell; co-founded the band Green Fields of America; and has four solo albums to his credit, including Far From the Shamrock Shore and his most recent, McNally’s Row of Flats.

One of Moloney’s more significant contributions to the world of Irish music was his role in creating the all-women band Cherish the Ladies. Organized by Moloney in 1985 for a concert tour under the auspices of the National Endowment for the Arts, Cherish the Ladies was so well received that several of the women on the tour decided to form a permanent band. Cityfolk presented Cherish on that first NEA tour, and has brought them back several times since.

Led by flute/whistle virtuoso Joannie Madden since the beginning, Cherish the Ladies is now the most successful Irish-American band in history. The group, which has included such stellar musicians as Winifred Horan, Cathie Ryan, Eileen Ivers, Aoife Clancy and Liz Carroll in the past, has recorded several albums; the most recent is Woman of the House.

Mick Moloney also served as a mentor to numerous musicians, especially in the Philadelphia area. One young musician who benefited from Moloney’s attention was Seamus Egan (pictured here), a Philadelphia native. Egan was an extraordinarily precocious musician—by the time he was 14, he had accomplished the unprecedented feat of winning All-Ireland championships on four different instruments: flute, mandolin, tenor banjo and tin whistle. Egan made his first solo album at 16.

The great Irish-American band Solas, which performs at the Victoria Theatre November 16, was formed in the mid-1990s by Egan, two other award-winning Irish-American musicians,—fiddler Winifred Horan and accordion master John Williams—and two Irish musicians living in the U.S. at the time—guitarist John Doyle and singer Karan Casey. Solas took the Irish music world by storm right from the start and is today one of the hottest bands on the circuit. The most recent of the band’s eight CDs is Reunion: A Decade of Solas, a live concert recording (including a great concert DVD) that brought together all current and past members of the band.

The rich tradition of Irish-American music continues to evolve as we proceed into the new century. Immigration from Ireland to this country still plays a role—Kevin Burke, Mick Moloney, Martin Hayes and John Doyle are just a few of the prominent musicians who have moved here since the 1970s. And American-born musicians exploring their Irish heritage will always play a big role, as such folks as Seamus Egan, John Williams, Dennis Cahill, Liz Carroll and Winifred Horan do now.

Traditional Irish music in this country has a long and colorful history and the future should be even more interesting. It’s a unique story of cultural preservation involving a rare form of back-and-forth interplay between musicians in two different countries. It’s a musical saga of which Ireland and the U.S. can both be proud.

CULTURE BUILDS COMMUNITY: Skeletons in October - CBC gives it new meaning!

This fall Culture Builds Community (CBC), Cityfolk’s community building partnership with East End Community Services Corporation, honored the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), during a week-long series of events and activities.

Día de los Muertos is a holiday dedicated to remembering loved ones who have passed away. Images of colorful, smiling skulls & skeletons are common decorations for the Día de los Muertos celebrations. These images represent the comforting belief that the spirits of departed loved ones come to visit their family members during this holiday, which is celebrated on November 1 & 2. Because Día de los Muertos falls so close to Halloween, there is often confusion among non-Hispanics surrounding the meaning of these symbols and the holiday itself. Skeletons associated with Halloween are morbid, frightful images. Hence, it can be difficult for those not accustomed to celebrating Día de los Muertos to wrap their minds around the notion of friendly skeletons representing our beloved departed loved ones.

Even in Twin Towers, a hub for Mexican immigrants and one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the Miami Valley, fear & misunderstanding regarding the Mexican holiday can be strong. CBC coordinator, Kelsa Rieger, explains the impetus behind the fall residency events:

“We wanted to provide a comfortable space for Mexicans to celebrate their holiday. And we also wanted to provide opportunities for this diverse community of residents to learn about each other, find commonalities, and turn cultural traditions that tend to act as barriers that separate and fracture the community into bonds that create communication and understanding among them. I would say the residency was a huge success in this regard.”

During the week of October 22, 2007, hundreds of community members participated in celebrations inspired by Día de los Muertos at East End Community School. Students at the school participated in craft projects throughout the week, which included learning to make papel picado – a style of Mexican folk-art associated with Día de los Muertos. The kids crafts were used to decorate the gymnasium where the community events were held at the end of the week. A diverse group of community members and supporters also constructed colorful multicultural altars on display at the community events. The altars were festooned with photographs, food items and other tokens, honoring deceased parents, grandparents, war veterans and even beloved pets.

On Thursday, October 25, in the midst of the beautiful display of altars, community members gathered to enjoy traditional Mexican food, mask-making and other creative crafts for kids, performances by Sol Azteca – Twin Towers' very own Mexican Folkloric dance troupe – and last but not least, Chicago’s premiere folk music ensemble, Sones de Mexico. This Grammy-nominated band performed music & dancing that spanned the deep regional traditions of Mexican culture, and had community members up and out of their seats.

On Friday, October 26, the festivities continued with "Joyful Evening of Remembrance," a celebration inspired by Día de los Muertos which included Appalachian cultural traditions. The evening began with a community processional complete with candles and the singing of “I’ll Fly Away” followed by a dinner including a large spread of local ethnic dishes. After dinner, Dayton’s award-winning dance & music ensemble Rhythm in Shoes kicked off the spirited celebration with traditional Appalachian tunes, clogging & line dancing. Sones de Mexico carried the festivities well into the evening with music that had the crowd dancing the conga line and calling “encore!” at the end of night.

The Fall 2007 Culture Builds Community residency was made possible by the generous support of the Kettering Fund & The Ohio Arts Council, food donations provided by Abuelo’s Mexican Food Embassy, Chipotlé, Cedarland Bakery & Restaurant, Él Meson Restaurante, La Michoacana, Las Piramides Mexican Restaurant, Mr. Hyman’s Fine Dining, Pepitos Mexican Restaurant, & Taqueria Mixteca; as well as significant volunteer support. Cityfolk and East End Community Services would like to thank all of the volunteers and supporters for their help with the event, and all of the artists who shared their creative talents & traditions with the community. Finally, we owe a huge thanks to Sones de Mexico, a rare group of musicians & dancers who possess not only an extraordinary caliber of artistic mastery, but also a clear passion and skill for bringing communities together.

TEACHERS CORNER by Ceal Turnbull

On November 16th the Victoria Theatre will be humming with some of the best Irish-American traditional Celtic music!! Solas “offers a compellingly original and strikingly contemporary view of traditional Celtic sounds” (Los Angeles Times) that resonates with fans on both sides of the Atlantic. One of the most exciting and high-energy Celtic bands on the circuit!

If you love the music, Celtic history and/or tradition don't miss this show! And if you're interested in sharing the opportunity with your students, Cityfolk has a special offer for you! Bring two or more of your students to the performance and we'll provide half price tickets for teachers and up to two adult chaperones and $5 tickets for students. That's a huge discount on our regular ticket prices and a special way of thanking you for exposing your students to diverse arts and cultural experiences. To take advantage of this offer, call Shelley McNichols in the Cityfolk box office at 937-496-3863.

In celebration of Solas' visit to Dayton and all things Celtic, we have researched a few interesting lesson plan websites that relate to the Celtic tradition and history. We hope you find them useful.

TOP TEN REASONS TO JOIN CITYFOLK

10) You get to hang out with John Harris, Dave Barber, Holly Underwood and the rest of the staff and Board of Trustees at various "members only" events during the year!

9) Members at the Family ($50) level receive merchandise including our collectible 2007 Festival pin, travel mug, and CD holder!

8) You receive initial notice of upcoming Cityfolk events and artists!

7) Members at the Sustainer ($500) level receive VIP and/or Room With A View passes to the highly anticipated 2008 Cityfolk Festival!

6) You help bring world class Jazz, World, Celtic, and American Roots music to the Miami Valley!

5) All your friends and neighbors will think you're "hip" because you're a member of one of the "coolest" arts organizations in the Miami Valley!

4) Members at the Friend ($100) or Believer level ($250) receive a special 2 for 1 ticket offer for ANY upcoming Cityfolk performance!

3) Members at the Family ($50) level are eligible to receive special discount coupons to a variety of Dayton's best restaurants including The Meadowlark, Coco's Bistro, Jay's, The Trolley Stop, John Henry's, Pacchia, and Thai 9!

2) You can help your friends and family be more "hip" by giving them a Cityfolk membership as a holiday gift! Benefits in a gift membership could include: merchandise, discount restaurant coupons, special discount ticket offers, and VIP/Room With A View passes for the 2008 Cityfolk Festival - what a gift!

And...the #1 reason to join Cityfolk NOW is...

1) Your membership contribution continues to make YOU an integral part of our performances, our educational programs including "Culture Builds Community," and our annual Cityfolk Festival!

To join Cityfolk, click on the Membership button or contact our office at 937-223-3655.

PROFILE BEHIND THE SCENES: New Faces at Cityfolk

On August 18, long-time Cityfolk staffer Holly Underwood and her husband Tom welcomed their son Zachary Ryan into the world. Zach weighed 7 lb 15 oz and was 20.5 inches long at birth. The labor and drug-free water birth went smoothly, though Holly's initial recovery was unusually difficult. All three are now doing very well. Zach spends a lot of time with Mom, so he will be a regular visitor in the Cityfolk offices and at concerts.

In September, Cityfolk welcomed Todd Boak as our new Marketing Manager (pictured here with girlfriend Kerri). Todd is an Ohio native who has spent the last five years in Dayton, as he pursued his bachelor and master's degrees at Wright State University. He graduated from the Raj Soin College of Business at Wright State University with a Master's of Marketing in June. After several interviews with for-profit businesses and corporations, Todd realized that Cityfolk's mission and work atmosphere suited his goals. He's been playing guitar and singing with the acoustic rock band Berkley for four years. You can hear the band on their MySpace page.

RECORDINGS I'M LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW: Trouble by Ray LaMontagne and O.C.M.S. by Old Crow Medicine Show

FAVORITE LIVE MUSIC EXPERIENCE (onstage): The first song of a set.

FAVORITE LIVE MUSIC EXPERIENCE (in the audience): Seeing Dispatch at the Hatch Shell in Boston. Largest crowd for an independent band - 110,000 people.

FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD: Pizza or Sushi.

FAVORITE PASSTIMES: Frisbee Golf, Guitar, and fall sports.

DREAM VACATION: I'd have to say Italy or Australia.

Every music lover has their favorite artists. When those favorites are seen in person, the experience usually is something that is remembered for the rest of that person’s life. Conversely, if an opportunity to see that artist is missed, it is something that is truly regrettable. When that performance proves to be one of the last of their lives, the regret is even greater. That is the case with my love of the music of Johnny Adams, the “Tan Canary” from New Orleans.

Johnny Adams was born in New Orleans in 1932 and first sang gospel music. In 1959 he was the singer on the hit “I Won’t Cry,” and had a series of regional hits including “Reconsider Me,” Release Me,” and “Hell Yes I Cheated.” He primarily performed on the African-American “chitlin’ circuit” in Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana during his early career, and was recognized with a Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Award late in his life. Other awards garnered by Johnny Adams throughout his career included a W.C. Handy Award, a NAIRD Indie Award and a number of local awards from New Orleans.

Johnny’s career reached a new level in 1982 when he partnered with Rounder Records and producer Scott Billington. Over the next fifteen years he produced nine albums that crossed genres from jazz to rhythm and blues to romantic ballads to country and pop to unvarnished soul. His best-known work for Rounder, “There Is Always One More Time”, proved to be a memorable opening for the 1999 Steve Martin/Eddie Murphy film Bowfinger. Johnny’s collaborators during this time period included a veritable who’s who of music, including Aaron Neville, Harry Connick Jr., David Torkanowsky, Duke Robillard, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, George Porter, Jr., Johnny Vidacovich and Cityfolk-presented artists Dr. John and Houston Person. Johnny’s recordings included tributes to great rhythm and blues songwriters Percy Mayfield (1989) and Doc Pomus (1991), explorations into small group jazz sessions (The Verdict, 1995) and collaborations with artists like Dr. Lonnie Smith (One Foot In The Blues, 1996). Johnny’s final record, Man of My Word, was recorded in 1998 while he was in remission from cancer. This return to rhythm and blues includes a stirring a cappella version of the gospel hymn “Never Alone,” with Aaron Neville, recorded in deference to Johnny’s wish to record a gospel album.

One of Johnny’s last public appearances was at the 1998 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. It is best described in The Incomplete, Year-by-Year Selectively Quirky, Prime Facts Edition of the History of The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which states, “What a heartrending moment occurred when Aaron Neville and a backing do wop quintet in the Gospel Tent sang 'Nearer My God to Thee' with Johnny Adams joining on the Zion Harmonizers’ 'Never Alone!' Their voices blended in an otherworldly harmony on 'Amazing Grace' and 'Down by the Riverside.' It was the venerable Adams’ last Jazz Fest performance…” A good friend of mine was at that performance and still talks about its power today. Even though I was at Jazz Fest that year, I regretfully missed that moment.

My favorite Johnny Adams CD is the Rounder Heritage compilation There Is Always One More Time. There have been other compilations released recently on Rounder including The Great Johnny Adams Blues Album and The Great Johnny Adams R&B Album. Just released in September 2007 was Chasing Rainbows -- The Tan Canary -- New Orleans Soul 1969 to 1981 which covers the period of time before Johnny Adams’ started his career with Rounder records. Scott Billington, Johnny Adams’ producer with Rounder sums it up best: ”His music was soulful, sophisticated, playful and, at times, emotionally devastating. He was a gentleman and a true artist, and I don’t think you’ll ever hear a more distinguished or soulful singer.”

From time to time, stories on NPR, in the New York Times and in other places catch the eye (or ear) of the Cityfolk staff. These are stories about traditional music, handicrafts, ways of life...stories that deepen our understanding and appreciation for the folkways of the world. We will keep bringing as much of this to Dayton as we can; in the meantime, take a listen to this:

If you find a story that you'd like to share with other Cityfolk ENews readers, please send us the link and we'll put it the hopper for possible inclusion.

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