NYIC Slow Session Aug 2, 14 I was a bit late getting to NYIC, no fault of the #7 train, which ran perfectly. I could hear music as I descended the stairs. Clean fiddling, and when I got to our room I found Ed Hummel leading with Felicia and Richard playing along very well. Frank Lalley was there and a new whistle player named Jennifer. Joe was on banjo adding a bit of drive to the music. I gave both Frank and Jennifer my whistle version of Josefins Waltz, a Norwegian tune too good not to play along with our mostly Irish music. I asked and Jennifer said she could read music. I think she is a classical player but I didnt get much time to talk. When my turn came around I played Josefins Waltz or I should say, stumbled through it with lots of help from everyone in the room. I dont practice since pulling some muscles in my right shoulder. I can only play a few minutes before pain stops me so at home I play my concertina to keep the music in my head but I save my fiddle playing to inflict on my friends. By the second chorus I was doing okay. (I think!) I played along on several tunes but laid the fiddle down in the middle of a few to save my shoulder as much as possible. Jennifer passed on her turns so other people chimed in with easy whistle tunes. I should have thought of playing Wild Mountain Thyme but I guess there was enough going on without my help. Someplace around here Felicia played Wind That Shakes The Barley followed another tune that almost matches it for several measures. She played the second tune almost solo until Ed joined in. I guess it took a while to recognize. Late in the session Dan Hunt arrived and immediately gave out cookies. He sat next to Jennifer and probably touted our Wednesday evening session in Central Park. With Dan there we had strong players on both ends of the table. Joe put down his banjo and borrowed Eds guitar to play rhythm and harmony. As a group we were beginning to sound good. I played a fair version of Ashokan Farewell, screwing up the next to the last note (C#) on the first chorus but redeeming myself on the second. I avoided the second ending since I was seriously out of practice and it can be difficult. As the clock neared four I suggested that we play Road to Lissdoonvarna and Mug of Brown Ale. I explained to Jennifer that we played those tunes for friends far away. Dan filled in the details and I think Jennifer like the idea. Around this point Ed Hummel played a set of up tempo reels. We had stuck to slow tempi throughout the session but I think we all needed a release from carefully measured playing. I was done and packed up. We all headed for our various ways of getting home. I take the #7 train into Queens, Felicia and Dan take it into Manhattan so we had a last wave and thats it until either Dempseys or the park.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 05:47:01 +0000
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