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Quote of the Day: “The essence of the beautiful is unity in variety.” ~ Felix Mendelssohn
There is a kind of music that never feels heavy, even when it is deeply felt. It moves, it lifts, it breathes without strain. That is the world of Felix Mendelssohn. After the shared, passing line of Alexander Borodin, Mendelssohn brings something different into focus. The line still moves between players, but now it does so with a kind of natural motion, almost like wind through…
New Tune: “A Fig For A Kiss” – Slip Jig
Some tunes feel like they were built to move, and “A Fig for a Kiss” is one of them. It’s a slip jig in 9/8 time, which gives it that rolling, almost circular motion. Not quite the straight drive of a double jig, and not as grounded as a reel. It lifts and turns as it goes, and if you lean into that rhythm, the tune almost plays itself.
New Tune: The Rambling Pitchfork
There’s something about an old Irish jig that never wears out its welcome. “The Rambling Pitchfork” is one of those tunes. It’s been around since at least the mid-1800s, passed from player to player, picking up different names and small variations along the way, but always keeping that same forward motion that makes it feel alive under the fingers.
Not the kind of love that shines once. The kind that stays, through bad days, small moments, and everything in between. “All the Way Through.”
#LoveSong #FolkMusic #NewMusic
Listen to the full song on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0IAz8m7yyHE
Not every love story is dramatic. Some are built in kitchens, quiet mornings, and choosing each other every day. “Roots that never move” is about the kind that lasts. #bluegrass #acousticmusic #truelove
Quote of the Day: “Music is a language which expresses the inexpressible.” ~ Aleksandr Borodin
There is a moment in music that doesn’t belong to any one player. You feel it most clearly in Alexander Borodin’s String Quartet No. 2, especially in the Nocturne. A melody begins in one instrument, fully formed, warm and singing. Then, almost without you noticing, it moves. Another instrument takes it, not as a copy, but as a continuation.
New Tune: Star Above The Garter
Some tunes carry a clear story. Others leave just enough mystery to keep you thinking long after the last note. “The Star Above the Garter” falls somewhere in between. At its core, this is a Sliabh Luachra slide, deeply tied to County Kerry and to a particular style of playing that emphasizes rhythm, lift, and flow. The tune is most often associated with Denis Murphy and Julia Clifford, siblings whose music helped define the sound of the…
New Tune: Smash the Windows
There’s a certain satisfaction in setting the record straight, especially with a tune like “Smash the Windows.” It’s one of those pieces that gets passed around so freely that, over time, its origins start to blur. Today, you’ll often see it labeled simply as “Irish,” tucked comfortably into session lists and teaching materials. But if you follow the trail back a little further, a different picture begins to emerge.
New Tune: Planxty George Brabazon
There’s something quietly enduring about a tune like “Planxty George Brabazon.” It carries with it not just melody, but memory, a thread that runs back through generations of players who have shaped it in their own hands. Traditionally linked to Turlough O’Carolan, the piece reflects his habit of honoring friends, patrons, and notable figures through music. The word “planxty” itself hints at that intention, a musical offering, part…
New Song: The River Keeps Speaking
here are moments when a place you thought you knew quietly reveals that you’ve only been seeing the surface. That’s what happened to me at a recent community gathering focused on the Connecticut River Valley, or as it has long been known, the Kwinitekw, often translated as “the long river.” That name alone changes things. It shifts the river from a backdrop into something living, something with continuity and meaning far older than…
