Tag Archives: Session Tunes
Merry Blacksmith (D)
The reel “Merry Blacksmith” is a lively, popular tune in both the Irish tradition and in American old-time. Â Though once known as “The Peeler’s Jacket,” it is not any more — unless one calls it “Peeler’s Jacket #1” and one is a supreme fan of the Fiddler’s Companion, which I am. Â The tune is often […]
Monaghan Twig (Amix)
The name of the reel “Monaghan Twig” probably refers to a switch or something similar, and as the name “O’Manacháin” means “descendants of monks” it might be a euphemism that downplays the severity of corporal punishment.  It could also be a meiosis, and reference a Monaghan shillelagh. As for the tune, there are many versions of “Monaghan Twig,” […]
Cup of Tea (D)
The “Cup of Tea” reel was once called “The Unfortunate Cup of Tea,” which is pretty mysterious.  Speculatively, I would suggest that it refers to a well-prepared, and sweetly anticipated cup of tea that has been subsequently squandered in transportation.  That name was used by the early Irish rock band Horslips for the name of […]
Boys of Bluehill (D)
This hornpipe, “Boys of Bluehill,” or “Buacailli Ua Cnoc-Gorm” in Irish, is a session favorite. Our old friend Chief O’Neill reported that the melody was unknown to Chicagoland Irish musicians until he transcribed it from the playing of a seventeen year old fiddler named George West, a gifted musician suffering from penury and without his own […]
Tripping Up the Stairs (D)
The jig “Tripping Up the Stairs” is a universally popular jig in sessions, and seems to come from co. Donegal. It is sometimes thought to be titled “Tripping Upstairs.” Some even think that its current title is a joke, a play on “Tripping Down the Stairs” which they think is the actual title. Still others […]
The Lilting Banshee (Ador)
The tune we know as “The Lilting Banshee” is listed as “The Miller of Glanmire” in O’Neill’s Dance Music of Ireland (1907) – called “O’Neill’s 1001” because it has 1001 tunes in it, or called “not the yellow one, the other book.” In fact, this tune has many names, and what it’s called will depend […]
Father O’Flynn’s Jig (D)
“Father O’Flynn’s” jig was more often called “Top of Cork Road” until A. P. Grave’s (the father of poet Robert Graves) wrote lyrics for it in 1906, and called it “Father O’Flynn.” The song became very popular and so the tune took on the new name. Unfortunately, after writing it A. P. Graves sold it […]
Egan’s Polka (D)
“Egan’s Polka”  is another great tune for teaching polkas – though I have read that players in Glasgow sessions won’t play it.  It is a Kerry polka, and also goes by the name “The Kerry Polka” — as do a number of different Kerry polkas.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, there is even more confusion about the name […]
Sean Ryan’s Polka (D)
As I mention now and then, tunes named after people usually indicate simply that the person named was fond of playing the tune. At times, however, it is an accurate attribution.  I believe this polka was composed by the prolific composer and fiddle player Sean Ryan (1919-1985) from Nenagh, co. Tipperary, and first cousin of Paddy O’Brien (1922-1991) […]
Ger the Rigger (A)
This polka, “Ger the Rigger,” also known as “Jer The Rigger,” will have a soft “g” rather than a hard one. It seems to be named for “Gerald,” “Gerry,” “Jerry,” or “Jeremiah” who was, we can assume, some sort of rigger of renown – that is, one who engages in cable hoisting on land or on […]