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Category Archives: Reel

Ships are Sailing (Edor)

The reel “Ships Are Sailing,” or “Longa Ag Seolad” in Irish, is usually played AABB, but sometimes played ABAB. It has been recorded many, many times.  The Flanagan Brothers do a banjo version on their The Tunes We Like to Play on Paddy’s Day (1930), there’s an interesting solo fiddle version on Bobby Casey’s Casey in […]

Earl’s Chair (Edor)

The Earl’s Chair is, in fact, a rock — well, actually, it’s a stone formation — in east Galway (in Derryoober bog).  It was used by the Earl of Clanrickard (or Clanricarde) when resting during hunts, and since that time it has been called “the Earl’s chair.” Though there have been many Earls (and there have […]

Anything for JohnJoe (D)

This is a popular session tune in many places, but it’s not played much in KC area sessions. It is also called “Anything for Johnjo” and “Anything for John Joe.” It is played in a set “Johnny When You Die > Anything for John-Joe” on the Denis Murphy (1910-1974) & Julia Clifford (1914-1997) The Star […]

Glass of Beer (Baeol)

This reel, “Glass of Beer,” has a number of variations.  One of them, listed as “Pick Your Partner,” is #1391 in O’Neill’s 1850 (1903), and #635 in O’Neill’s 1001 (1907).   The idea that “Pick Your Partner” is a variant of “Glass of Beer,” or vice versa, is for many people a rather easy one, depending on […]

The Teetotaler’s (G)

This tune is most often called “The Teetotaler’s Reel” in Irish sessions, but is also popularly known as “The Temperance Reel” among old-time and bluegrass players, and is much less popularly known as “Prohibition, My Foot!”  This tune starts off like a few others, and doesn’t really distinguish itself until the third measure, where it […]

(The) Leslie’s Reel (A)    

The tune “Leslie’s Reel” has a set of versions, though I don’t know which came first.  One close version is called “Monymusk,” named after a town close to Aberdeenshire, Scotland; another version is called “The Teileann Reel” (or “The Teelin Reel”) named after the village of Teileann in co. Donegal – a small coastal village on […]

Rolling in the Rye Grass (D)

Francis O’Neill (1848-1936) remarks in his book Irish Folk Music: A Fascinating Hobby (1915) that “Rolling in the Rye Grass” was a well-known reel in County Cork when he was a boy – the mid-nineteenth century.  Accordionist Johnny O’Leary (1923-2004) remembered that in his last year of life Kerry fiddler Padraig O’Keeffe (1887-1963) was often asked […]

Bottom of the Punchbowl (G)

The reel “Bottom of the Punchbowl” can be played as a reel or a barndance.  O’Farrell (c. 1805) lists the tune as Scotch.  It was composed by the Chamber Composer for King George III, James Oswald (c. 1711-1769), who was from Dunfermline, Scotland  but moved to Knebworth, England in 1741. He published much of his work […]

Mason’s Apron (A)

The first sound recording of “Mason’s Apron” appears to have been by New York accordion player John J. “Dutch” Kimmel in 1915.  Sligo fiddle master Paddy Killoran (1904-1965) recorded “Mason’s Apron” as a two-part reel in March, 1939. Some play it with an added third part. Some fiddlers play pizzicato notes during the tune as […]

The Glasgow Reel (Daeol)

“The Glasgow Reel” is more often called “Tam Lin” around KC and some other environs.  It has been set in Daeol, Eaeol, and Aaeol, primarily. It is often heard in sessions played first in Daeol, then in Aaeol for a variation — and I have both here.  Dublin musician Davey Arthur (originally from Edinburgh, Scotland) […]